Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-22
Chicago Youths Plead Guilty of
Killing Robert Franks
Move of Defence Counsel is
Surprise - Hats Probable
Long Drawn Out Trial-WiIl
Either Hang or Get Life

Chicago. July 21.-The fate of
Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold,
Jr., kidnappers and slayers of 10
year-old Robert Franks, was today
placed in the hands of one man
John r. Caverly, chief justice of the
criminal court of Cook county
when the pleaded guilty.
Apparently the only question re-
naming to be decided is whether
they shall hang or be imprisoned for
double crime without parallel in
this Jurisdiction.
Robert E. Grove. states attorney,
reiterated his intention of asking the
death penalty for the two college
students.
Clarence s. Darrow and Benjamin
Bachrach. attorneys for the defense,
announced in court their purpose to
see their clients safely incarceratcd
| for life"
I'VE have no intention OF trying
| to restore them to society,"" explained
Mr. barrow.
Thus he answered question
| which had been widely discussed
bined wealth of two of the oldest
and richest families of Chicago. es-
timated to have resources of more
| than $4,000, 900, would be used to
try to set free their two minor sons.
The unexpected denouement
I stunned a courtroom crowd of at
| torneys. newspaper men, court at
taches and Il few privileged specta-
tors. and upset all plans for the trial
which had been scheduled to begin
August 4.
Instead of starting Wednesday.
there will be a judicial hearing be-
fore an empty jury box.
That the defense was content to
| await the developments from this
hearing was emphasized by the
stony silence that was maintained
| by all concerned with the defend
ants. The boys themselves, their
parents. special counsel of the fami-
! lies and the active defense attorneys
all declined to discuss the proceed
ings. The prosecution was bit
| more communicative.
"The plea of guilty admits the
sanity of the defendants" said Mr..
! Grove tonight. The question of in
sanity is entirely out of the case
| now. All the defense can offer at
| the hearing is evidence tending to
mitigate the punishment. Whether
they can establish that remains to
be seem"
Il am going to ask the death pen
atty in the interest of society. [
have about % witnesses and will
present all the facts in the prosecu-
| ton of the state so that the court
may be fully advised as to the exact
nature of the crime. 1t will take
from ten days to two weeks to do
this"
In their statements to the court to-
| day, the defense attorneys acknow-
Pledged the correctness of the facts in
| the case substantially as published
in the newspapers" By this they
admitted formally that their clients
| on May 81 enticed Robert Franks in
| to n rented automobile, stunned him
with blow from tapewound
chisel and strangled him to death.
They thus admitted too that the boy
was conveyed to lonely spot across
| the Indiana line and there thrust,
nude, into n small culvert under a
railroad track. They formally ack-
nowledged that the two men destroy
ed the clothing Of their victim, post
ed letter demanding $4,000 ransom,
from the boys father. and tossed in
to a park lagoon the typewriter on
which the missive was written.
The defense offered TO submit the
(Continued on Page S-Coi. 81