The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-09-02
Visited Scene of Frank Lynching.

so persistently before the public, and
has aroused such widespread inter-
est, perhaps an account Of trip
made by my husband and myself to
the place where Frank was lyncheG,
and the impressions formed by what
we saw and heard while in Marietta,
may prove interesting to your read
erS.
We reached Atlanta on August
23rd, and after attending to busi-
ness we went to Marietta
miles distant-by trolley, on the
9th, just ten days after the lynch
ing occurred.
We had heard, through the news
papers, that this pretty little town
was becoming sensitive and resent
full since it has been in the limelight,
because of the threatening letters
which had been pouring in, and be-
cause of the continued presence OF
people who gave no satisfactory ac-
count of themselves, or their object
in being in Marietta.
Some had been forced to leave,
and some warned not to remain. So
YOU may be sure we very quickly up
on our arrival there gave our name
and place of residence, and stated
that the motive which prompted our
visited was simple curiosity!
We soon found an automobile
to hire, and were quickly driven to
the scene of the tragedy, two miles
distant.
Contrary to our expectations the
oak tree on which Leo Frank met
his death was not large one, not
larger than an ordinary telephone
pole. It had but three limbs, the one
on which Frank was swung having
a downward tendency for several
feet from the trunk. The curve thus
produced served admirably the pur-
pose for which it was used.
There was not leaf on either OF
the tree limbs except at the extreme
ends, which were too slight to hold
souvenir seeking climbers.
The body of the tree was encased
in bagging, to the height of about
six feet to preserve it from vandals.
This, however, is proving of little
avail, as several chips had been TAX
en- off above the bagging. We were
told that Mr.. Frey, to whom the tree
belongs, has refused all offers for it,
and will build concrete wall around
it.
Nearby little oak sapling, to
which the end of the rope was tied,
was badly Clipped by the thousands
who we were informed had visited
the spot.
The piece of WOODS is dense oak
th1cket, but Franks executioners
seemed to have taken no pains to
conceal themselves, as the spot they
selected in this wood was only about
seventy-fve yards back of Frey's gin
house, which faces the Roswell pub
lie road, and not more than fifty
yards from the Milledgeville road,
down which the party came from Mil
ledgeville, one hundred and seventy
five miles away.
The hour was around seven thir-
ty, and broad daylight, people were
astir and several houses not far from
the scene, but none of these facts
daunted the band of determined men
who had swore to do what they be-
lieved to be their duty. Whether
they were right or'Wrong, whether
their victim was innocent or guilty,
we will not discuss here, as that is
not the object of this article.
We visited the grave of Mary Pha-
gan, who is buried in the city ceme-
terry. A neat slab of Georgia mar
BILE marks her last resting place,
erected by the Marietta camp of
United Confederate Veterans.
A wreathe of fresh flowers show
ed that some loving hands had lately
laid them there, and as we detached
rose to bring home as memento,
we breathed a sigh, and thought long
and deeply of the bright, saucy,
laughing girl who so. early in life
had met SO sad a fate.
We left Marietta with two very
strong impressions. One was that a
spirit more of determination than
bitterness pervaded the place, all the
more remarkable because the COM
munity for miles around is the home
of many members Of the Phagan
family. The other impression was
that the dead girl belonged to fam
lily of respectability and refinement.
The home where they lived for years
before moving to Atlanta showed