Evening star., 1936-01-29
LOEB PUT ENERGY
IN PRISON SCHOOL
thrill Slayer" Found His
Groove in Teaching FeI-
low ConvictS.


Three years ago Richard Loeb. once
precocious youngster, who had dab
bled alike in philosophy and erotic
literature and who made the highest
grade in school without half trying,
found his groove in the Illinois State
Prison at Joliet, few miles from the
old penitentiary. Frank D. WMpp.
then warden, named MIN director OF
the newly. formed correspondence
school established in the institution.
The faculty" of the school was COM
prised exclusively of college men. Loeb
himself had been graduated from the
University Of Michigan et l8. and was
taking a postgraduate course at the
University of Chicago. when into his
mind and that of his Lifelong chum,
Nathan Leopold, came the idea OF
series of perfect crimes
The prison curriculum. as outlined
by Loeb and carried into practice, In
cluded courses in Spanish. history,
English and mathematics and grad
ually classes in other subjects were
added. Membership was voluntary,
and several hundred convicts sought
to better their education through
Loebs school. Money for text books
and supplies was taken from the
prison recreation fund. The cost has
averaged $40 per year per student.
Assisted by Leopold.
Warden Whipp and his successor.
Joseph Ragen. we're we'll pleased with
the energy Loeb put into the cor
respondence school. With his sound
academic background. the young con-
vjct was able to prepare courses which
educators everywhere described as ex-
cellent. Since last December ne has
had the assistance of his companion
in crime, Nathan Leopold.
When the two youths first entered
prison in 1924 they were kept apart,
and for six years they did not see each
other. Loeb was confined in the new
Statewide prison. and Leopold in the
old. In March. 1881. they were
brought together in legislative in
ouiry of prison conditions. and after
Leopold's transfer to Statewide they
were frequently in each others COM
pany.
'Dickey" Loeb spent some time
working among the plants OF the
greenhouse before be became an edu-
Gator. He developed into skilled
botanist. Everything he turned his
hand to, it seemed, was done well,
and he got into very little trouble IN
prison, although he was not well liked
by his fellow convicts.
Some Called Them "Squealers."
Both he and Leopold on several oc-
casions were between cross IN
iail break plots. Prison authorltles
would have them on the carpet Tor
grilling; some of their fellow inmates
thought they were "squealers.' The
generally accepted theory is that,
while they may have known Of some
of the escape conspiracies. they did
not take part in them, nor did they 40
what in stir" is the unforgivable sin
-"squeal."
In the Fall of 1898. both Loeb and
Leopold were disciplined for their
participation in a drinking party IN
one of the cells. Robert Scott. Chi
cago drug clerk slayer. and prisoner
named Lefty Sullivan, smuggled in
some bonded whiskey. The party was
broken up when guards heard the
strains of Sweet Adeline" and other
melodies. Scott, Sullivan and Leopold
had been imbibing too freely. Loeb,
also, was present, but said he had not
taken anything
Leopold Wrote for Journal.
When it was discovered in Decem-
ber that Leopold, under a nom de
plume, had written an article, Parole
Prediction AS Science" he was taken
from his job as assistant to Prof.
Ferris F. Laune, State Sociologlst and
actuary of the prison, and assigned
to Loeb's school. The article was
publish in the September, 1885. issue
of the Journal of Criminal Law and
Criminology, published by the North
western University Press.
Less than q year before his son was
arrested for the Franks murder, the
late Albert M. Loeb. vice president
of Sears, Roebuck and Co., gave out
an interview on Richard, then about
to be graduated from the University
of Michigan.
IT think that any wholesome. nor
NAL American boy. offered the same
opportunities Richard has had. can
accomplish the same thing" he said.
"In many cases, if a boy is superior
mentally, his physical and athletic
abilities are limited. I am certain
the sports Richard indulged in helped
him in his studies"
Asked If he intended putting his
son in his own Office, the father re-
piled: II do not believe so. Any
thing that my son chooses as his
lifes work will meet with my ap-
proval."