Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1915-06-23
(Atlanta Constitution, 22d.) }


Mray Phagan Oh Memorial day two
years ago, was committed late Sun
day night by Governor John NJ. Sla-
ton to life imprisonment.
The prisoner was taken out OF the
Jail, under guard of Sheriff Mangum
and a number of his deputies, and
carried to the Terminal station. He
was placed on Central OF Georgia
train No. 8, which left at 1901
o'clock Monday morning for Mil
ledgeville. The utmost secrecy was
observed in taking the prisoner from
the Jail to the railroad station. Moth
ing was known of the move until
within a few moments before the
train was due to leave the station.
Frank himself did not know that
he was to live until just a few min
utes before he was taken from the
Tower in Atlanta. He had spent his
quieteSt Sunday in the Tower. Usu-
ally on Sundays he had received long
visits from relatives and friends, but
on Sunday his confinement was prac-
tically solitary.
Shortly after 10 p. m. Sheriff Man.
gum entered the cell and told him to
prepare to leave the Tower, in which
he had been confined for more than
two years. The words Of the sheriff,
which meant the life for which he
had lOnged, and for which his friends
have struggled so earnestly, were re-
ceived in the same manner that
Frank has received the news of each
movement in his fight against the
gallows.
Whether the tidings were as darr
as death to his cause or whether
they were lighted with the brightest
ray of hope, Frank has always, been
calm, cool and reasoning when they
were brought him. And so he was
Sunday night. The commutation or
der Of the Governor meant to him
| everything in the world, but he
never allowed his emotions to over
come his power Of reasoning.
The utmost secrecy was preserved
at the Tower, throughout the day
Even before Frank was notified Of
the Governors action, Sheriff Man.
gum had issued an order closing the
Tower to every one. Even tele-
phonic communication with the iail
was stopped.
When Frank had prepared himself
! for the journey, Sheriff Mangum and
a number Of deputies assembled on
the lower floor of the prison and
Frank was brought to them by a
iailer. An automobile was waiting
near the side entrance. While re-
| pOrters, who had been watching the
| Tower all day, were keeping their
vigil at the front of the prison, the
little party went out the side door
and entered the car They were
whirled away to the Terminal sta
| ton.
Wife was i'm Ignorance.
Not even his attorneys, nor his
wife, were aware that his sentence
had been commuted. Attaches Of the
| Terminal station could hardly be-
lieVe their eyes when they beheld the
nations most famous prisoner stride
into the waiting room between a
guard of six deputies, transfer
guard and Sheriff Mangum
Frank had been slipped out Of the
| Tower while a group Of reporters
were waiting for him. He was low
cred into the basement Of the build
| ing and carried to the rear of the
jail through subterranean passage
that opened into a maze Of alley
ways.
SO cautious were officials in carry
ing out their program that Frank
! himself was daZed when he heard the
announcement at 1890 o'clock that
he was to go to Milledgeville at mid
| night. The news was brought by
Sheriff Mangum, who ordered the
| prisoner to prepare for the trip.
Frank was given a rear seat in the
| train, which was a local and stopped
repeatedly on the route. He sat be-
side Sheriff Mangum. Guard Patter-
son and the deputies were congrc-
gated nearby. The trip was made
mostly in silence. Hardly a passen-
ger on the train was aware that the
most talked-of prisoner in America
was a fellow-traveler.
Frank Tokes Auto