Evening star., 1924-06-06
26 Counts in Two Bills
Charging Murder and Kid
naping for Ransom.
STATE PLANS TO SPEED
FRANKS SLAYERS' TRIAL
Matter-of-Fact Confession Shows
Youths Ate Before Hiding
Boys Body.
By the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
CHICAGO, June 1.-Two indict-
ments charging Nathan Leopold, jr.,
and Richard Loeb, post graduate
students and sons of millionaires,
with the kidnapping for ransom and
murder of Robert Franks, schoolboy,
which they have confessed, were re-
turned by the county grand jury to-
day.
Both youths were ordered held
without bail by Chief Justice Caverly
Of the criminal court Kidnapping for
ransom and murder each are capital
offenses in Illinois, with a minimum
penalty Of five years in prison for
kidnapping for ransom and fourteen
years for murder.
Indicted on ~ Counts.
The prisoners were indicted jointly.
The murder indictment contained
eleven counts, and the kidnapping in
dictment sixteen counts. Seventy
witnesses gave testimony before the
grand jury.
With the state preparing for an
early trial-the prosecution may ask
for trial on July 15-the next step in
the prosecution will be arraignment
of the two youths Monday.
The two advanced student-prison-
ers-Leopold. a law student, and Loeb.
who had begun a postgraduate
course in history-are expected to be
named in a third indictment now
pending before the grand jurors,
Charging conspiracy to murder. 1t
on this charge, which carries only
penalty of one to five years in prison.
That indictment will be sought by the
state merely to place before the grand
jury the testimony of additional wit
neSSeS.
Guard ON Technicalities.
The numerous counts of the murder
and kidnapping indictments were
drafted for technical purposes, to
meet all phases of the statutory pro-
visions and to prevent any possible
technical defenses, the states attor-
ney said. The statute covering kid
naping for ransom, as distinguished
from ordinary kidnapping, uses both
terms of ransom and money. Conse-
ouently, the kidnapping indictment elev-
enth count, charged "inveigling for the
purpose of extorting money" and the
twelfth count, "inveigling for the
nurnose of extorting ransom"
The return of the indictments was
a mere formality, at which the pres
ence Of the two prisoners was not re-
ouired They were, in the meantime,
playing indoor base ball In the Dull
pen of the county jail, conouc.lns
themselves much as ordinary pr1s-
oners, warden wesley "esloioon
The arraignment day probably will
be Wednesday. according TO later
plans of the states attorneys once %
Each Of the indictments was indorsed
ty the seventy with nesses.
Habeas Corpus Dropped.
Assistant States Attorney Q. j.
chott went before Chief Justice Cav
erly after the indictments were re-
turned and moved the dismissal Of
the writ of habeas corpus which de-
fensa counsel had asked. The de-
tense counsel offered no opposition,
and Judge Caverly ordered that the
sheriff Immediately take and keep
the custody of the youths on the
courts capias.
nurse who once had attended
Loeb. Mrs. Theodore Mendedar. today
called at the Jail to see the boys,
who were separated only from their
callers by a steel screen. While
standing at the screen Mrs. Mendedar
tainted.
Both boys slept well last night and
ate heartily at breakfast. Their ap-
netites have been good at all times
since the murder. Loeb breakfasted
on the regular Jail fare, but Leopold
sent out for his breakfast: At lunch
con their meals were brought in
from the outside. Last night the
hovs dined on fried chicken and other