The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-06-05
CHICAGO MEN
ADMIT CRIME
N. E. Leopold and r. Loeb
Break Down After Hours
of Grilling.
KILLED WITH A CHISEL
Sons of Wealthy Men Tell Al
most Unbelievable Story
of Brutality.

Chicago, Ill.--State's Attorney Rob-
ert E. Grove, after announcing today
that Nathan E. Leopold, Jr., and
Richard Loeb, sons of millionaires,
had confessed the kidnapping and slay-
ing of Robert Franks, 14-year-old son
of another millionaire, declared they
said they once had considered kid
MAPPING a son of Julius Rosenwald, in
ternationally known philanthropist.
They planned kidnapping and muir
der for ransom a. early as last No
vember,~ Mr.. Grove asserted, and until
shortly before the kidnapping had not
definitely selected victim. 1t was a
spirit of adventure and a desire to
obtain ransom that prompted them to
plan such a crime months ago, the
prosecutor said they admitted.
Young Loeb lis a son of Albert II.
Loeb, vice president of Sears Roe
buck and company, Of which Mr..
Rosenwald is the head.
Admits Writing Ransom Letter.
Leopold has admitted tipping the
letter demanding the $4,000 ransom
of Jacob Franks, father the victim,
Mr.. Grove said. Loeb, he added, first
telephoned to the Franks home the
night of May 81, after the boy was
dead, and told the lads mother that
Robert had been kidnapped, but was
safe.
Both prisoners have been studying
law and told apparently frank stories
until confronted with discrepancies in
their stories after thirty-six hours of
grilling. They finally yielded and be-
gan making admissions, but even
after making the confessions, Mr.,
Grove declared, they remained com
posed. Leopold, he said, was entirely
nonchalant about It.
Murdered in Automobile.
They admitted they had taken young
Franks in an automobile, struck him
with a chisel and then thrust a gag
in his mouth, strangling him, Prose-
cutor Grove charged. They shifted
the blame upon each other when ask
ed who struck the blow, the states
attorney said.
Mr.. Grove declared the case would
be presented to the new June grand
jury, the first case to be placed In
the jurors hands.
The stenographic notes of the alleg-
ed confessions, he said, were locked
up, and although he said they might
be made public late today, he was
taking every precaution to make the
case complete.
1t was Leopold's spectacles-the
principal clue in the case-found on
the prairie near the culvert where the
Franks boys body was thrust into q
railroad culvert, that led to the
arrest of Leopold and Loeb, Mr.. Grove
explained.
Today he took the two youths from
the criminal courts building on a
search for the clothing of the boy
The clothing had been concealed in
one place and the shoes in another,
it is said.
The typewriter on which the ransom
letter was sent to Jacob Franks de-
manding $4,000 and the rented auto
mobile in which the killing occurred
also will be obtained and held as evi-
dence, Mr.. Grove said. The automobile
was of the, same make as Leopold's
own car which was in the garage the
night of the kidnapping.
Leopold had declared he used his
own car and the statement of the
Leopold family chauffeur that the
young mans car was in the garage
and not out of it on the night of
May 21--the day of the kidnapping
led to the break in the prisoners
stories, Prosecutor Grove said.
Planned Another kidnapping.
The story they told of planning to
kidnap a son of Julius Rosenwald or
some other rich man, apparently was
based on their belief that the rich
philanthropist had young son. Mr..
Rosenwald has no such son, however.
But they admitted, Mr.. Grove said,
that they first merely had talked OF
kidnapping some wealthy mans son
for ransom.
Mr.. Grove declared the entire kid
naping and killing had been executed
according to carefully pre-arranged
plan.
The boy was killed in the rented
automobile on a heavily Travelled
street and within few blocks of the
spot where he was lured into the car.
He resisted them and was struck on
the head with the chisel and then
gagged, Mr.. Grove said
Disfgured With Acid.
With the body on their hands, they
had used acid in an attempt to dis
figure beyond recognition, and then
stripped it of clothing in the lonely
spot where it was taken, Prosecutor
Grove asserted. Even guns had been
provided by the kidnapers, he said, as
a precaution to overpower resistance.
While the boys were telling yes
terday somewhat glib but apparently
frank stories Of their movements on
May 81, and of their past activities,
the police were almost won to their
side. The, boys frankly said the cir
cumstances looked bad against them.
However, the states attorneys men
were examining their rooms and per-
sonal papers and effects. They found
a letter Leopold had written to Loeb
referring to a quarrel they had had.
The letter gave signs of their brief
legal instruction.
81 still want you to feel that we
are on an equal footing legally" Leo
pold wrote, "and therefore / purposely
committed the same sort Of which you
were guilty"
Relatives and friends of the two
families vigorously declared their dis
belief that the boys had confessed,
long after States Attorney. Grove
had announced that the mystery had
been solved.
The alleged confessions are said to
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