The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-06-24
G0H. SLAT0NHANGED
/ N EFFIGY BY MOB
Residents of Marietta, Ga, Affix
Word Traitor" to Dummy.
FRANK BEGINS PRISON TERM
Extra Police Guard Atlanta Crowds
!. After Executive commutes SEN
! tence Of Man on Eve Of
/ ia Scheduled Execution.

= i tst oSHCuuIeu EXECUTION
Marietta, Ca, June Ex-Governor
Slaton, who committed the sentence OF
Leo M. Frank, was hanged in effigy
here. A lifesized dummy strung ur
to telegraph pole bore an inscription
John M. Slaton, Georgia's traitor gov,
lernor." Mary Phagan, the victim OF
the pencil factory murder, formerly
resided here.
@" Frank Sent to Prison.
Atlanta, Ca, June 22.-Leo M
franks death sentence was com.
muted to life Imprisonment by Gov.
fernor Slaton. Announcement of the
governors decision came several hours
after Frank had been taken secretly
Ifrom the jail here and hurried to the
state prison farm at Milledgeville.
frank was sentenced to be hanged
here today for the murder of Mary
lPhagan in April, 1918. ~. ta
TT was plain case of duty as |
saw it," said Gov. John M. Slaton, dis.
icussing his action in committing Leo
M. Franks sentence. IF had failed
70 commute Franks sentence | would
have been guilty of murder, as / see it.
or course. / care for the public appro.
1bation," he continued, in explaining
his course, "but / could not have that
mans blood on my hands under the
circumstances"
When reports that Franks sentence
mad been committed began to circulate
crowds gathered on the principal down.
town street corners. The arrest of a
man who attempted to dismount DO.
lliceman by grabbing the horses reins
aroused one crowd to excitement.
Many persons followed the officers to
the city hall, block away. Speakers
started to harangue the crowd from
the city hall steps, but were stopped
by an extra force Of police. 1t was
said that a delegation was coming
from Marietta, the former home of
Mary Phagan. .-'
Near Beer Saloons Closed.
Although crowds discussing the
Frank case did not appear SO excited
as the day wore on the police. ordered
Nall near beer saloons closed and an
extra 100 policemen were put on duty.
Orders were issued to arrest immedi
ately anyone attempting to incite VIC
Ilence.
The first official announcement of
the governors decision was made at
8:42 o'clock in the morning. Extra edj.
lions of the local newspapers contain.
Ing the unofficial announcement caused
considerable excitement among men
VINO gathered on various street corners
and around city hall. Mounted police
and patrolmen were stationed on the
outskirts OF the crowd and at least one
arrest was made. Comment disapproy.
ing the decision was heard in the gath.
erings. r-... =
Text Of Governors Statement.
In statement exhaustiveIy explain.
Ing his reasons for committing Franks
sentence, Governor Slaton reviewed
the circumstances surrounding the
murder Of Mary Phagan in the Nation.
al Pencil factory April 26, 1913. the
conviction Of Frank and his appeal for
Removed Secretly From jail. 49,
Franks removal from the Jail here
was planned carefully and the officers
were able to elude newspaper men
and others who might have recognized
their prisoner. Leaving the Jail by a
rear door shortly before midnight. thew
went In an automobile to the terminal
station, where a deputy purchased
tickets for the party to Macon.
Frank No. s65 at Prison Farm.
MilledgeVille, Ga, June 22.-At the
Georgia prison farm, dressed in stripes
denoting the lowest grade prisoner.
Leo M. Frank again protested his in
nocence of the murder of Mary Pha-
gan and expressed convection that "a
day Is not far distant when will be
exonerated."
Frank said he had had no intimation
OF what was going to happen when Of
hcers went to his cell in Atlanta to get
him for the trip here. He expressed
gratitude toward Governor Slaton and
said he felt intuitively that he would
at least commute his sentence. Frank
viii be known as convict No. 965.