Evening star., 1924-09-10
CaverIy States No Minor Ever
Was Executed in Illinois
After Guilty Plea-Ignores
Insanity Theory.
SO YEARS ALSO GIVEN
FOR KIDNAPPING CHARGE
Franks Slayers Unmoved as
Verdict Is Pronounced-Order
Hearty Meal THAT May Be
Last"-Great Precautions Taken
to Avert Disorder.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
CRIMINAL COURT BUILDING,
CHICAGO, ILL.,, September 10.-Sen-
tences of life imprisonment for the
murder of | 14-year- old Robert Franks
and 90 years imprisonment for kid
naping the boy were meted out to-
day to Nathan F. Leopold, jr, and
Richard Loeb by Judge John R.
Caverly. The youth of the defend
ants, Is and 10 years, was all that
saved them from the moose. The
separate sentences were passed to
meet legal technicalities.
Judge Caverly said no minor ever
had been sentenced to death in Illino
on a plea of guilty, adding that such
action was contrary to all the tend
ency of criminal law.
The court finds no mitigation in
the crime itself in the defendants
personalities or their antecedents, p"
Judge Caverly said. He then ac-
cepted full respons sibility for declin-
persons who are not of full age.
TO 10 FrlsOn IOOay.
At the office of the county sheriff
in the Criminal Courts Building it
was first announced that Leopold
and Loeb would not be started for
Joliet today but probably would be
held in the local Jail until Friday.
There was, however, persistent
rumor that the start would be made
within a few hours, and in the midst
of conflicting reports Sheriff Hoff-
man definitely announced that Leo
pold and Loeb would be taken to
Joliet penitentiary within an hour.
Despite Sheriff Hoffman's announce
ment, uncertainty continued as to
when the boys would start for Joliet,
and it appeared that several hours
might elapse before the necessary
legal papers would be executed.
Crowd Watches Jail.
An immense crowd gathered about
the entrance of the Cook County
Jail when the decision became known
A score of motor cycle policemen,
lined up on both sides of the street,
held the people in check. The crowd
was silent and merely stood about,
watching the Jail doors.
Finally the crowd was convinced
that it would see nothing and it dis
solved. Meanwhile Sheriff Hoffman's
office was busy preparing commit
ment papers for the warden of the
Joliet Denitentiary
States Attorney Grove said that
the boys probably would not start
for Joliet before pm. Should it
take more time to execute the papers
he said that the start would not be
made before pm.
The sheriff said that within a few
hours after the sentencing he had re-
t.tr nj
warnings that preparations were being
made to waylay the prisoners and their
escort en- route to the penitentiary.
Order Good Meals.
Leopold and Loeb ordered steaks
two inches thick, with every side
dish they could think of, for their
dinner, the sheriff said.
1t may be the last good meal we
will get in our lives" they said.
Judge Caverly remained in his
chambers after delivering his sem
tence for about three-quarters of an
hour. When he left it was by a pri-
Fate corridor and elevator. He was
again surrounded by guards and went
away from the building so swiftly
that onlookers in the street were not
aware of his identity
NOT muscle moved in Leopold's
face as Judge Caverly indicated life
imprisonment was to be his fate.
Loeb rapidly blinked his eyelids. gulp-
ed almost unnoticeably and slightly
contracted his lips Net a portion of
their bodies moved. Court was in
session but ten minutes
The testimony has been detailed
and elaborate, and has been given
such wide publicity that it would be
useless to repeat any now" said Judge
Caverly. Put the court feels it his
duty to say that the defendants are
abnormal, otherwise they would
not have committed the crime"
Judgment cannot be affected by
the tests brought into the record
said Judge Caverly.
The crime was abhorrent, although
there was no abuse of the body.
Holds Pair Abnormal.
1T would have been the path OF
least resistance to impose the ex-
treme penalty of the law" said the
gray haired judge in his. decision
I'm choosing Imprisonment instead of
death, the court is moved chiefly by
the age of the defendants, boys of is
and 19 years.
1T is not for the court to say that
he will not in any case enforce cap
ital punishment, but he believes 1t is
within his province to decline to i'm
pose the sentence of death on per-
sons who are not of full age.
This determination appears to be
in accordance with the progress of
criminal law all over the world and
to the dictates of enlightenment of
humanity. More than that, it seems
to be in accordance with the prece-
dents in this State. The records of
Illinois know only two cases of
minors who were put to death by
legal process, to which number the
court does not fee~inclined to make
an addition"
Judge Caverly added that while
life Imprisonment may not strike
the public imagination as forcibly as
would hanging" yet ito the Offend
ers, particularly of the type they are,
the prolonged suffering of years of
Continued on Page 4. Column IL