The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-05-14
FRANK GIVEN
Death SENTENCE
Asserts Evidence Proves
He Is Innocent.
Does Not Know Who Murdered
Mary Phagsn. The
Factory Girl.

Atlanta, Ca. May 10.-Leo M.
Frank to-day was sentenced to be
hanged on Tuesday, June 90, for the
murder of Mary Phagan.
Frank, when brought before Judge
Hill to be resentenced, made this
statement:
Again stand before you. Again
I can but reiterate that 1 am limo.
cent of the murder of Mary Phagan.
I have absolutely no guilty knowl-
edge of that tragic occurrence.
II am innocent of this charge and
assert that the record of the evil
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 a life, but the
real culprit will not have paid the
penalty. I will suffer for another's
crime.
my trust is in God, who knows
thatFmy protestations of innocence
are the truth. At some future date
the whole mortal world will realize
it.. 1t is the knowledge that God
knows it now and that the world will
know it some day that inspires me as
! stand before Your Honor and a.
face the future.
Anything else l might say at this
time would be but an elaboration Of
my words to the court. Yet l 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 could have bespoken. 1t Is hid
eous but at the same time so unreal,
so incongruous.
"It Is fundamental in human life 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 of living.
life without honor is insufferable.
This is the message of theology and
ethics.
"In 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 80. my complete exoneratiou Of
this terrible charge lies in the future.
When that day arrives shall be vim
dicated-and II am alive will be
enabled to enjoy freedom and hon.
or.
Therefore I 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 to the world that my asserttoD
of innocence is the truth.
"The legal arena is closed to ma
The bar is placed forever against fas-
ther legal-process. Yet the issue Of
guilt -or innocence has been before
but one court. that in which the
Jury sat. All subsequent appeals
were made upon alleged legal and
judicial errors, not upon the facts
or the evidence. Since the jury heard
the case no court of inquiry or review
has sifted the evidence. No decision
of any appeals court undertook to
predicate an opinion on the record of
the testimony and evidence. The
doubt of the trial Judge as to my
guilt still remains"
Frank had prepared his statement
but when Judge Hill asked 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 without once
referring to the written text. de-
claimed II with the emphasis and ges-
lures of an attorney making a plea
before the court.
When. Frank had finished the
Judge recited briefly the legal juds-
ments in the case and then ordered
/ that the original sentence OF death
be executed and set the date. As the
Judge concluded. Mrs. Frank. who
sat at table with her husbands at
torneys. bowed her head upea hsr
arms on the table and sobbsd suist-