The Washington times., 1924-09-10

Inen the one Iault THAT prevent
ed the crime being a thing of per-
lection and which led to a solu-
tom was found. That was a pair
Of horn-rimmed spectacles dropped
near the body by one of the kill
ers. These glasses provided the
only means police had of tracing
the assassins. There was no case
with them-just the glasses.
Trailed by Glasses.
They were painstakingly taken
to various optometrists about the
city, each Of whom was asked to
examine the grinding and meas.
urements to see If they were his
work.
One at last reported that the
glasses conformed in every detail
to a pair that had been fitted
upon Nathan r. Leopold, jr.. son
OF a millionaire paper box manu-
facturer.
1t seemed unlikely such a person
would write a ransom letter, with
millions at his beck. or murder an
other, yet the circumatantial evil
dence was strong, and police ar
rested the nineteen-year-o Univer-
eity OF Chicago student and with
him, his inseparable companion,
Richard Loeb, also nineteen, the
son of Albert Loeb, millionaire vice
president OF Sears, Roebuck & Co.
AS police expected, the boys de.
MED having had anything to do
with the crime. They answered
questions freely. The States at
torney found out much that was
interesting about both.
Leopold . Linguist.
Leopold, he learned. spoke half
a dozen languages fluently. In
deed, he had studied and mastered
Italian only because he wished to
translate a book by an italian who
enjoyed the doubtful distinction OF
being an authority on many weird
manners Of sex perversion,
Leopold was also a student Of
birds and had. written a book on
the subject. For twelve hours he
withstood, without emotion, ques-
tons artfully calculated to break
through his armor of unconcern.
His skillful answers made 1t seem
certain that the murderer could not
have been he. And yet-the glasses
fitted his eyes.
The questioners turned to Rich
ard Loeb, called "Dickie" by class
mates and goods impressed with
his good looks.
"Dickie," while brilliant and
clever enough, was not of the in
tense intellectual type that was
Leopold. His fencing with Ques-
lions, too, was less skillful.
Confesses the Crime.
For twelve hours he was piled
with questions, each so framed as
to say, indirectly, 1--WE know
you're guiltyg' He was told that
Leopold's glasses had been found
and traced and that Nathan had
confessed. "Diclxie' cracked and
came through" He cried for
water and promised to tell every
thing.
Twelve hours later, when the
States attorneys staff had demon
strated, with new questions, that
they spoke the truth when they
told Leopold "Dickie" had con-
fessed, Leopold, also, admitted his
guilt.
What they confessed to was this:
had given them everything for
longer could give them what they
wished most-a thrill. They thought
II they planned and committed the
perfect crime" that would provide
the much-sought thrill.
Beginning Of Scheming.
Accordingly. as early as Novem.
Der, 1928, they began their scheming.
Ten thousand dollars, got in a
criminal way, to them would be as
sweet as stolen jam to a boy. They
decided they might go to Europe
with 1t.
How they were to collect this
money from man as vet nm
picked was their first problem.
They concluded that he was to
throw 1t from a train they would
designate at a spot to be deter
mined by counting five, beginning
with the trains passage past a
certain factory.
1t so happened" that Bobby
Franks was the victim. Nathan
and "Dickie" rode to his school M
nm automobile and coaxed the lad
into the motor car.
Although each prisoner for a
long time accused the other of hay-
ing done the actual murder. vt sub.
sequently developed that It was
'Dickie" who put his hand ovsr
Bobbys mouth to stifle his ont.
cries and then beat him repeatedly
~ on the head with a cold.chis ell
tapered especially for this purpos 9.
Didn't Die Quickly.
Bobby did not die as quickly az
the slayers had hoped he would, so
"Dickie" bragg ed him into the rear