Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1915-06-24
FRANK SENTENCE
is coz KMuTED
Governor Siafon Changes Death Sentence
to Life Imprisonment and Pris-
oner Begins Serving.

Atlanta, Ca, June 21.-Leo. M.
Frank today began serving life SEN
tence at the Georgia prison farm for
the murder of Mary Phagan, the IL
pssrloid epploye OF the pencil factory
Of which he was superintendent. His
hurried secret trip by train and auto
mobile from the Atlanta Jail to Mil
fedgeville was preceded by few
hours the issuance Of long statement
by oGA Nnor Slaton giving his reasons
for com Vting the death sentence,
which wa to have been executed to-
morrow, to life imprisonment.
Mounted officers rode in circles in
the crowd separating it into small de-
tachments. Apparently disheartened
by such methods the demonstrators
gradually disper a. Early tonight
the crowds on I streets appeared
quiet.
e---fhe Governor went fully into de-
tails of why he commuted the SEN
tence, his 15,0OO-word statement not
being completed until almost noon.
He said his decision may mean that
| must live in obscurity the rest Of
my days, but would rather be plow-
ing in field than to feel for the rest
of my life that had that mans blood
on my hands.
Cali that ask is that the people of
Georgia read my statement of the
reasons why commuted Leo. M.
-lx,s-.death~4 sentence : to life i'm
prisonment, before they pass sudg-
ment.
Feeling as l do about this case
would be murderer if allowed this
man to hang"
At the prison today Frank changed
his demeanor, assuming the outward
calm that had marked his two-year
fight for life. He again protested his
innocence, expressed gratitude to Gov
ernor Slaton and said that he had IN
tuitively believed he would at leas
get a communication of sentence. lie
was given number 965, donned suit
(lenoting the lowest grade. prisoner
and tonight apparently had begun the
routine Of prison life
Governors Statement.
oC1vernor Slaton's St" -
says:
"The murder was a most helnous
one and the offender deserves the
fn,nishment of death. The only que
ton is as to the identity Of the cr1"'
inal. The responsibility is upon the
people of Georgia to protect the lives
Of her citizens and to maintain the
dignity of her laws, and II the cholce
must be made between the approoa'
ton of citizens of other States ano
the enforcement of our laws agains1
offenders. we must choose the latter
alternative.
..It is charged that the court az
Jury were terrorized by mob anf
that the jury were coerced into then the
verdict"
Frank, he said, went to trial with
out asking change of venue and sub
mitted his case to jury that wa
acceptable to him. During the prog
ress Of the trial, after evidence hat
been introduced laying the crime witt
manv offensive details upon Frank
the feeling against him became in
tense. -. If the audience in tn
court room manifested their deep re
sentiment toward Frank, it was large
ly by this evidence Of feeling beyo
the courts power to correct. !
would be difficult for an appellat
court or a trial court to grant a ney
trial in such long case because tn
audience in the court room on a fey
occasion indicated their sympathies
The jury found the defendan
guilty and with exception Of the dem
onstration outside the court room
there was no disorder. Nothing wa
done which the courts could correc
through legal machinery
The Governor said the United State
Supreme Court had sustained thi
ruling. He declared the charge agains
the State Of Georgia Of racial preju
"ce Is unfair He then reviewed ths
evidence.
:. Inc most startling and spectacular
ses'lmony in the case was that giver
ny y, d negro Jim Conley who frequent
y mad been On the chaiagaag," tn.