Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-13
GROVE s CRITICISM
Of JUDGE CAVERLY
IS TH|N[Y, YELLED
"Statement of Facts" in the
Franks Murder DepIores
Life Sentence

IF CHICAGO, Sept. lin a lengthy
"statement of facts" on the Leopold
Loeb case made public alte this aft
ernoon, States Attorney Robert f.
Grove inferentially criticized Justice
John r. Caverly for failing to sen
tence Nathan Leopold and Richard
Loeb to death for their murder OF
Robert Franks.
1t was the work on this statement
and the preparation of alright data
to prevent possible attempts to Sc
cure a parole for the boys that has
delayed their transfer to Joliet state
prison to begin to serve their sen
fences of life Imprisonment.
Grove addressed his Statement of
facts to the clerk of the criminal
court of this county, and to depart
ment of public welfare of Illinois.
Grove indicated he would not fur
Their hold up the start of the youths
to Joliet, and it was believed they
would get under way later in the
evening.
Groves statement reads in part:
I'm malice, generalization and de-
liberation, the crime these defend
ants committed is unequalled In the
criminal history of this state. 1t is
an atrocious and cold blooded muir
der. perpetrated to eXtort a ransom
of $4,000 for return of this 14-year-
old school boy after the defendants
knew that they had killed. this school
boy in order to hide their crime.
Unfit for Society
"Aslto habits of these defendants,
evidence indicated acts of perversion
between Leopold and Loeb extending
over a long period of time. There
Is no possibility of these defendants
ever becoming eligible for return
to society.
1.-The evidence shows both defend
ants are atheists and followers of
the Nietzscean doctrines, and i'm
pressed with the idea that they are
supermen and what they did was
right because they did it; that they
are above the law, both the law OF
God and the law of man; that they
had a right to commit murder OF
any other crime, and that the law
had no application to them.
states attorney of Cook
county felt it to be his duty to de-
mand from the court the extreme
penalty of the law, punishment OF
death, and he is still of the opinion
that that is the only punishment
that fits the crime.
Murder and kidnapping for ransom
OF 14-year-old Robert Franks struck
terror to the hearts of every father
and mother throughout the commu
nifty, and without doubt is the most
terrible criminal offense that was
perpetrated in this generation.
"It is unfortunate for the welfare
of the county and the, court that
they were not sentenced to DEATH
Jail Is Threatened
After night in which a new
threat to blow up the county Jail
brought Sherite Peter M. Hoffman
speeding into chicago at midnight
Loeb and Ls6pold amused them
selves by playing cards pending the
start for Joliet.
Sheriff Hoffman disclosed the lat
est threat, a petition of many
others made by cranks, he said.
1t was about 1870 p. M, when re
received the anonymous telephone
call telling him that the Jail was tc
be blown up.
f II jumped into my car and came
xeixty miles an hour to the jail, ar
irving about midnight, just to mak<
sure that nothing had happened" ht
said. After thorough inspection
everything appeared all right and
returned home"
Heavy Guard Planned
The sheriff said he expected t.
make the trip to the Joliet prison
with three automobiles in the of
fetal party, all guarded by heavily
armed deputies. The advance car
he said, would be filled with officer,
armed with shotguns loaded will
buckshot. In the second car Loci
and Leopold would ride with, foul
armed guards. Another contingent
of guards with buckshot charged
guns would bring up the rear.
In the meantime the sheriff hat
the guards doubled in the alley a
the rear of the Jail yard. A crow(
of about 500 curious persons gather
ed outside the entrance to the iai
but police details kept them moving
Judge John r. Caverly, in one a.
the most spectacular scenes in al
American court room, yesterday pro
nounced the sentence upon the TIVE
boys whose kidnapping and murder o.
the Franks boy last May, and later
confession and the>trial that follow
ed attracted worldwide notice AS
a case unparalleled in all jurispru
dence records.
Their First Manual Toll
Both boys, the sons OF wealthy
and prominent Chicago bushes.
men and reared in the lap of luxury
must now beco;- enrolled as life
prisoners and turn their activities
to long hours of hard labor, despite
the fact they have never known
what it is to toll with their hands
The two young intellectuals were
sentenced to life Imprisonment or
the m"rder charge and to terms o.
ninety-nine years imprisonment fol
kidnapping for ransom. Under the
latter sentence they cannot be re
>sed on parole until they have
served thirty-seVe1 years in tn,
joliet oeuitentiary. The life tern
alone would have permitted suct
release after about twenty years.
However. Judge Caverly urged
that a parole never be granted Leo
pold and Loeb. He declared h,
found no mitigating circumstance II
the crime itself. its motive or laci
OF motive or in the personalities ant
antecedents of the boys. But he eX
planned that he chose lif> imprison
ment instead of death because of TIL
age of the defendants. Leopold !,
10 and Loeb IS
Clarence S. Darrow. chief counse
2 for the defense, whose eloquent plea
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