The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-25

is expected to be taken when the
grand jury meets at Marietta SOFTEN.
Der l. Judge Patterson of the Blue
Ridge court will deliver special
charge and Solicitor General Herbet
Clay will take charge of the investi-
cation.
Text of Verdict
The text of the jurys verdict was
as follows:
State OF Georgia, Cobb County:
In accordance with the inquisition
taken this. nth day of August 1915,
and completed this. cath day of Au-
gust, 1915, Before John A. Booth. cor
oner of said county, upon the body
OF said xeo VI. Frank, who was hanged
py the neck until dead in a cluster
OF woods about two miles east of Mar
ietta, in said county, and near what Is
known as w. j. Freys gin. on the Ros-
well public road, upon the oaths OF
Or. W. II. Parkinson, j. N CAN'T, !.
A G. Heard. B. v Greer, ]. +. Shaw and
@. \. Griffin, sworn according to law
as jurors and charged by John A.
Booth to inquire, when, how and
what manner the said Leo NJ Frank
come to his death, that the said jurors
aforementioned make and return the
following presentments in reference to
the aforesaid described matters and
things concerning which we were
sworn to inquire into by the said
John A. Booth. coroner. We attach the
evidence adduced at this inquest to
this, our inquisition, and make the
same a part of IL.
I'VE, the Jurors aforesaid, upon our
oath, say that Leo M. Frank did on
the nth day of August, 1915, in said
Cobb county, come to his death by be-
ing hanged by the neck until dead by
unknown parties
The jury was composed of six resi-
dents of the county, DIR. w. H. Perkin-
son being the foreman.
DR.. C. d. Elder was the first witness
called to the stand. He testified to view
ing the bodyof Frank while 1t was still
hanging in the oak grove near the
Frey gin. DR.. Elder did not know Frank
personally, but WAS told the body was
his He was not present when the body
was cut down. When he arrived on the
scene of the lynching the body was still
warm.
do you know any of the circum-
stances surrounding the hanging"
asked Mr.. Dorsey.
Absolutely nothing" replied the
witness.
you were among the first to reach
the scene?"
Eyes sir
How many people were present when
you arrived?"
Perhaps half Dozen"
do you know who they were?"
Yes, sir"
please name Them" requested Mr..
Gam.
LAS / came up two men were runnin g
out of the woods" he replied as to his
scrutiny, zone was Joe Eter and the
other man who was said to be repre-
senting the Associated Press. I also
saw Joe Prey, l.. A. Robinson and w. A.
Sans"
was Frank dead?"
yes, sir. The death rigor had not set
In, however"
WAS there any mutilation of the
body?'
NO sir. The only mark I saw was the
cut in the neck that had been opened by
the rope"
Dr. w. NJ. Kemp, another physician,
testified that Franks death was due
to strangulation.
DO you know anything about the
commission of this act?" asked Mr.
Dorsey.
Nothing whatever" calculated the
witness.
That's ALL"
j. Bart Wing, Cobb county commits
sioner, was the next witness. He also
was among the first to reach the scene
y
covered hanging.
DO you know anything about this
hanging?" he was asked.
"No, nothing"
as there anything you would like
to state the jury?"
Saw Automobile
Mr.. Wing hesitated moment. Then
he said:
Nothing except that along the road
I saw several automobiles on the RIOS
we'll road, going in the direction Of
| Marietta"
| What time was this?"
Between $40 and o'clock in tht
morning"
Where We're you at that timer"
II had been fishing with Bob Cochran
u neighbor. We were In a buggy ant
/ had driven my horse into a creek t.
water him, when three or four automo
| biles went by. We were 40 or so yards
off the road. Bob Cochran said to me, :
wonder what all that crowd is up tor
said, Looks like joy riders to me-"
Gould you tell who were in the ma
chinese
NO sir. / couldn't tell whether the,
were negroes or white people
w. j. Frey, owner of the place 81
which Frank was lynched, and regard
ed as the star chamber witness of thu
| inquest, next was sworn. Mr.. Frey, al
ex- sheriff of the county took the stan'
in his shirt sleeves. He is a very larg
man of about As, with a short, brownisl
moustache and florid complexion.
Mr.. Frey asked Acting Solicito
Dorsey. did you know Leo NJ. Frank?
Il attended his trial in Atlanta tw
days, but / did not know him.
! "You were among the first to dis
| cover the body?"
| al 81 ,,rLa wi
Gus Benson and Walter Gam, Their
wasn't anybody in the grove but Lee
| NJ. Frank"
| when did you first know anythin;