Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-06-22
POPE BENEDICT GIVES INTERVIEW IN WHICH NUTM Of CHURCH IS A0WED

I
statement giving his reasons for com
muting the sentence which was TO
have been executed tomorrow.
Frank was delivered at the state
prison at 4;s0 o'clock this morning
/ When 1t became known in Atlanta
crowds began to gather on down town
street corners. Within three hours
their demonstrations had resulted in
calling out two detachments OF the po-
lice force. and an order followed clos
ing all near-beer saloons and clubs
where liquor could be obtained
Hanged In Effigy.
| At Marietta, 20 miles away. the for
! mer home of Mary Phagan. Governor
Slaton was hanged In effigy. An in
scriptlon on the dummy read:
John slaton, Georgia's traitor gov
ernor."
The governor went fully into details
of why he commutcd the sentence In
his $4,000 word statement lie said
/ his decision may mean that | must
/ live in obscurity the rest of my days,
/ but ! would rather be plowing In a
field than to feel for the rest of my
life that | had that mans blood on my
hands"
Frank did not know until a few
minutes before he started on the ride
to Milledgeville that he was TO leave
I his cell last night His heavy, dis
/ tinctive eye glasses were removed, he
wore a slouch hat and the few persons
at the railway station did not recog-
nize the prisoner. However his iden-
| tity became known when the train
reached Griffin, and at Macon he was
reported TO be very nervous, needing
the support of Sheriff Mangum when
he was transferred from the railway
coach to an automobile.
At the prison today nevertheless
Frank had regained the outward calm
that had marked his two-year fight
for. lie again protested his Innocence,
expressed gratitude to Governor Slaton
and said that he had intuitively be-
leved he would at least get a COM
mutation of sentence.
Franks removal from the jail here
was carefully planned. Leaving the
Jail by rear door shortly before mid
night he was taken in an automobile
to the terminal station, where the
party left for Macon. Frank was not
handcuffed and was without the
heavy spectacles which he usually
wears. A black slouch hat was
pulled down over his face.
The few persons who were IN the
railway station at the time failed to
recognize him. In making the an
nouncement the governor said;
Asks Suspension of Judgment.
"All that / ask is that the people
of Georgia read my statement of the
reasons why ] commuted Leo M.
Franks death sentence TO life impris-
onment before they pass judgment.
Feeling as I do about this case,
would be a murderer If | allowed TINS
man to hang. 1t means that | must
live in obscurlty the rest of my days,
/ but ! would rather be plowing IN
field than to feel for the rest of my
! life that ! had that mans blood on
my hands
Franks counsel, prior to the Glenn
eney appeal. had made seven unsuc-
cessful attempts before the county,
superior and state supreme court to
obtain a new trial, or to have the ver-
diet set aside. The federal district
court refused to grant a writ OF ha-
beas corpus and the United states
supreme court declined to grant VIII
of error for review of the case and
also denied Franks appeal in habeas
corpus proceedings. Four times the
StHltltt OF QtdiI Ntb9 Bt'sH'A Ni'N-r
him
Demonstration by Crowd.
More than 1000 persons gathered In
mass meeting in the capitol grounds
and passed resolution condemning
Governor Slaton's action in commut-
ing Leo NJ Franks sentence to lie
imprisonment today The crowd then
marched to Five Points" in the busi-
ness center of the city and after
short halt went to the city hall. There
several arrests were made after
mounted patroman had made futile
efforts To disperse the demonstrants.
The mounted policemen succeeded
in keeping the crowd separated some
what by riding in rings. rounding up
the demonstrants in small delach-
ments.
The governors decision was an
nounced barely more than twenty
four hours before the time set for
Franks execution for the murder OF
Mary Phagan and after he had been
taken secretly fr0m the Fulton county
iail to the state prison farm at Mil
ledgeville.
At the mass meeting in the capitol
grounds u speaker admonished every
one present to march TO Five Points
as demonstration against the goV-
ernor's action.
Extra police were set to work to
natrol the streets early in the day
Near beer saloons and clubs dtspens-
ino Iiduor were ordered closed. Pre-
vious to the demonstration at rive
points five arrests, including one my
sician. had been made for failure 10
"moVe on.
Governor Slaton issued statement
of approximately 5000 words explain
ing his action. He maintained there
was reasonable doubt of Franks guilt
of the murder Of Mary Phagan' ne
devoted much of his statement to the
rart the negro, James CohleSi
might have played in the crime
Governor SIatOn's statement.
The statement reads
"The murder was most helhous
one and the offender deserves the
nunishment Of death. The only ques-
tion is as to the identity Of the criil-
nal 49,. oo,,t and
1T is charged that the court Ni9
t1rv were terrorized by mob anu
that the jury were coerced INTO tliel,
verdict. When Frank was indlcteo
and the air was filled with rumors a.
10 tbe murder and mutilauon OF the
eirl there was intense feeling
some weeks later the detenuah'
was put on trial. aofandapt