Evening star., 1924-05-31
N. E. Leopold, Richard Loeb,
Young Students, Confess
Under 36-Hour GriIIing;
Sought Ransomof $4,000.
KIDNAPPING AND MURDER
PLANNED MANY MONTHS
HStruck Victim With Chisel, Then
Strangled Him With Gag.
Calmly Relate Details-Pair of
Spectacles Led to Apprehension.
Will Get Speedy Trial.
fBy the Associated Press.


f-By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, May 5l.-Robert Z.
Grove, states attorney, announced
early today that Nathan E. Leopold,
jr., and Richard Loeb, youthful
members of wealthy Chicago families
>,and both postgraduate law students
at university here, had confessed
that they kidnapped and murdered
fourteen-year-old Robert Franks,
son OF Jacob Franks, retired mil
lionaire pawnbroker and manufac-
/ turer. The boy was struck with
\chisel, then stranged with a gag.
They said they planned a kidnapping
and murder in great detail last No
vember, both through a spirit of ad-
venture and because they wanted the
$4,000 ransom they demanded. ac-
cording to Mr.. Grove. The youths
said they determined upon no def
mite victim, and that the kidnapping
and murder of young Franks was
merely incidental.
Sought "Easy Money
Why did you kill him?" the two
, were asked.
We just did it," they are alleged
to have answered, later adding that
they had made the plan out of de-
sire for adventure and to acquire
some easy money" apparently
though both boys have been plenti-
fully supplied with money by their
pa1
Grove declared that they said they
once had considered kidnapping a son
of julius Rosenwald, internationally
known philanthropist.
The story they told of planning to
apparently was based on their belief
that the rich philanthropist had a
yong son. Mr.. Rosenwald has no
such son. But they admitted, Mr.
had talked of kidnapping a wealthy
mans son for ransom.
The kidnapping was carried out in
every detail as planned, including the
victims death, Mr.. Grove said Leo
pold and Loeb confessed He said.
Leopold admitted writing a letter to
the father of the Franks boy de-
nanding $4,000, and that the auto
mobile used to spirit away their vic
tim was rented machine.
The alleged confessions are said to
state that the decision to kidnap
young Franks was formed when they
sa whim on the street the afternoon
of May 21 as he was walking home
from a private school.
Trapped by spectacles.
The finding of the spectacles near
? the boys body provided our only
ngible clue" said Mr.. Grove. 1t
Is through them that the kidnapping
S1aVinO
Leopold. The typewriter used and
clodi stripped from young Franks
haveNnot been recovered, Mr.. Grove
said, edding that he expected to have
tomobFe used. 60 'A' q
jacob Franks, father or the slain
boy, said it was difficult for him to
conceive that the two boys-or any
other person-had KIDNAPPED and
killed the little fellow He said he
had just slept for the first time in
thirty-six hours when awakened and
uniformed of the alleged confessions.
1T is difficult to Understand" he
murmured.
Relatives of both youthful prison
ers refused to believe the story of
the states attorney.
"LSe." Father OF Leopold Says
That's lie, that boy cannot be
guilty" said Nathan Leopold, sr.
Ernest Loeb, brother of Richard
Loeb, also received the information
given out by the states attorney
with incredulity.
"It cannot be so," he asserted I'VE
know exactly where Dick was every
hour of this particular Wednesday,"
Loeb is the son of Albert L. Loeb,
millionaire vice president of Sears,
Roebuck and Company of which
Rosenwald is the head.
Leopold's father is wealthy box
manufacturer, said to be especially
well known in Lake shipping circles.
States Attorney Grove said young
Loeb started to break down at 1 am,
after thirty-siX hours of grilling.
The beginning of the break was said
to have occurred ees. when when I'll. the states
family chauffeur, Sven Englund. had
declared that young Leopold's car
Franks boy disappeared. Leopold
had said that he and Loeb had been
riding around. drinking gin and whis-
ky that evening and had invited two
girls into the car and that they had
reached the Leopold home about 1920
o'clock that night.
Curses mt Disclosure.
Loeb turned pale and was visib1y
disconnected when his examiners in
formed him of Englunds statement.
He began pacing the prosecutors
office, asked for cigaret, and with
an oath exclaimed: "Did he say
that?"
1t was only short time then until
a court stenographer was called for,
Samuel Ettleson, former Chicago city
Counsel and the Franks family at
torney, were admitted to the prosecu-
tors chambers, and Mr.. Groves an
nouncement ending the mystery.
The breakdown of their previous
composed and frank manner, which
had virtually won the Investigators
10 their side, was astonishing even to
the states attorneys men.
ClAsflHr hafnro a ollaUad