The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-06-22
SLATON COMMUTES
FRANKS SENTENCE
Mary Phagan's Slayer Will
Serve Life Term.
GOV. DEFENDS HIS ACTION.
Decision Was Received With Unfa-
vorabIe COmment-Trouble
stopped by Extra Police.

Stopped by Extra Police.
Atlanta, Ga, June 21.-Leo M.
Franks death sentence was commute
ed to life imprisonment today by Gov
ernor Slaton. Announcement or the
governors decision came several
hours after Frank had been secretly
taken from the jail here and hurried
to the state prison farm at Milledge-
cille. Frank was sentenced to be
hanged here tomorrow for the MUIR
der of Mary Phagan, in April, 1913.
Governor Slaton still was at his
country home when he announced his
decision on the case over the tele-
phone to The Associated Press. In
making this announcement the gov
ernor dictated the following brief
statement:
"All that / ask is that the people
Of Georgia read my statement of the
reasons why l commuted Leo NJ.
Franks death sentence to life impris-
onment, before they pass judgment.
Feeling as l do about this case
would be a murderer if l allowed this
man to hang. 1t may mean tnat l
must live in obscurity the rest of my
days, but l would rather be plowing
in field than to feel for the rest OF
my life that ! had that mans blood
on my hands"
Governor Slaton was completing a
long statement giving his reasons for
his action, and this he said would be
made public later.
Early extra editions stated de-
finitely that Franks sentence had
been commuted and early in the
morning crowds began to gather on
the principal downtown street cor
ners. The arrest of man who at
tempted to dismount a policeman
by grabbing the horses reins,
stirred the crowd at Forsythe and
Walton streets to excitement and
they followed the officers to the city
hall, block away, where they took
the prisoner pending arrival of a
patrol wagon.
Speakers started to harangue the
crowd from the city hall steps but
were stopped by an extra force OF po-
lice. 1t was stated that a delegation
was coming here from Marietta, the
former home of Mary Phagan.
Two hearings were held here on
Franks application for executive
clemency, one before the state pri-
son commission May 81 and the
other before the governor. The latter
hearing extended through several
days and ended June 16.
Before the prison commission
oral argument on Franks behalf was
made by his counsel and by jurists,
lawyers and prominent citizens OF
Georgia, Illinois and Massachusetts.
Petitions bearing hundreds of thou
sands of names from various state
legislatures, societies and committees
and thousands of letters urging
clemency for Frank were presented
to the commission.
In opposition to the application
there were filed a letter from Solici-
tor Dorsey, who prosecuted Frank
and a protest from citizens of Cobb
county, Ca, where Mary Phagan for
merly resided.
Franks counsel, prior to the ap.
peal for executive clemency had made
seven unsuccessful attempts before
the county superior and state su-
preme courts to obtain a new trial
or the setting aside of the verdict.
The federal district court refused to-
grant him writ of habeas corpus
and the United States supreme court
declined to grant a writ OF error for
review Of the case and also denied
Franks appeal in habeas carpus pro.
ceedings. Four times the sentence
OF death was passed upon him.
The first official announcement of
the Georgian's decision was made at
8:42 o'clock this morning. Extra
editions of the local newspapers con-
tanning the unofficial announcement.
caused considerable excitement
among a number OF crowds Of men,
who began gathering on various
street corners and around city hail.
and who discussed the governors
grant of clemency to Frank Mounted