The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-08-24
A STATEMENT is ISSUED ON
THE LYNCHINC OF LEO FRANK

taking care OF the prisoners at night
has been found to be the healthiest
in the South.
Said II Was Wrong"
when l asked the legislature at
their recent session to appropriate
money to be used in building sepa-
rate cells for the prison farm some
newspapers took up the matter and
contended with much force that |
was entirely wrong.
In my consultation with the pris-
on commission over Mr.. Frank We felt
thought of the need of more guards,
more wardens. But the idea was
that these were needed to prevent his
fellow convicts from hurting him.
felt that there was too much ex-
posture in letting the prisoners all
sleep together in the same great
room, but the outside attack was not
thought of in this. Such danger was
thought to be very small after the
first month. 1t was believed that if a
prison guard could hold an attacking
party in check long enough to get
word to the authorities, the prisoners
could be protected. The county
there was one of the best military
companies in the state within two
miles of the prison. This company,
with the militia in Macon, had been
directed by the adjutant general to
keep in readiness for immediate ser
vice if called on.
"The complete secrecy of the move
ment, the careful preparation of ev-
cry detail, the cutting of the tele-
phone wires, thus completely isolat-
ing the prison from the outside world,
prevented any expected assistance
and enabled the attack to succeed.
There is no provision of law for
keeping a military guard over the
state farm. This would be impossi-
BILE under our existing statute, as the
governor cannot use the military I'M
less the civil authorities first re-
quest it.
under our constitution the civil
authorities are the superior to the
military, and martial law must be de-
clared before the soldiers can take
charge.
Must Consult Authorities.
II would have called out the mill
tia to prevent an invasion of the
states property, but even in such a
case it is considered necessary to con-
suit the civil authorities first, and
simply use the militia to aid them.
Some four weeks ago | received
an alarm in the form of a secret mes
sage to the effect that mob intend
ed to storm the prison and lynch
Frank on a certain night. | at once
telephoned the authorities in charge,
including the prison commission, the
warden at the state farm, the sheriff
of Baldwin county, and Captain En-
mis-, of the Baldwin Rifles. | secured
the proper request from the military
authorities and Immediately had Gen
eral Nash to get in readiness to han
die any local situation that might
arise, and Captain Ennis was direct
ed to call his men to the armory, pre-
pared to go to the farm at once. The
Macon military was also put under
arms.
For tits course l incurred consid-
cradle censure, for the alarm SEEM
ed to be entirely unfounded, and the
people most concerned felt that
| had done them an injustice, even
threatening to call an indignation
meeting to protest against the course
had adopted.
TT has come to light since the re-
suit of Monday nights work that my
prompt action in this matter delayed
the lynching of the prisoner for
month, as the mob, coming in a few
miles of MilledgeviIle, and, hearing
JAI %
pone the attack.
ION Monday night the militia
would have been called out had the
request been made in time. 1t seems
that the mob went to the prison at
about ten O'Clock in the night. | knew
nothing of the occurrence until about
1:45 Tuesday morning, when | was
called over the telephone by Con-
stitution reporter, who stated to me
that a mob had taken Frank from
the prison and lynched him some time
between 0 and II O'Clock that night.
was shocked beyond measure by the
information.
Lines Were Down.
81 had been working through five
days following the legislatures adj
journment, reading and signing bills,
with very little cessation night or
day for the whole five days, and was
exhausted. Nevertheless,
effort was made to get in
with the sheriff of
Baldwin county, but the lines were
down and no information could be OBJ
tanned. The sheriffs in several coun-
ties along the route which it was be-
lieved the mob was travelling were
notified to keep a sharp lookout for
the party. The sheriffs of Putnam,
Morgan, Newton, Rockdale, Fulton
and Cobb were notified
at is now understood, however,
from the subsequent events, that the
party with Frank had passed north
about an hour and half before the