Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-11
FRANK IS REsENTENCED
TO Be HANGED ON JUNE z
condemned Man Makes Statement to
Court, Reiterating Declarations
Of Innocence.
SAYS HIS TRUST IS IN GOD
1his Fact and knowledge That
World Will Know 1t Some Day In
spire Him to Face Future-Court-
room Crowded With Spectators.

ATLANTA, GA, May 10.-Leo NJ
frank was to-day resentenced to be
hanged on Tuesday, June %, for the
murder OF Mary Phagan. a factory girl.
sentence was passed by Judge Ben II.
mn, Of the Fulton County Superior
court Mary Phagan was killed on
"hrll &c, 1913. Before sentence was
denounced Frank made n statement to
we court reiterating his declarations
OF Innocence.
frank had prepared his statement In
@pNance and when Judge Hill asked
h''h N he had anything 10 say why
sentence should not be pronounced
uhon him. the prisoner stood erect.
WIN his head thrown back, and with
acclaimed 1t with tho emphasis and
gestures of an attorney making q plea
bcfore the court. lie said:
Again / stand before you Again
can but reiterate that ] am innocent of
The murder of Mary Phagan. have
absolutely no guilty knowledge of that
Tragic occurrence.
! am innocent of this charge, and
assert that the record of tho evidence
conclusivcly proves this. No appellate
tribunal has ever passed upon this evil
r"nce. The only judge who has ever
serious doubts as to my guilt.
REAL CULPRIT WILL NOT
HAVE: PAID PENALTY
My execution Will not avcngc Mary
Phagan's death \ life will have been
'ahen for a life. but the real cuiprit
VIII not have paid the penalty. / will
suffer for anothers crime.
My trust in God, who knows that
my protestations of innocence are the
4 IHt c IN hpl la
mortal world viii realize IL. 1t is the
knowledge that God knows IL now and
That the world will know II some day
mat inspire me as stand before Your
Honor. and as face the future.
Anything else | might say at this
time would be but an elaboration Of
my words TO the court. Yet am fully
alive to the fact that my position is
most precarious. II is a situation which
Is so far removed from anything that
!ny life and mental attitude could have
hcspokcn. II is hidcous but at the
same time so unreal. so homogeneous
The fundamental in human life is to
want To live. This desire 10 exist is
ingra!ned in all OF us-it is tho basic
morality OF all who live To those who
have the proper ideals of living. life
withou, honor is insumerablc This is
tho message OF theology and ethics
In the light of the whole truth
know--and the Almighty knows-that
the morality OF my position in this
"aSe Is unassa!lable. This being so. my
complete eXoncration of this terrible
charge lies in The future. When that
day arrives shall he vindicatcd--and
II am alive. viii he enabled 10 en-
JOY freedom and honor.
Therefore, want TO live.
The fun truth and all Of tho facts
in the case, when they come 20 light.
as some day they Will. will prove to
Tho world that my assertion Of inno-
cencc is tho truth
h The legal arena is closed TO me The
tar is placed forever against further
legal process. Yet the issue OF guilt
/ O. innocence has been before but one
h court, that III which the jury sat All
subsequent appeals were made upon
alleged legal and juridic errors: not
upon The facts or the evidence. Since
| tho JUICY heard tn" case, no court of in
| qu!ry OF review has siftcd tho evidence
/ No decision OF any appeals court un-
II dertook 10 predicate an opinion on the
record Of the testimony and evidence.
/ The doubt Of the trial judge as TO my
i guilt still remains"
II When Frank had finished the judge
II yrcitcd briefly the legal judgments in
II the case, and then ordered that tho
III original sentence Of the court be exc
II utcd. and Sc; the date. As tho judge
concluded. Mrs. Frank. who sat at :,
III table Win nor husbands attorneys,
d bowed her head upon her arms on the
II table ana sobbcd quietly. FRANK re-
II NAMED standing, turned n moment TO
4 glance at his wife and Immediately
il after was taken from the courtroom to
n his cell by the sheriff and two deputies
NJ Who had accompanied him from the
A jail.
n The courtroom was crowded with
II spectators and the corridors of the
II court house were filled with others who
III had come to see Frank resentenced but
n who were unable to gain admittancc TO
\ the room. Just before Frank was
II taken into the courtroom, Judge Hill
II announced cmphatically that the slight
H est disturbance by any one in the room
II would nc followed by punishment. and
n the entire proceedings were conducted
II with the utmost quiet and order.
II No date has been set as yet by the
n Georgia Prison Commission for hear
II i.. on Franks application for commu-
Ill nn of the death sentence to life i'm
NJ pument Members OF the commits
n a-l reiterated to-day that they do not
III cmplate holding a special session
II tn. the hearing probably will he
II at the next regular session.
II v,s,h begins June :. In the event the
l. on tho application should not reach
/ upon il before his term expires, June
F the Governor will grant Frank res
II plea for clemency will he left over for
| u