Iditarod pioneer., 1915-08-21
LEO FRANK LYNCHED
 BY ANGRY MOB
Concluded from Page Onal

Indian No honest man could send Leo Frank to the galows if he studied the case as I studied it. and let me tell you that for six days and six nights l viewed the evi- dcncc from every angle unable to sleep with the matter weighing on me
 Trial Judge Admitted Error
 "Governor Slaton pointed out that the late Judge L. S. Roan of the superior court of Fulton county, the trial Jurlst in the Frank case had written him letter urging him to do what he (Roanl had failed to do to commute Franks sentence. Judge Roans letter was published at the time, Governor Slaton said. Tn it he admitted his error in failing to set aside the verdict of the trial jury, which was within hIs province to do, and he asked me to right the wrong that he had done. They sad that Judge Roan died of cancer of the face But his friends, myself included knew what killed him-it was breeding over the Frank case which he allowed to come to me in stead of being reversed by him after the jury's verdict was rendered.
 "Goyernor Slaton referred to the evidence that came before him that was not sub mitted at the trial of Frank It was power ful evidence evidence that no official could cast aside he said Why 1t was not brought out at the trial l do not know. You no doubt are as familiar with the trial of Leo Frank as 1 am, as 1 did not attend the sessions nor have l ever seen Leo Frank Five minutes before the verdict was rendered there were deafening cheers within the court room. A great throng of people crowded the court room, and out side a mob of thousands of people had gathered There could have been but one verdict. in the face of such conditions. During the trial, 1 was told, when the states attorneys scored point there would be loud cheering. Kisses greeted any coun- ter-stroko of Franks lawyers Feeling ran so high against Frank tkat at the time the verdict was rendered the defendant was net in the court room, and it was on this basis that Franks lawyers took an appeal.
 No Stain on My State
 "'No, I will never be sorry for what l did, Governor Slaton continued. If l had allowed Leo Frank to be hanged l might have been responsible for stain on my state that could never be removed. There was too much doubt I could not conscien- llOQSlE IdhG InaI man : uie ana i've ptI haps forty years more with his blood on my hands. I did not sleep for six days and six nights but l preferred that to a life of wretchedness and that is what it would have amounted to if had acted otherwise. Franks sentence was committed on Sun- day, June 20 although it was not an nounced until Monday morning, the date set for Franks execution. At a minute past 12 o'clock Monday morning Frank was taken aboard a special train armed with gatling guns. and started for the state peni- i tentiary at Milledgeville At Macon, 103 miles from Atlanta Governor Slaton con- tinucd, be was taken aboard another train for thirty mile ride to the prison A telegram was sent to me announcing that 1 he would be safely delivered The com mutation of his sentence was then an nounced We could afford to take no chances
 An Anxious Period
 "For five days after his action Governor Slaton was under guard of the state troops at his country home near Atlanta, and he says they were dark days indeed. On June 26 his two-year term of office expired, and he refused to allow his bodyguard to ac- company him to the inauguration of his successor Governor Nat E. Harris. Two days later he and Mrs. Slaton left Atlanta for their Western trip, the first vacation rc1-orr,or SI,+op h as h o5 io GftaaD ,,ears ha