The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1915-11-04


JetfeIsonian to counteract the manufac-
tured prejudice against the State of Georgia.
IS bearing fruit.
change of tone III many papers IS appa-
rent and many individuals of other States
who studied my synopsis of the official evil
dence which convicted Leo Frank, have pub
lisled letters, setting outside editors right as
to the facts.
When The Jeffersonian called attention to
the Atlanta Constitution Of Juno %, 1913, IN
which the new partnership Of Slaton with
Eooser was announced and showed that Sla-
ton had been Leo Franks lawyer, through
out Satons @ubernatorial term, wet -blan-
l;et fell On the agitation against our State.
Outsiders ct length began TO understand
oar deep Indignation at SIaton's perfdity, in
acting j, the double capacity of our Gov
error ara Franks lawyer.
Tie >eptenber-O October number of the
American Law Review (St. Louis, Mo- edi
togialiv discusses lynch law and the Frank
case. and docs 50 with a judicial temper and
legal ability altogether admirable
Read it. and see how completely this Ma
1ona Law Review stlstains the position taken
i1ore thar year ago by The Jefersonian.
offers a text for sermon on American Grim
inal procedure. 1t IS new phase of Lynch law
Now Lynch law is unknown in countries where
nstice, not form, is the courts motto. In the
United states procedure is king, and this judicial
monarch has little whether right is over
thrown wrong triumphs so long as his claims
to precedence are respected,
Lynch law is the natural result of a lack of
confidence and respect by the people in their
courts and magistrates. The Docket recalls no
instance of it, where suspected Of a crime
and put trial, had been acquitted by jury,
Of Of iI76O
But when criminal has been found guilty by
Twelve and appeal to q higher court in
his conviction has been set aside, not on the
ground that in the opinion OF the Bench the man
not guilty, but because the word the has
been omitted in the indictment or all the is
mad not been dotted all the "ts'' crossed, then
Is is that Judge Lynch takes a hand. 1t is the
protest of the people against what they regard
IS the treason Of the judicial authorities An
indignant and Outraged community see no
cther method of righting the wrong than to take
he law into their own hands, and mete out the
punishment which the law has declared, but which
t. Courts seeking to nullify.
Frank was convicted of murder by jury OF
twelve men after long trial in which he was
defended by able and astute counsel. All the
technicalties which our American criminal pro-
Ceduro gives to the accused his lawyers took ad-
vantage Of His case was appealed to the State
Supreme Court of the United States. These trinu-
rails affirmed the judgment The State of Geor-
sia had a Board Of Pardons to assist the Gov
crnor in his prerogative of mercy and to this body
the condemned man appealed, but his appeal was
rejected. But while the law being followed
by the State with exactness, host of newspapers,
mostly in other States, began Campaign to
reverse the decisions of the properly constituted
State and Federal tribunals. People thousands
Of miles away from the scene were urged to give
their opinions that Frank not guilty, and
from all the land the response came and
the Georgia authorities deluged with petit
lions from men and women from Texas to Min
nesota and from New York to California that
Frank be not hanged. Of course, everybody who
opposed to capital punishment signed these
petitions-for to these persons the guilt or in
Of the acclSed i'm nlaterial-theV