The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-05-31
NOTEFROM DEAD
PLEA FOR FRANK
Letter Written By Trial Judge
Urges Executive ClemenCy
For Condemned Man
THE HEARING is HELD TODAY
EpiStle Written In 1914 And Con-
tents Kept Secret Until Today
Creates Wide Interest

ATLANTA en-, May dl.-A l'l''r
written 10y the late Judge J.. ). N"hI'
who presided at Leo NJ Frank lrlnN
urging executive 'Ormrncy Tor FRANK
was presented ut the opening session
on lnnks application t"r roiuhulh
tiuu ui sentence h"furr the state prs.
on commission here today lhr let
ter was dul"d 10 December WI ana
Wns addressed to Mc-~I7. Luther Il.
Bnssrr ana liumrn Il Arnold, Frank :
principal counsel ni his trial Judge
Roam dlrd in New YORK. M"I'h -''
1919. The letter follows.
AFTER considering Your r"mnunlch
tIon asking that recommend elem
cuN IN the punishment OF I'" VI
Frank wish lo shy llhl at the prop
"r time ! shall noh the prison 'omlnlS'
sion to recommend ana the governor
10 commute ranks sentence 10 NE
imprisonment This, however, J VIII
not do until the defendants nppllrn
tlun slnll have been tlird ana lht
governor ana ih" prison commission
shall have had opportunity TO study
the record iu the case
II X possible That J showed undue
Difference to the opinion of the jury
IN this ease when ! allowed their yer
diet 10 stand They ~uid 10y their vel.
dict that they had found the truth. !
WIS still iu q state NJ uncertainty AMI
so expressed myself My search foI
the truth though dlllgrul nnd earn.
eSt. HAD not been so successful IN the
exercise ~ IudlDml discretion. re-.
sirlrtrd AND limited according +" my
Interpretation " the decisions ~ the
reviewing court ! allowed the JuryS
verdict to remain unlisturbrd had
no way " Knowing 1t was ERRONEOUS
Uncertain Of Guilt
after mnuy months uf continued
dc,ibrrutlon | MN stlll uncertain NJ
Franks guilt This state NJ unrcr
tainty Is largely due To the character
~ the negro Coulry~ testimony by
which III" verdict evidently was reach
ed. Therefore ! consider this cnsr
IN which the chirf magistrate ~ the
state should exert every ttturt IN aS-
ccrtalhlhg the truth' Ihr execution
OF any person whose gullt had not
beri' SATISFACTORILY proven i" tue con
sn'u'ru nu'h"I''''s II '.o horr'p'e TO
V"''''"p'",'' VI" "'' ur'''' '""'
p',,"" ,''.''" NV VIZ, w" 'N''''"'
p'n"'l W '''. '"" "',''' ',' ''"''
y",i g I' n., r ' ,,,,I, "' u'..'.' ",''
,,'''' W. ,',", ,,,.. n., SUI. i''''
"' W., r',l' ',,". IN i. ''', ,i.,.',,. "','
, '," >, "u,.' ,', u,,. W. "" ,,,,l w.
,I,, e' w " '''''''
"Ir,v.yor u t,r mn, cous, nm,
rr.,.,t.J fr,m Jn,rg ,EI. ',,, or. nt
imorty :, rs, mis- Lotto ,t t,. hcor.
inc"
The reading ~ IuJyr Rnop.s I.t,er
vp. attended with unusual Interest NJ
its rylsfnuce hnd brt hrru uutIlc;,
known until Yesterday md the sam
tents had not been diyulgrd previous
a. the hearing tudny
Frank was not present when Chair
man r. T. Dawson Of the commission
called the hearing tn order The chair
man announced that the commission
had decided to allow both Sides all
the time desired.
The office " the commission at the
state capitol was crowded with spccla
tors Mir Howard aud Attorney Alex.
nnder were announced MS the official
representatives " Frank
Court proceedings and an affidavit
Of the late Judge l.. y. Roam aud a
statement of Mrs. Leo NJ. Frunk were
offered
Judge Roau's affidavit told ~ the
hostile atmosphere surrounding the
trial which induced him tn urge that
Frank not he present when the verdict
was rendered
Mr. Howard and Mrs Franks state
ment WIS the chief new evidence la be
prpsentpd I'm II Mrs Frnnk told of
kss husbands nctiuns ON the uIrht uf
Aprll 20. 1913. the date MARY phagnn
VA murdered; told NJ his arrest at
his home. denied rumurs that her mar
ried life hnd not been hamy and also
denied nn affidavit hy Mlnon Me
Knight. negro cook nt thr Ernpk home
that Mrs. Frnnk Ind told her mother
that Frank was drunk the night If
April ~. 1913.
Mrs. Franks Statement
Thp statement Of Mrs Tmrl fnlI,yys
IN pnrt:
"Our married life has been cyreed.
ingly happy and hus never been mnrrrd
Wy , ,mr s''gh''S, cloud