The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-06-07
LEOPOLD AND LOEB "PAMPERED CENUSES' NEVER
KNEW DISCIPLINE FROM EARLIEST YEARS, SAYS WRITER
Young Loeb Counted Genius
From Earliest Years; Both
Boys Facing Murder Were
Remarkable Students, Win
ming HOn0rs Without Try
ing
BY George Britt
NEA Service Writer

years old they drilled conscience in
to me. After l was tried to drill
conscience out of me-" ~
This is the autobi ography Of Ma
than F. Leopold Jr., 19-year-old con-
fessed slayer with Richard A. Loeb
of little Robert Franks.
Babe" Leopold, the youngest and
most promising child in the home of
wealthy ship owner and manufac-
turer, was, from his first lispinGs,
counted genius. Parents and ser
wants bent to the assignment OF.
helping him realize the promise o.:
becoming an honor to the name.
By the time he was he was read
ing away past the nursery rhyme
type of literature and had taken up
the outstandingly good and decent
interest of his life study of birds.
At 10, his collection ran into scores
of specimens gathered and stuffed
by himself He collected butterflies
too, and in both fields his interest
was that of the mature scientist ra-
ther than the curious boy.
AuluOIllICS "IotN W "'N 'i' oP'''
ion while he still was wearing short
trousers. He was unusually bright
leaping forward two or three grades
wear. And his conduct was con-
ventional enough then to avoid trips
to the principals office for disci-
pline.
Always ScOffer
But Nathan Leopold always wa:
! aloofly superior scoffer rather
than mixer. He was not athletic
He was not early interested in girls
He preferred to read voraciousl!
J in books beyond his years or tt
tramp the dunes and woodlands
stalking birds.
He entered the University of Chi
cago at Is and was graduated at ls
He was a shark on languages an'
science, Phi Beta Kappa withou
trying. but not recognized as goot
fellow.
| Susan Lurie, student friend, VIII
is expected to be called to disprov'
any insanity defense, describes Leo
pold as always a bit "ritzy." Blu
| she insists "Babe" Leopold hat
something to be "ritzy" about. "H
is of superior intellect, his braii
works fast. He was good company
too," she explains, "and Lowell.
dancer.
"Up until two weeks ago he wa
the kind of man any girl would b.
proud to have dropping in for tea.
In the spring of 1922, young Leo
pold accomplished the distinguishe
scientific achievement of filming
the rare Kirkland warbler in nor
thern Michigan forest. He late
lectured on that feat before tn
American Ornithological Union
Boston and wrote upon it for scien
tific magazines. With two other
he wrote book on the migrator
habits of 237 birds in the Grea
Lakes region.
"Babe" Leopold always has don
about as he pleased. Disiclpiin
never was successful with him. Eve
in his infancy he would stamp
tiny foot and shout defiance to COZ
rection of his imperious will.
Loeb Spoiled Child, Too
Two years ago his mother die
and the boy was left even withou
that restraint, living with his bus
father and brother in a servant-fill
ed house with lavish spendin
and sundry automobiles.
"Dickie" Loeb, the other slayel
was like Leopold in superiority @
intellect, wealth and family position
but in temperament he was winsom
and sunny, where his companio
was cynical. He is slightly younge
Just turned 18, when he gradual
ed from the University Of Michiga
a year ago.
When only IL he was permitted t
leave the nursery table at home an
eat with the rest of the family
privilege withheld two years longe
from the older children. He was tn
fondest hope.
"Dickie" was q delicate child. Hi
amusement was reading rather tha
outdoor sports. During the war h
gave up all his spending money t
send to French children. A year O
two later he started going with girl
to keep pace with the older boys i
whose classes he studied.
The two for years have been pal:
and for the past year they were in
separable. At the same time, Loe
kept up his fraternity association:
and his loyal brothers still say ther
W no better fraternity man in tn
chapter.
NeighbOrs Worried Over "Wildness
The neighbors for two years an
more have been shaking their head
over the wildness of the two youths
They have been out at all hour
with girls of all sorts and usual
with liquor aplenty.
i There's a sight to make even
strangers heart ache, for Leopol
and Loeb are as fine looking type
> of college boys as one could picl
Leopold, short, gray-eyeds holdin
his head high with a sneering smile
Loeb, a bit larger, with brown eyes
more rounded features and the mel
ancholy of lifetime in his bearing
i The grandfathers of each left Ger
many in 1S48, fleeing the gallows fo
honorable strife for liberty.
i And again the names are in tn
shadow of the gallows-this time 70
what?
Murder.