Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-26
ALIENIST ''PEDDLED PERJURY"
AGAINST FRANKS SLAYERS,
BARROW DECLARES IN PLEA

worked on the case, when it was
still in the mystery stage.
WAS that criminal?' he asked,
and answered by saying that it was
his experience that criminals shun
ned reporters "eVen when there was
no chance of detection"
Touches Prejudice Again
Mr.. DarroW also brought up again
today the effect upon the com,
munity of newspaper accounts Of
the crime and the wealth of the Leo
pold and Loeb families. He reiteral-
ed that these forced him into the
position Of pleading for the lives of
his clients. He painted a gruesome
picture of the boys upon the scat
fold bound. hooded and with some
one waiting to loose the spring.
He philosophical again and again
upon the barbarity Of capital punish
ment and pleaded with the judge to
decide the case by his own con-
science, wisdom and courage, despite
the pressure of newspapers and 9th
en- directing forces of public clamOr.
He pictured too, the depth of in
fanny to which the boys would de.
Scend if forced to spend all their
remaining years within prison walls,
''checking off the days and hours
and minutes"
Would not that be a glorious sat
isfactiOn of justice" he exclaimed.
would it not lie more so thaa
death by hanging? Where is there
q human heart that would ask for
more. Where is there q human heart
that would not be satisfied? Is a life.
time for the young spent behind pris-
on bars, not enough punishment for
this mad act?
i sometimes wonder if l am
dreaming, if | am really living in
the first quarter of the twentieth
century and if there has come back
into the heart of man the lust for
blood which permeated the print.
tive man"
Mr.. DarrOW hammered also on the
idea that a death sentence would be
against ali precedent. He repeated
that $40 murderers had pleaded
guilty in this county within ten
years and that only one 40-year-old
man had been executed. he having
been sent to the hangman by Robert
f.. Grove, states attorney, when
the latter was chief justice of the
criminal court.
Death Demand Unusual
He also declared that hundreds of
offenders have received mitigation
of punishment on the recommends
ton of the states attorneys office
because of pleas of guilty, that
charges of felony have been reduced
in degree and that many culprits
have been paroled, being told to go
and sin no more"
What, then, are the chief reasons
for this demand for hanging?' quer-
led Mr.. barrow. "They are, first,
because the families are wealthy,
and second, because of the weird and
uncanny murder"
But it was on the expert testimony
OF DIR. krohn that Mr.. barrow train
ed his heaviest guns. He mentioned
at one time that "the state put on
three experts and DR.. Krohn,'' then
changed this to three
alienists and DR.. Krohn," He con-
tinued to make this silly distinction
between expert and "alienist" at
every mention of the doctor. The
capabilities of the other doctors sum-
moned by the state were extolled.
and he said frankly that if Mr..
Grove had not hired two of them
first, he would have tried to get
their services for the defense.
Early in his address he Numbered
that whereas the boys had no ade-
quately explainable motive for the
DR., Krohn had one for testi-
Tying that they were mentally sound.
Says Kr0hn Sold Out
THAT motive was cash. he said,
crashing out the last word in voice
that penetrated the corridors.
Mr.. barrow depicted the activities
OF real physician in striving ever
to save human life, proceeding care
fully and with the idea of relieving
human suffering despite personal
sacrifices.
Then he turned to the crowd.
DIR. Krohn has not been a physi-
clan, but for sixteen years he has
used his license in going up and
down the land, hanging victims, by
his testimony. He told the story of
the June. LIST meeting between the
state alienists and these boys. That
was not an investigation, it was an
inquest.
81 cannot imagine any real ply
sIcIan, dedicated to humanity and
the alienation of human sufferings.
gloating over such testimony as did
DR.. Krohn''
Mr.. barrow left this thought with
[ he iT0pn n Sk in q a HE, WONT +l,o+