The Omaha morning bee., 1924-07-25
Boy Slayers
Bunglers,
State Shows
Leopold and Loeb More Muir
derous Fools Than Murder
GUS Fiends, Blood-Stained
Trail Indicates.
20 Witnesses Take Stand
BY JAMES WHITAKER.


Chicago. July 24.-Illinois state to-
day in Justice Caverlys part of the
local criminal court proved Nathan
Leopold, jr., and Dickie Loeb not SO
much murderous fiends as murderous
fools.
And the defense force Of attorneys,
smiling the Mona Lisa smile, which
maintains silent neutrality while
States Attorney Grove piles up the
evidence that little Robert Franks
was the victim of apprentice execu-
TONERS. bunglers from inception OF
the crime to its finish-at the end of
blood trail which could not have
been more clearly marked in the red
ink of Rand McNally.
Mr.. Grove leaves no stone unturn-
ed which will fit into the sepulcher
Neither did Leopold and Loeb.
In fact, criminal and hangman
seem so well in accord here on the
business in hand that, to those not
familiar with a peculiarity of Illinois
criminal law, the long proceedings
&A@ thO Oiu SOdl II OOIA Ou lH0 HOTLD
side must have the character of a
new and lazy form of suicide.
Still q Gamble.
So, before learning the days story
OF how a whole community of 3,000,-
600 is being sucked near or into the
vortex of the case, the distant read
er must know how it is that the pair
did not kiss goodby to life when they
pleaded guilty.
In New York state, for instance.
the murderer cannot plead guilty to
murder in the first degree. by law,
which forbids self-murder. Here.
however, there is still a gamble after
admission of guilt. With death hold
ing all the aces. the defense has call
ed for cards.
Can it fill that inside straight flush
Another score of Mr.. Groves regi.
ment Of witnesses passed the review
ing stand today, which differed from
yesterday only in the increasing grue-
someness Of the proceedings. The
trial Is broader red as it approaches
the culvert in which, on May 21 last.
the university students stuffed the
nude body of Franks.
Finishes Horrible Hour.
At dusk, Mr.. Grove had emptied
his bucket of scarlet, when William
G. McNally, chemist to the Cook coun-
ty coroner, finished horrible hour
of dispassionats dissertation on hui
man blood.
Here 1t was on Leopolds trousers,
there it was on Loeb's coat-on the
pleasure car which they used for
their companions hearse-in the up.
holstery of that car, on socks, shirts,
neckties, boots, everywhere.
The pair had crushed little Roberts
skull with taped chisel which
soaked with blood, they had thrown
into the gutter of one of Chicago's
public thoroughfares, to be picked up
by the first passerby.
Are these. then, the adopts, the
supercraftsmen in crime--who left
more marks OF their passage than
would be left by wet dog?
II is Mr.. Groves business to prove
the pair to have been mastery con
spirators, unmasked by the cunning
Of himself and his men. 1t is Clar
ence Darrow's to prove them sub-nor
NAL bunglers. ruined by their cir
cumstances. Assuredly, 1t was de
fense day.
Fathers First Smile.
Nonetheless ESQ impressive Is Mr.
Groves masterful building of his
tale) Jacob Franks. the emaciateo
father OF the victim who is in court
for the second time. rushes up Il
fTurn 10 Page Two. Column Five.)