New Britain herald., 1924-07-21
History of Case.

H Chicago, July .l,-T~Nhlhhn h'"f hold, Jr, and Richard Loeb, eonT fessed slaycrs Of ii-year-old Robert Franks, are both minors. sons or milllonaires, and graduate students distinguished by their atiainnlents' Al the time of staying Leopold was 20 and Loeb ?,
 Probably none of l.copoids ac- duaintances. save Loeb, connected me staying on May el, which according 10 the boys confession was premed- iitatcd, with the precocious orniiholo- gist who had engaged the confidence of the little Kirtland warbler, bird so shy as to have been supposed cN- tinct, so successfully that IL perehed on his shoulder and ate from his hand while a thousand feet of moving pie ture film were unroled. According to Loeb, though this detail Leopold disputed. it was the same hand that struck Robert Franks from behind with a chisel wound in tape. after ward strangling him.
 Came From Germany.
 The grandfathers of both Nathan and Richard were among those who' like Carl Schurz. came 10 this coun- try from Germany because of the ! failure Of the revolution of lS4S. The Leopold family has been in chi- cago since 1867. Albert Loeb. father of Richard. was born in Chicago in ,1s6S. Nathan Leopold, Sr., whose fortune grew as the city grew. was ! formerly engaged in lake transporta- tion and is now paper manufac- turer. Albert Loeb, son of small shoe merchant. taught evening school, practiced law, and eventually became vice president of the Sears Roabuck mail order company, of which Julius Rosenwald is president. | His brother Jacob Loeb. was presi- dent of the Chicago board of educa- ton from 1916 until 1919. His wife, Richards mother. who was Anna Bohnen, has been active in welfare work.
 ef Hebrew Descent s
 Both .cmilies worship at Sinai temple. of which the late Rabbi Emil G. Hirsch was pastor. Like them. the family of the boys victim, Rob bert Franks. is Of Hebrew descent though not holding the Jewish faith.
 Roy Fails To Appear.
 Robert failed to reach home after school May 21 The next day let ter and telephone messages called upon his father, Jacob Franks, presi- dent of the Rockford Watch com- pany. neighhor of Loeb and Leopold, for s10,0O0 ransom. The messages stated that the boy had been kid mapped but was safe. The father virtually decided to comply with in structions. but permitted his lawyer and a relative to go to the morgue to see the body of boy found in a culvert, The body was identified as Roberts. An autopsy showed that he had been slain before the letter de- manding ransom was written.
 Several witnesses were examined, but not until a pair Of glasses found in the culrert were traced through the prescription to young Nathan was either he, or Richard suspected.
 Both Confess.
 Tho two boys were taken into GUS | touy ana were neI1 TOT three OdyS. Their adroitness and assurance baf- fled their examiners until Loeb learned that their attempted alibi was refuted by the testimony of chanf- fer that the car the boys said they had used was undergoing repairs al the time. Then Loeb began to con- fess and Leopold, learning of his ac. tion, did likewise.
 According to the confession they planned both staying and kidnapping the extreme penalty for murder death. being the same in Illinois az the extreme penalty for kidnapping for ransom, even though the victim survives. They are reported by the state to have said they did it 10, money and for adventure.
 Although counsel for one Of tht other suspects complained that harsf measures were used by detectives 1T the case of his client who neverthe less did not confess, states Attornc. Grove asserted that the utmost con sidcration was extended to Nathan and Richard and that he permitted