New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-19
FRANKS DEATH
DUE TO SLATON,
Ex-JUDGE SAYS
Action of Any Other Gov
ernor Would Have
Stood, He Asserts.
From a star Correspondent Of The Tribllsl


Atlanta, Ga, Aug. 1S.-The follow
ing statement was made for The Trb-
une by Newton A. Morris, eX-judge OF
the Superior Court, and former Speaker
of the General Assembly of Georgia
who rescued Franks body from the
mob.
Governor Slaton is directly respon-
sible for the lynching of Frank. If any
other Governor but Slaton had inter
fered with the verdict in the case his
action would not have been resented
and Frank would now be in the peni'
tentiary serving his sentence of life
Imprisonment, although the people OF
Cobb County, of this section of the
state, believe that Frank was guilty
just as ! do.
. Eve feel that the money that was
back of Frank almost subsidized the
press of the country. The partisan
side of the case has been put in papers
and magazines and pictured, while our
side has not been printed.
81 do not charge that money has
been directly used, but the Jewish ele-
ment is a very thrifty element, and, as
a rule, a very law-abding element. They
do most Of the big advertising. be-
lieve that had great deal to do with
the attitude of the press in this mat
ter. But in it all, with all the editori-
ais outside the state and in papers
within the state, have yet to hear that
one of the grand jurors who indicted
him or d member of the trial jury
which convicted him, has said that he
would not again vote the way that he
did
"Nor is there any question but that
there was plenty Of money back OF
Frank and that lots of it was used.
Saws People Were Patient.
In this county SO per cent of !he
people are of American stock, law abid-
ing and God fearing. They were pa
tIent when this case arose, content to
let the courts pass upon every phase
and willing to await the result of all
the appeals that able and resourcetu'
counsel could make. But when those
appeals were exhausted and every court
had decided against Frank they feIt
and felt truly that the law should nave
its way
"And they felt a great sense OF out
rage that Governor Slaton should be
a member of that law firm which pros
ecutod those appeals, and they felt
that when he was sentenced TO death
Frank got but his just deserts.
"Slayton's integrity has been ques-
TONED in this matter, but ] am not
one Of those who question 1t, though
John NJ. SlatOn is not my political
friend. | believe he credits me more
thanv any one else with having defeated
him in bis race for the United States
Senate. do believe that he was over
reached by his intimate associates IN
Atlanta and by members of his law
firm.
"Slaton Just before he became Gov.
ernor was member of the law ilrm OF
Siaton & Phillips. His partner in that
firm. Phillips, is A Jew. and ITS busl-
ness was largely from that element IN
tho community. This firm was merged
with the firm of Rosser & Brandon, and
became Rosser. Brandon, Slaton q
Phillips this just before he TOOK the
oath Of Office as Governor, and that
firm continued all through his term and
i in existence to-day. Slayton's name
was on all the firm literature and on
the office door was John NJ Slstoh'
private Office.
Figures in Politics.
"That firm was Franks counsel when
tho Senate race began, and | was the
first 10 call attention to the Governor 5
connection with a case that was almost
certain IN come before him for action.
I brought il up in the Cobb County
Evocutive Committee, where | offered
q resolution calling upon Governor ga
tom 10 retire from Office, agree TO pass
This Frank case on TO his successor
or pledge himself not to commute
Franks sentence If the case went 20
him. That was the first time the 1oV
ernor's connection with the case as
counsel came up. His only answer to
that resolution and 10 the same idea
repeated time after time was that the
case had not yet been put up TO him.
"Now. then, as you know, Frank was
found guilty and sentenced to death
The case was fought through the state
courts and then taken TO the supreme
Court of the United States. In each
instance the decision WAS against
a lnnffnue1 nm J., column =