The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-08-17
FROM PR|Sll|';
HIM TO Tree

IIIlv III IT'LL
could not be found and In his absence
the coroner would take no steps to-
ward having the corpse taken down.
At 1880 It was still dangling at the
end Of the rope, above the gaze OF
thousands Of eyes. The news spread
fast and soon auto parties began to
arrive from Atlanta, Marietta and
other towns In the vicinity. The road
soon became impassable and by II a..
M, It was estimated that 5000 per-
sons were gathered around the tres
from which Franks body hung.
The body was not finally cut down
until after speeches had been made
by number Of persons In the crowd.
One address was by Marietta
man said to have slapped Detective
VIM. J. Burns face when Burns was
Investigating the Frank case hero.
He urged that the body be mutilated.
Judge Morris spoke In opposition to
this, urging that order be maintained.
After the entire crowd had voted
against mutlIation, the body was low
cred from the tree and lifted, I'M bas-
ket, into wagon which started for
Marietta, where II was announced an
inquest would begin at noon.
During the progress, mutterlnas In
favor Of mutilation began to be heard
again, 50 Judge Morris ran HIS auto
mobile alongside the wagon, lifted
tho corpse into the car and sped, not
toward Marietta, but In the direction
Of Atlanta.
y Some 200 automobiles gave chase.
At Smyrna. Rogers Winter, news
paper man, who accompanied Judge
Morris, teaped from the Iatter's car
and rushed for a telephone to notify
l,is paper In Atlanta that the body
was coming and that II was being pur-
sued.
Iasre were several thousand per-
sons IN the crowd about the tree
when the body was cut down. Do
spite Judge Morris pIeadings, several
men In the throng Ieaped forward az
this body was laid on the ground and
stamped on the face with their heels.
The wagon Into which the corpse was
lifted, the property Of Marietta un-
dertaker, made the start for town at
top speed, but the crowd took after It
peil nell Ia automobiles and buaaies
and on foot. Il was then that Judge
Morris, speeding his machine along
side, took the body into his own
charge.
DRAGGED Out by Heels.
ATLANTA, Ga, Aug. 17.-White.
faced with terror, Leo M. Frank. nateI
Georgia prisoner, was dragged from
his cell in the dormitory Of Milledge-
vile state prison shortly before mid
night last night and whisked away by
a mob Of more than twenty men.
unconfirmed reports have reached
here that Frank was lynched early
today. sheriff's posses are securing
the country for trace of the mob and
their prisoner, but the authorities
were without information at an early
hour today.
Motor cars were racing over every
stretch OF highway around the Mui
edgevi1le prison before dawn today.
Every telephone wire surrounding
the prison for forty miles was In con-
slant use by the county and state
authorities. A broad net was thrown
around the prison from which 1t Is
believed it will be impossible for
Franks kidnappers to escope.
But despite all these precautions
there was little hope that Frank him
self will be found alive. The report
ed utterance of one OF Frant's kidnap-
pers that the prisoners body would
be found on the grave OF his alleged
victim, little Mary Phagan. convincesi
state officials here that the young
already has died at the
hands of the mob.
The first reports reaching here
carrying the rumor that the mob was
made up of friends of Frank who
only Yesterday was released from the
hospital, having fully recovered from
the knife wound inflicted by fellow
prisoner several weeks ago. Stories
told by Superintendent Burke Of the
prison dormitory and by Warden
Smith TODAY made this appear i'm
Five Of the men in the kid
party, wore masks. according
to reports received here early today.
These five did most of the work. They
bound Warden Smith, while other
of the mob kept their revol
vers trained on the warden, tied him
and left two men to watch while the
others proceeded to the dormitory.
where Frank slept.
Tie same five surprised Superinten-
dent Burke and two guards, who are
said to have been asleep on the front
porch of the dormitory. There was
short scuffle in which the guards re-
yolvers were whisked away. They
we're securely tied. Then four men
entered the prison.
When they reappeared they were
dragging Frank by the heels, accord
ing to the guards. The prisoners
hair was disheveled, his night clothes
were partly torn off and he made vain
to say something to Burke
as the mob pulled him off the steps.
Several. automobiles. meanwhile,
had pulled up in front of the dormi-
j 6Continued on mage % (.