Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-05-11
Frank Makes Statement to
Court Reafirming His
Innocence
HIS TRUST IS IN GOD
Condemned Man Says the World Will
Know One Day That He is Not
Guilty of Murder

Atlanta, Ca, May 1l.-Leo M.
Frank was yesterday resentenced to
be hanged on Tuesday, June y, for
the murder of Mary Phagan, fact
ory girl. Sentence was passed by
Judge Ben H. Hill, of the Fulton
County Superior Court. Mary Pha-
gan was killed on April 26, 1919. Be-
fore sentence was pronounced Frank
made a statement to the court relter-
ating his declarations of innocence.
Frank had prepared his statement
in advance and when Judge Hill ask
ed him if he had anything to say why
sentence should not be pronounced
upon him, the prisoner stood erect,
with his head thrown back, and with
out once referring to the written text
declaimed it with the emphasis and
gestures making plea before the
court. He said:
again I stand before you. Again
7 can but reiterate that am innocent
of the murder of Mary Phagan.
have absolutely no guilty knowledge
of that tragic occurrence.
81 am innocent Of this charge, and
T assert that the record of the evl-
dence conclusively proves this. NO
appellate tribunal has ever passed
upon this evidence. The only judge
who has ever heard it stated that he
had the most serious doubts as TO my
guilt.
"My execution will not avenge Mary
Phagan's death. a life will have been
taken for life, but the real cuiprit
will not have paid the penalty. | will
suffer for another's crime.
"My trust is in God. who knows that
my protestations Of innocence are the
truth. f"At some future date the
whole mortal world will realize it. 1t
is the knowledge that God knows it
aid that the, ,whoe world will know
it some..%d that inspires ME as:%:I
Stand before Your Honor; and as I
face the future,
3."Anything else | might say at this
time would besbut an, elaboration of
my words to. the court. Yet I am full
ly alive to the fact that my position
is most -precarious. 1t is a situation
which is so far removed from any
thing that my life and mental atti-
tude should have bespoken. 1t is hid
eous, but at the same time so unreal,
so incongrous.
"The fundamental in human life is
to want to live. This desire to exist
is ingrained in all Of us-it is the
basic morality OF all who live. To
those who have the proper ideals ,oi
living, life without, honor is ,insuffer-
able. This is the message of theology
and ethics.
an the light of the whole truth |
know-and the Almighty knows
! that the morality Of my position in
this case is unassailable. This be-
ing so, my complete exoneration of
| this terrible charge lies intthe fu-
ture. When that day arrives ] shall
be vindicated-and if l am alive, ] will
be enabled to enjoy freedom and
honor.
'Therefore, want to live.
"The full truth and all of the facts
in the case. when they come to light
as some day they will, will prove tc
the world that my assertion of inno'
cence is the truth:
! "The legal arena is closed to me
i The bar is placed forever against
| further legal process. Yet the issue
of guilt OF innocence has been before
but one court, that in which the jur,
sat. All subsequent appeals were
made upon alleged legal and juridi'
errors; not upon the facts or the evi
dence. Since the jury heard the case
no court of inquiry or review has sift
! ed the evidence. No decision of an,
appeals court undertook to predicate
an opinion on the record of the testi
mony and evidence. The doubt o
the trial judge as to my guilt still
remains"
When Frank had finished the judge
| -a,;fod briefIy tha 1era1 i,,dornentS !,