West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-06-24
LEO N. FRANKS SENTENCE
COMMITTED TO LIFE TERM
Was to Have Been Hanged Toes
day for the Murder of Fourteen
Year-Old Mary Phagan - Will
Spend the Remainder of His Life
on Prison Farm

Governor Slayton.
He began at once a term of life i'm
prisonment on the Georgia state pris-
ON farm at Millidgeville.
Workmen in the Atlanta county Jail
are taking down the scaffold on which
he was to have been hanged between
10 a. IN. and 1920 p. m. tomorrow.
BY 80 narrow margin did he es-
cape the moose.
Ii was not until breakfast this
morning that more than the merest
handful of Atlanta citizens knew Gov
ernor Slaton had granted a commuta-
tion OF sentence to the man a Georgia
jury convicted of the murder OF IA
year-old Mary Phagan. worker in the
pencil factory of which Frank was SUI
perintendent here.
At 11:20 mob several hundred
strong marched from the downtown
section TO the capitol to see the Gov
ernor. The Governor. however, was
not at the capitol. He remained at
his country place, three miles outside
Atlanta, communicating with the city
authorities by telephone and messen-
ger. The police plainly deemed the
precaution wise one.
All in the mob are whites. Negroes
are keeping out of the way.
From the Governor came a short
note for publication, assuring the peo-
pie that he knew he had done right
and begging them to await a lengthy
statement he would issue later in the
day, setting forth i'm full his reasons
for committing Franks sentence from
execution to life Imprisonment.
All arrangements had been made for
the execution. 1t would have been the
sherin's eighth. He was determined
that there should be no hitch. The
mechanism was ready. The officials
who were to take part were drilled in
their work. The death watch sat out
side Franks cell door.
The prisoner was as cool as ever.
He was convinced he still insisted,
that he would not hang. He again
declared himself innocent and ex-
pressed the certainty he felt that
Providence would not permit him to
die for another's crime.
HIS attendants, however, held out
no hope. The sheriff pointed out to
hlm that the court order provided for
his execution between 10 a. IN. and 4
D. m. Tuesday, and told him he might
select his own hour up to $3.50. re-
serving the last forty minutes in the
interest of certainty that the sentence
would be carried out within the time
limit
1t was some time between 8 D. m.
and midnight that the sheriff received
word of the Communication. His noti-
hcation was in due legal form. though
the Governors action was not given
to the public at the ti,Ge.
The news was quickly communicate
ed to Frank. The sheriff has all along
treated him with the utmost kindness.
and attendants who saw him. when
advised OF the Governors action. de-
clared he behaved like a man from
whose mind a tremendous weight had
been lifted.
Such belongings as he was TO no
allowed to take with him to the prison
farm were hurriedly bundled together
In the meantime the sheriff was choos-
ing a detail OF his most trusted depu-
ties to act as guard on the trip To
Millidgeville.
An automobile was summoned TO a
side entrance to the Jail Frank. still
quiet-faced and self-possessed. left his
cell on the second floor. No relative
or friend was present to greet him as
he stepped into the corridor.
The bolts shot back from one after
another of the seven steel doors which
intervened between the party and the
street and behind them door after
door changed together.
The other prisoners were already ir
their cots and few were awake. Tn,
sheriff and his deputies spoke i'm whis
pers
At the side entrance through which
they were to emerge into the stree ,
caution was given for strict silence
The deputies closed about their lis
oner. Of his escape no fears we're felt
IL was for his safety that the guard,
were concerned.
Feeling as / do about the case.
would be murderer II ] allowed IN,
man TO hang" said Governor Slaton.
Il would rather be blowing In a fieI,
than to feel for the rest Of my life tina
had that mans blood on my hands
he continued.
Governor Slaton was UP practicall
the whole Of Sunday night answerint
telephone calls and following the jour
ney OF Frank by telephone.
The Governor showed a remarkabl
familiarity with the record I'm the cas-
for one who has studied Il 80 short
time.
II have learned that record almos
by heart" he said
The Governor, In his statements. I'm
dicated that all doubt of the guilt q
Conley and OF the innocence Of Fran
has been removed from his mind.
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