The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-09-10
THE BISMARCK TRIBUNE

ever, in the general rush home at the
end of the baseball game in which
the boys were participating, and
partly because of the presence of an
instructor.
Driving Slowly
Loeb and Leopold were driving
slowly down the street, having aban-
doncd hope for the day, when sud
denly they espicd Bobby Franks en-
route home. Loeb addressed him, in
viting him into the automobile. Bob
by demurred. He said he had only
a short distance to go home and pre-
ferred to walk. Loeb, who had play
ed tennis frequently with the lad, in
sisted that he wanted to talk with
him about new tennis racquet,
whereupon Bobby entered the ma
chine.
Seated, he was struck upon the
head with tapped cold chisel, and
rags were stuffed into his mouth.
The kidnapers, not realizing that the
boy was dead, drove about for a time
intending to kill the child when they
reached the place they had selected
for disposing of the body. They fin
ally reached the rendezvous, stripped
the boy Of his clothes and poured an
acid on his face with the intention of
disfiguring it beyond recognition.
Leopold donned wading boots, strobe
into the water and thrust the body
face downward into the culvcrt. 1t
stuck and he forced it further with
his foot, but in the haste in the dark
ness left the murdered boys feet
protruding. Also in the hurry of
leaving the scene, Loeb picked up
Leopold's coat bottom up and lost
the tell-tale spectacles from tic
breast pocket. They also left one Of
Bobby's brown sport stockings and
his cap.
Dispose of Clothing
Loeb and Leopold then proceeded
to dispose of various articles Of
Bobby's clothing, the automobile robe
in which the body had been wrapped
and the other things used in the
murder. Some were burned, some
were buried in widely separated
spots and the cold chisel was hurled
from the automobile not far from
the scene of the kidnapping.
The automobile used was obtained
from rent-a-car agency and was Of
the same type as Leopold's personal
car. To obtain it the youths used
assumed names, registered at two no
tells and established two bank &C
counts.
The ransom letter was prepared
we'll in advance of the kidnapping,
sealed and the envelope left unad~
dressed. that feature to depend upon
the child chosen FOR death. The
typewriter was a portable stolen
from the house Of the fraternity Of
which Loeb was a member before he
was graduated from the University
of Michigan. The letter written, the
typewriter was damaged badly and
thrown into lagoon in jackson
Park.
Telephone Father
The morning of the finding of the
Franks boys body, but before it had
been identified, Loeb and Leopold
again telephoned the Franks home
but Mr.. Franks again was absent.
Later they telephoned again instruct
ing Mr.. Franks to ride in taxi cab
to certain drug store where he
would receive other telephone in.
structions as to how to pay over the
ransom. MIR. Franks knew by then
that his son was dead and refused
to enter the taxicab. The youths in /
tended to instruct Mr.. Franks to
board fast train FOR the East and |
at a specified point hurl cigar box I,
containing the money from the train.
Additional instructions were in u !
letter placed in message rack in !
parlOr car. That letter was found !,
later at New York.
Upon concluding their confessions
Loeb and Leopold agreed to 60 with
officers and prosecutors on tour
of the route they had travelled from !,
the moment the Franks boy was seiz-
cd until the last article in connection
with his murder was disposed of
They pointed out the various spots
where they had buried or burned ar
ticlcs and assisted the officers in
their recovery. The typewriter was
retrieved from the lagoon by pro-
fessional diver.
Shortly after the youths had con-
fessed. Clarence S. barrow. veteran
criminal lawyer, and Walter and
Benjamin Bacharach, brothers, were
engaged in their behalf. Their first
act was to seek writs of habaes
corpus to remove the boys from the !
custody Of the states attorney and
have them placed in Jail.
The boys confessed on May 81
and six days later the Cook county
grand jury indicted them on charges
of murder and Kidnapping for ransom,
both punishable by death in Illinois.
On June II, they appeared before
Judge John R. Cavcrly, chief justice
Of the Criminal courts of Cook coun-
ty. pleaded not guilty and were held
without bail for trial beginning Aug
ust 4. Ten days later their pleas
unexpectedly were changed to guilty
and the court consented to hear evil
dence as to the nature of the crime
from the state and testimony in mi
tigation of punishment offered by
the defense.
The formal hearing began July %.
The state introduced 80 witnesses