Milford chronicle., 1915-08-20
frank LYNCHED
BY ARMED men
g,ngsd TO a Tree Near Home
Of Mlry Phagal
BODY SWINGS FOR HOURS

Cell az Geoi 5'e
,ss.o Guards and Cut TelephOn
Wires.
4, organized body of armed mel
ant in motor cOrs to the state prisol
:, 1ulledgeyille, Ga, held up tn,
sn,n8s dragged from his cell, Leo NJ
T-.nk who was serving a life sen
,oncs for the murder of Mary Phegan
md after carrying him 100 miles
hanged him to a tree. two miles from
Marietta. almost within sight of the
touse where the little factory gir
had lived.
Frank, after being condemned ia
5satb obtained commutation Of his
ssptence to life Imprisonment from
Iobn NJ. Slaton, then governor, sew
ara months ago. A short time later
bs was murderously attacked by Will
liam Green, another prisoner, who
tried to cut his throat. He had re.
covered sufficiently to be removed
from the hospital to his cell last Sun.
day.
Franks body was found about $50
Yards from the road. 1t was barefoot
and clad only in prison trousers and
shirt His eyes were bandaged and
his hands tied behind him. His feet
we're dangling four feet above the
ground. There was no mark of bullet
wounds or other mutliation.
The place where the body was
found was behind F'rey's cotton gin,
mile and a half from the National
Cemetery. The nearest farm house
is 200 yards away.
News that the body had been dis
covered spread rapidly, and within a
short time hundreds of persons were
huTying to the place Among the
onlookers were many women and chill
dren.
Franks body was cut down two
hours later, but not until one Of the
crowd had spoken to the crowd, ad.
yocating mutilation of the body.
Newton A. Morris, a former super |
Tor court judge, pleaded with the
throng to let an inquest take its prop
er course. A vote was taken, and it
was overwhelmingly in favor Of let
ting the coroner take charge of the
body.
At the suggestion of former Judge
Norris, the body was taken from the
undertakers' wagon, in which it was
placed at the lynching scene, and put
into a motor car, on the outskirts Of
the town. The body was turned over
to an undertaken, who secretly re.
moved 1t to a private residence. It
will be taken to Franks former home
and then will be sent to his parents
In Brooklyn for burial.
News Of the lynching caused a pro.
found shock. Before leaving for the
reunion at Fitzgerald,
Governor Nat Harris gave out
statement deploring the tragedy and
promising to try and bring Franks
slsyers to justice.
The armed men arrived in the vi
'inity OF the farm almost unnoticed
and proceeded methodically to their
business. All means of wire commu-!
lcation from the prison to Milledge
'ile' three miles away, were destroy
ID and all wires, except one telephone
Inc, from Milledgeville also were
ut
Five men went to the house of the
Tsrden, ]. T. Smith, awakened him {
nd made him prisoner. At the same
ime small squad of men went to
he home of J. NJ. Burke, superinten- '
ent OF the farm. Burke was forced
go with them to the gate nearest
le dormitory where 1t was believed
rank was kept. The two guards on
lty there were ordered, while guns a
ere levelled on them, to open the "
ates.
The party then rushed in, quickly c
u Frank and hurried him to one Of '
. waiting cars. He was forced into "
le Of them, while a number Of the u
lrty Is said to have fiourished a rope N
fore his face. Without delay those 9
40 had been guarding the warden =
u him, and Joined the party at the u
ties. The cars then started of. r
Upon leaving the prison, the lynch 81
adopted a ruse, evidently designed ci
throw off, or at least delay, possi-
purusers. They first directed v
ELF course to abridge across Little
eF' near Eatonton, about twenty te
les from Milledgeville. lii
News that Frank had been taken p
m the prison reached Marietta, re
'ly in the morning. Shortly before ut
o'clock dust-covered buggy, with TO
horse in a lather came dashing re
the public square. A knot of men tn
w about it. There was hum OF
lVersation. Then Hes there"
'uted a man, and he began to run
lhe east along the Roswell road. ~
They got him." the crowd shouted. Ut
-ers began to run. A motor car ye
zed out Of the square. Another We
owed, men fairly dropping off the ne
ming board as it got under way. sh
ne first persons who reached the W
say Franks body was still warm.
new hemp rope was run through Su
fork Of a large limb, fifteen feet
the earth, drawn across and We
le fast to another tree, twenty feet III
y. ms
hen the body was cut down, parts sta
~ Il rta .-N.s