Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-08-26
Many Phases of the Tragics In.
cident Are Cleared Up by Re-
port Given to the Associated
Press.
COMMIT 1EEMEN' ORDERLY
Assert Their Victim Was Given
Exactly Same Consideration
As a Condemned Man Receives
on Day of Execution-He Did
Not Falter or Confess.

Atlanta, Ga. Aug. 22.-The first actua
tory of all that transpired on the deatl
r de Of Leo NJ. Frank from Nlledgevill'
= Marietta between midnight and dawi
ost Tuesday morning became availabl
4 the Associated Press, to-day. TIL
r,cital did not come through second %
third hands but in a manner whicl
seemingly placed It's authenticity beyond
ell question. The narrator. however, vii
not be witness before the Cobb county
rrand jury which on September viii
g asked to undertake a thorough in
vestlgation Of the lynching Of the mar
convicted as the slayer of little MARY
Phagan
! 1t also became known to-day that Gov
trnoN Nat f. Harris during the past few
days has received several anonvmou.
threatening letters purporting to war;
him not to go too far in his investiga
ton Of the lynching. The Governor i,
rot inclined to take the letters at al
SERIOUSLY
The inside story" Of the events whict
preceded the finding of Franks body
swayins from the limb of tree cleared
which heretofore have been yelled ii
mystery. Points asserted by the narrator
were:
Ffrst-Frank did not confess He twice
was asked IL he had anything to say
but on EACH occasion replied "No.'
Asked pointedly if he killed the Phagar
whatever.
SecQpd-No attempt was made to force
confession. Franks statement Just
rr,or to his death that he loved his wife
and mother better than he did his life
came Unexpectedly and without oues.
tioning.
SAYS HE WAS NOT MALTREATED.
Third--Frank was not maltreated in
any way prior to the actual Iynching.
stories that he may have met violent
death before he was hanged are with
out foundation.
Fourth-Frank walked a distance of
200 yards from the automobile to the
death tree without faltering step,
without sigh or semblance of a pro-
test Fearing perhaps that his BODY
might never reach his relatives. he
asked that the wedding ring he wore
be delivered to'a newspaper man with
the solemn promise that it would be
turned over to his wife. This wish
was carried out
flfth-Frank was told from the
start that he was to be executed as the
courts had directed that he be, and
every effort was made by the so-called
vigilance committee" to see that the
legal hanging" as they termed the
l"nchinG was carried out in an order
ly manner Members Of the "vigi-
lance comTittee" are said to resent any
intimation that Frank was "maltreat
ca while in their custody. They as
Sert he was given exactly the same
consideration usually given to a con-
demned man on the day of his execu
ton. The rough handling of the body
after 1t was cut down was nattar
concerning which members OF the
committee" feel they were not r.
Nponsible
slxth-The members Of vigilance COM
mittee' felt they had sacred duty 10
perform in carrying out the mandate of
the courts OF the State and of the United
states There was no mob shirt. no
demonstration. and there is said 10 have
cen no idea of hanging Frank in tho
public square at Marietta or in the GENE.
terry where Mary Phagan was bur,ad
There was. however a determination tha,
the execution should take place in Cohb
county Inasmuch as all the members ~
the committee" are said to ia r.si
dents of Cobb county the reason for tbis
is obvious
ALL THE AUTOMOBILES SMALL
Seven automobiles We're reouired 70
transport the vigilance committee" fro,,
Marietta to Mlledgevlle Only four ra.
turned including the car In which rrark
rode. All Of the machines were small ana
We're specially selected because Of tho
difficulty in identifying them. There wer.
probably rs men in the lynching par%v
The machines left Marietta singlv dur.
Ing the afternoon Of Monday las, ava :,
was shortly after ten o'clock whom ,ba
prison farm was reached After Ward.n
smith and Superintendent Burke had heen
called from their homes and handcuffed
the party proceeded to the prison
Four men entered Franks room TIA.
wore hats well pulled down to meet IN.
automobile goggles which SERVED ,ha
purpose of masks.
We want you to come with us Franz
wa told
There was neither surprise nor terror
In the look he turned upon the four
determined men. In silence Franz ARCS.
and made AS II TO dress himself He
was still feeble from the loss ~ blood
suffered In a recent attack upon hin, hv
a fellow prisoner and swayed perhans a
little dzziy.
Don't bother with the clothes. COMA
just as you are" he was commanded
FRANK MADE NO RESISTANCE
INTERESTINGLY and without apneal of
any sort for.protection Frank permitted
himself to he handcuffed He was clad
onl in sleeping garment as he was
led into the prison corridor When tho
party had reached the prison noroh
Frank was picked up and carried down
the steps OF the prison house If ia
strenuously denied that he was dr,p,od
or bumped" down the steps and /, Ga
also denied that one OF the members of
the party helped carry him by the hair
In s,rbstantiation Of this II ia no,ntsd
out that when Franks body was ont
down the only mark on # wa, srgb,
abrasion on the right arm inst above
the elbow. This, 1t 10 said, was caused