New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-19
FRANKS LIFE
IS TN BALANCE;
INQUIRY BEGUN
Rigid State Investigation
Follows Attack of Con-
vict Thought Insane.
PRISON SYSTEM
MAY BE CHANGED
Board Will Be Increased, Ii Is
Thought-Creen Did Act
Alone, He Says.
[Ry Telegraph to The Trihune.l

tBy Telegraph 10 The Trihune.l
Atlanta, July While Leo NJ.
Frank, whose throat was cut last night
by a fellow convict, is fighting for his
life at the state farm, in Milledgevlle,
to gain time to clear his name of the
STAN of the Mary Phagan murder, state
officials, urged on by Governor Nat
Harris, are preparing to launch a
searching investigation to find out
where the blame for the attack lies.
Frank asked the doctors again to-day
if he had a chance to live. "You are
improving and may recover" he was
told.
Doctor l am going to get WELL" he
answered. 81 must get well. Given
time | will vindcate myself. l will
clear my name"
The attack on Frank will in all prob
ability result in radical changes in the
conduct of the state prison farm. where
it has already been reported that many
Improvements are needed. II is report
ed in Atlanta that it may result in a
big change in the Prison Comm ssion,
by which one member Of the board will
be prison commissioner TO devote his
entire attention to affairs Of the state.
while the other two will be his as
sistants In all probability it will also
result in a system of cells being in
stalled. At present all the prisoners
are herded together in one big room,
making such an attack comparatively
easy.
Did Green Act Alone?
One of the principal phases Of the
investigation of the commission will
be an effort to ascertain if William
Green, the assailant, who was also
serving a life term for murder, acted
on his own initiative, or was the tool
of confederates. This follows, in view
of the many threats against the pris-
oner since his incarceration.
Governor Harris tonight received
from small town near Columbus, the
former home of Green, petition ask
ing the pardon of Franks assailant,
signed dozen times.
DR.. II. VI. Dubose, pastor of the
First Methodist Church, and DR.. c.
W. Daniel, pastor of the First Baptist
Church, gave out statements deplorlng
the attack on Frank. They both stated,
however, that the people of Georgia
could not be blamed for what hap
pened at the prison farm, and that 1t
was merely one of those unfortunate
things that happen now and then in
convict quarters.
Green has a bad reputation in GeOr-
gia. Some believe his mind is affect
ed. He is about forty years old and
is married. While working on bridge
in Columbus several years ago he fell
into the river. narrowly escaping
death. 1t is believed the fall affected
his mind.
Green Three Times a Murderer.
Green has shot four men in his
career. killing three of them: Each
time he has escaped the gallows by
different pleas, in the last case his at
torneys claiming that he was insane.
Green said to-day, when taken from
solitary confinement long enough to be
questioned, that he planned the attack
alone and that no one knew what he
intended to do. He gave as his only
excuse that 'he thought II should be
done" He said, however, he regretted
his act.
Frank was quartered at night in a
dormitorv with about 100 other prison
l. & fro 10
No prisoner is allowed to leave his
place without permission from one OF
the two guards stationed at the dormi-
tory at night. Shortly after ii o'clock
last night Green called out for per
mission to get up, and It was granted.
He started down the line of hunks
toward the one occupied by Frank. As
he reached il ne quickly grabbed Frank
bv the hair and delivered one blow
with the knife he had concealed. A
guard rushed to the bunk and pre-
vented Green from striking again.
Prisoners Treat Franks Wound.
Among prisoners who rushed to
Franks aid were two physicians, one
of whom also was serving lie term
for murder. They treated the wound
moned The three men took twenty-five
stitches in Franks neck. Or. II. j.
Rosenberg. the Frank family physician,
arrived from Atlanta to-day with
nurses. He said that while the pa
tient's condition was precarious, he had
E chance for life. ,,.,
When Mrs Frank, who was IN MILL
edpeville at the time, was told of the
attack after the physicians had finished
tfeir work, she became hysterIcal
later she was calmed and taken to the
prison hospital.
The cut in Franks neck extends from
the front around the left side almost
70 the middle of the back. Neither the
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