Evening star., 1924-08-23
'DARR0W ATTACKS
STATES AUEN|ST
Declares Or. Krohn Actuated
by Cash Motive-Continues
Plea for Mercy.

| quence, logic and philosophy in an
appeal to Judge John r. Caverly for
| mercy toward Richard Loeb and
Nathan Leopold. jr.
Before a packed courtroom. in
quiet SO tense that it was punctured
! by the muff1ed clicks of silent"
| typewriters and telegraph instru-
| ments, the grizzled veteran of the
| bar talked to the gray-haired Judge,
pleading for mercy for two diseased
minds, picturing the situation of
youths condemned to lifetime OF
| living in a cell and denouncing the
barbarity Of hanging in general and
| in this case in particular.
There was fierce denunciation, too,
of the testimony given by State
! alienists, particularly DR.. William ..
| Krohn.
Calls Crime AimIexs.
"The crime was so aimless that
| the defendants did not even have
| definite victim in mind Mr.. Darrow
| said,- and he pictured Loeb trailing
| first one boy and then another, bent
| on killing, but not knowing where
! he would go or whom he would get.
| And l get a picture, too, of DIR.
| krohn going in and out of courts for
16 years" said Mr.. Darrow, Staying
his victims without regard to their
age or sex or circumstances. But he
| had a motive. 1t was cash. And the
last word exploded as it rang in the
| tense atmosphefe.
| Mr.. Darrow was not burdened with
vest today. He therefore had free
| access to his suspenders, and fire.
quently rested his gesticulating hands
by hooking the thumbs into his
| trousers supporters.
| Early in his address Mr.. Darrow
repeated his point of yesterday that
| the crime was senSeleSS, without OBJ
| ject or motive, that could not be un-
derstood unless it was explained on
| the defense thesis of mental sickness.
The States attorney says these
| boys planned the crime and give that
as a reason for hanging them" he
| said. But maniacs plan, idiots plan,
| animals plan, and any mind that
functions at all may plan.
"The crime was shocking, yes. All
| deaths are shocking because We love
| life.
THE law can vindicate without
| killing any one else. Would it be
! such glorious triumph of justice
! to place these boys on a scaffold, their
| feet tied, black caps on their heads
and some one waiting to release the
spring."
He denounced the death appeals by
! Joseph Savage, assistant States at
| torney, said justice was blind term,
and added: But MT. Savage is young.
and you and l know that with age
| comes wisdom and with wisdom goes
| mercy"
Mr. Darrow asked the judge to dis
| regard Unframed public opinion" and
| to decide the penalty on the basis of
his own conscience, judgment and
| courage.
Mr.. barrow started the second day
of his plea for Loeb and Leopold be-
! fore as large, but far more orderly
audience as yesterday. Complete po-
lice control Of the situation from the
| outer doors of the building to the last
door of the courtroom prevented repe-
tition Of the riotous action OF the
disappointed which marked the start
of Mr.. Darrow's appeal.
| No one came into the building who
| was not deemed worthy of a place in
| court and as consequence the ac-
credited attendants reached their
places without difficulty for the first
time in several days.
Judge John r. Caverly came early
| to take charge of the situation, but
found corridors and halls cleared and
all seats filled with contented court
fans. The pronouncement of mo more
seats" went out full half hour be-
fore the opening of court.
| Mr. Darrow said he could not finish
his plea in the short session today.
II started with eight pages of
notes." he said. Il had five left last
night, threw some of those away, but
supplemented them with more, and
find l have just as many now as /
had at the beginning
Leopold and Loeb came into court
wearing their customary morning
smile in greeting to their attorneys
and relatives. Each grasped Mr.. Oar
rows arm as he passed and squeezed
it. There was no visible trace of the
emotional storms which the attorney
eloouence provoked in them yester-
day Mr. Darrow spoke confdentfally
to the judge and then to States At
torney Robert E. Grove and the three
nodded in agreement
Darrow Central Figure.
Mr.. Darrow was the central figure
at today's short session in Judge
John r. Caverly's court as he con-
tinued his plea for imprisonment as
the penalty to be fixed for the muir
der of Robert Franks.
Cure hatred by love-" was the ap-
peal that penetrated his eloquence,
which yesterday moved to tears the
culprits who hitherto had sat un-
moved while prosecutors, in summing
up arguments, denounced them as
"fends" and "murderers." The muir
der was the act of diseased minds
that killed as they might kill a fly
or a spider, for the experience" he
contended.
Precautions were taken by police
men and bailiffs to prevent repeti-
tion Of the riot which occurred yes
terday afternoon when a mob of the
curious attempted to enter the
crowded room to hear the opening OF
Mr. Darrow's opening address.
Attacks Death Demand.
Mr.. Darrow attacked the states
demand for death, calling hanging
more cowardly and cold blooded than
the crime itself. The killing OF
Franks, he said, was "one of the least
: cruel he had ever known about and
declared the standard to be applied
was the suffering of the victim, who
was dead a few minutes after he en-
tered the slayers' automobile.
| The murder was the senseless act
! of immature and diseased children
wandering around in the dark, whose
lives we cannot thoroughly under.
stand" he declared.
II know that any mother might bt
the mother of a Bobby Franks, a!
we'll as the mother of Richard Loci
or Nathan Leopold" he continued
The trouble is this. that if she i:
the mother of Nathan Leopold or OF
a Richard Loeb, she has to ask her.
, self How came my children to b,
what they are? From what ancestr,
did they get this strain? How far re-
moved was the poison that destroy
ed their lives? Was I the bearer o.
. the seed that brings them to death?'
None Can Foresee Future.
mo one knows what will be tn,