Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-18
ATTACK IS MADE
ON LEO N. FRANK
Murderer of Mary Phagan
SIashed by Fellow Prisoner
and May Die.
JUGULAR VEIN SEVERED
IN DARK DORMITORY
William Green, His Assailant, Also
Life Term Slayer, Expresses
Regret for Deed.

M1LLEDGEVILLE, Ga, July IL
Leo NJ. Frank, whose death sentence
for the murder of Mary Phagan recent
ly was commuted to life imprisonment,
was attacked by another prisoner at
the state prison farm here tonight and
was seriously injured by being cut in
the throat.
Prison officials said the attack on
Frank was made by William Green,
who also is serving a life term for
murder. Franks recovery is said to
be doubtful.
The attack on Frank, which was
made shortly after IL o'clock, was
made from behind. a sharpened file
being the weapon used. Franks jugu-
lar vein was cut. but neither the spinal
cord nor the windpipe was injured.
Attack Made in Dormitory.
The attack on Frank was made in
the dormitory which all the prisoners
occupy in common at night. All lights
were out at the time. Green is al
legged to have had the knife secreted
in his prison clothing.
So quick was the attack that no
guard had time to interfere. Frank
fell backward to the floor. uttering
cry of pain, the lights were quickly
switched on and the guards saw him
PROSTATE upon the floor, blood squirting
from his wounds. while a prisoner was
trying to make his way back to his
bed.
A knife that had been made of file
and which the convicts had used in
killing hogs during the day was found
on the dormitory floor. How the knife
was smuggled into the prison is a
mystery
DR.. George B Compton. the prison
surgeon, was Immediately called, but
before he could reach the prison dor
terms in prison were at Franks side,
administering first aid.
"I Guess They've Got Me-"
Il guess they've got me-" Frank is
quoted as having said to the doctors
when they reached him. He did not
lose consciousness.
Frank was removed to the operating
room in the hospital department of the
prison. where the wound was dressed.
The physicians had not succeeded in
!. ;stoppinE ppm. the few ef blood. and Frank
Prison officials who had been with
Frank had chance to recover. but
that his condition was very serious.
Frank was brought to the state
prison farm in the early moSning Of
the Fulton county Jail in Atlanta, by
train to Macon. Ga, and thence by
automobile to the prison.
A few hours after his arrival here
1t was officially announced that the
then Governor Slaton had commuted
his sentence to life imprisonment.
Always Has Maintained Innocence.
Frank always has insisted that he
would in time prove that he was in
nocent of the charge of having mur-
dered Mary Phagan.
Less than a week ago the state mi
litia companies here and at Macon
were ordered held in their armories,
a report having reached the state Of
fcials that an attempt would be made
to force an entrance to the state pris-
on, remove Frank and lynch him.
While Frank was on the operating table
Warden Smith and other prison officials
had Green brought before them and his
statement was taken
Assailant Expresses Regret.
I'm awfully sorry that 1 did this"
he is reported to have said. AT the mo-
ment / thought that 1 was doing whtat
WAS right. I thought that 1 was doing
something that ought to be done"
III / had to do it again / wouldn't do
it for anything in the world. / am es-
pecialiy sorry, now that / realize the
seriousness of the crime. l am sorry be-
cause of the criticism it may bring on the
officials of the state farm, especially of
Warden Smith. Wouldn't do thing in
the world to injure him in his position
He had confidence in me and 1 have vio-
lated that confidence. ! am ready to
suffer the consequences
Green said that Frank was ASLEEP
in bed when he was attacked. There
was only one knife wound.
Immediately after Green had made
his statement he was taken to the
basement of the prison, where he was
in irapS nd xalacad in snIi4u