The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-06-23

AIidlIc, Hd.s OohS -.S> w ~'-'
Franks death sentence was COM
muted to life imprisonment today by
Gov. Slaton. Announcement of
the governors decision came severai
hours after Frank had been secretly
taken from the Jail here and hurried
to the state prison farm at Milledge-
vile. Frank was sentenced to be
hanged here tomorrow for the muir
der of Mary Phagan, in April, 1913.
Excitement of crowds on the streets
when it was announced that Gov.
Slaton had commuted the death sep-
tence of Leo M. Frank to life impris-
.onment, subsided somewhat as the
day wore on. A mass meeting was
held on the capitol grounds, however,
starting shortly before noon. 1t was
,conservatively estimated the crowd
numbered $500. Several speakers
took exceptions to Gov. Slaton's ac-
ton.
AS early as. 80 o'clock this morn
ing extra police started patroling
streets on which crowds had congre-
gated; by 10 o'clock two-thirds of
the entire force was on duty and at
II o'clock near-beer saloons and
clubs dispensing liquor were. ordered
closed. Five arrests were made for
failure to "move on" including one
physician. Only very small per-
centage of the crowds, however, was
professional and business men.
Gov. Slaton issued statement of
approximately $4,000 words, explain
ing his action. He maintained there
was reasonable doubt of Franks
guilt of the murder of Mary Phagan.
He devoted much of his statement to
the part the negro James Conley
might have played in the crime.
Governor Slaton still was at his
country home when he announced his
decision on the case over the tele-
phone to The Associated Press. In
making this announcement the COVER
nor dictated the following brief
statement:
Cali that ask is that the people
of Georgia read my statement of the
reasons why I commuted Leo M.
Franks death sentence to life impris-
onment, before they pass judgment.
Feeling as I do about this case I
would be murderer if I allowed this
man to hang. 1t may mean that /
must live in obscurity the rest of my
days, but would rather be blowing
in a field than to feel for the rest of
my life that I had that mans blood
on my hands,"
Governor Slaton was completing a
long statement giving his reasons for
his action. and this he said would be
made public later.
Early extra editions stated def
nitely that Franks sentence had been
commuted and early in the morning
crowds began to gather on the prin-
.cipal downtown street corners. The
arrest of man who attempted to
dismount a policeman by grabbing
the horses reins, stirred the crowd at
Forsythe and Walton streets to ex-
citement and they followed the Off
GERS to the city hall, block away,
where they took the prisoner pending
arrival of patrol wagon.
Although crowds on the streets dis
cussing the Frank case did not appear
so excited as the day wore on, the
police ordered all near-beer saloons
closed shortly before II o'clock and
an extra 100 policemen were put on
duty. Orders were issued to imme-
diately arrest any one attempting to
incite violence on street corners.
Speakers started to harangue the
crowd from the city hall steps but
were stopped by an extra force of po-
lice. 1t was stated that delegation
was coming here from Marietta, the
former home of Mary Phagan.
Two hearings were held here on
Franks application for executive
clemency, one before the state prison
commission May 81 and the other be-