The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1915-08-26
Leo FRANKS death.
INSIDE STORY OF LYNCHING OF
; CONVICTED MURDERER
HE MADE NO CONFESSION


Succeeds-Passerby is Held Up at
}. Pistol Point While Lynching Pro-
: ceeds-Prisoner Was ont Mistreat-
cd by Members of Mob Who Exc
cuted Him.
The murder Of Leo M. Frank will
go unavenged by the law, Gays a sta asf
correspondent of the New York
Times writing from Marietta, If it is
to be punished in the county where
1t was committed. No jury in Cobb
county would convict the murderers,
no grand jury would indict them, no
official would undertake to prosecute
them.
This is not to say that Cobb coun-
ty is tcrrorized, for 1t 10 not; it is to
say that the vast majority Of it's poo
pie, even those who deplore the
lynching as a violation of law, bo-
lteve that Frank got no more than
his deserts, and that the mob simply
carried out the verdict Of the law
after 1t had been arbitrarily set aside
Dy governor who was q law part
ner of Franks lawyer.
The word mob does not seem de-
scriptive, although it is correct, for
these men did not display the ordi-
nary characteristics of a mob. There
was no outburst Of rage, no dis
order; the whole thing was done with
order, method, and precision, and
with military attention to details
Lynching mobs ere usually composed
OF riff-raff, with few leaders of q
higher order; but this one consisted
OF leading citizens in the community,
men prominent in business and social
circles, end even in church.
Liquor played no part in it, as 1t
does in most lynchings. Tho lynch
Ing had been planned for months,
and the plans of the conspirators
contemplated it's carrying out on a
night several weeks ago, but the au-
thorities learned of 1t in some way
and 1t was postponed until Last Mon
day Q week.
These leading citizens re to-day
taking their leading parts in the
city's business and social affairs, with
no sign upon them of guilty con-
science, for they havo none. Their
consciences approve them, and what
they hear from their fellow citizens
wherever thcy go adds to their self
approval, for the city approves them.
Held to Have Vindicated Law.
They are regarded not merely as
men who can plead justification, but
as men who prevented a miscarriage
OF justice and saved tho lnw from
being set aside and mockcd by meu
who. happened to fill tho governors
chair. There are in Marietta men
who do not approve thcir act be-
n q n nf h. Ia o. q
law, but even these believe that the
spirit CT 1t was set at naught by the
governor, and not one Of these men
who arc few-would think of re-
fusing to shake hands with one Of
the lynchers or introducing him to
his wife or revealing his identity to
an officer of the law.
Elsewhere than in Marietta there
is much of tho same sentiment, but
there Is a division. There are, but
outside Of Cobb county, men who
fear the growth OF the mob spirit
after such dramatic and spectacu-
lar exhibition and who would like to
take measures to curb 1t. Many OF
them are in Atlanta. Many even OF
these bolievc Frcnk guilty and are
concerned not with him but with the
future of the state. They are con-
sidering the taking OF steps to bring
about the punishment of his slaycrs
for that reason alonc, but they do not
know what steps to take.
Frank was carried through four
counties by hic captors and some Of
those who would like to have them
punished talk of having them in
dicted in some one OF the three thai
were traversed before Cobb county
was reached. Lawyers of promi-
nence cay that under federal law they
could not be indicted anywhere but
In Cobb county for murder; in Bald
win county, whero Frank was taken,
they could bo indicted for abduction,
but not murder. and in neither of
the remaining two counties could
they bo indicted for anything.
Nobody talks seriously of the in
vestigation Gov. Harris Is prom ising
and there are very few who believe
there Is the slightest chance Of any
OF the murdcrers being put to any
grave trouble, much loss punished
Thoy ere known to many of the citi-
Zens OF Marietta, who would die
rather than reveal their knowledge
or evon their suspicion.
Marietta in Deadly Mood.
iSttst to-uhy III hiOou Vi
braced purpose and resolve. Every
stranger who comes into town is un-
der observation the moment he ar
rives. Its mood is one of determina-
tion to protect the men who, in its
eyes, executed the law after 1t had
been trampled on. 1t Is resolved
that not a h;ir of their heads shall
be harmed. Detectives or other per-
sons who can not give a satisfactory
account of themselves arc not want
ed In Marietta, and IL would be as
we'll for them not to insist on know
ing why. Marietta onco cIme within
an ace OF lynching Detective William
j. Burns for his visit there In the
interest of Frank, and Marietta then
was only angry. To-day Marietta is
In mood Of high resolve.
The killing of Leo Frank was car
ried out by these Mariettc. people
for they were from Marietta--in the
firm belief that they were execution
ers Of justice. and every detail OF
their proceedings shows that they
un tn hot Il