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NEWNAN HERALD
NEWNAN, FRIDAY, J U LY 23.
ONE
DOLLAR A
IN APVANCB.
YEAR
Prison Inmate Slashes Frank’s
Throat
Spprinl to Allnntn Journnl.
Milledgeville, Ga., July 17. -Leo M.
Frank'fl throat was cul to-night by a
fellow-prisoner at the State Farm. Ilia
left jugular vein was severed, and at
2:30 o'clock Sunday morning physicians
said chances for his recovery are slight.
“Am I going to die?" Frank asked
the doctors after they had Hewed up his
wound. “I am not afraid. There is
nothing between me and Uod. 1 hope
the man who did this will be forgiven. ”
Frank was attacked at 11:10 o'clock
to-night while he lay sleeping in the
prison dormitory. His aaHuilant was
William Green, 45 years old, serving a
life term for murder, following convic
tion in Muscogee county Jun.- 13, 1913.
Creen used a crude but sharp home
made butcher knife.
Frank, Creen and about a hundred
other prisoners wore in the dormitory
on the second floor of a two-story build
ing at the farm. They had gone to hed
at 9 o'clock, the regular hour. Two
guardR were stationed at the two en
trances to the room and the lights were
turned down dim.
Frank’s cot was about forty feet
from one entrance Green's cot was
four cots further along in the lino. No
one saw Creen stir, but he muHt have
•lipped out of his cot, crawled under
the three cotB between him and Frank
and risen by Frank's side with the
butcher knife in his hand.
Frank was asleep on his right side.
Ab Green struck, the man in the next
cot cried out. The two guards started
toward Green. Prisoners leaped up from
their cots. Before Creen could strike
•gain he was seized and the knife
wrested from him.
Frank sank back on his cot in a pool
of blood. Green was rushed to Warden
Smith and is now in irons in a solitary
cell in the basement of the dormitory
building.
Frank was lifted from his cot and ta
ken to the operating room next to the
sleeping room. Two physicians, in
mates of the prison, were in the build
ing and gave him immediate medical
attention. One of them is Dr. W. .1.
McNaughton, serving a life term, con
victed of killing a citizen of Swains-
boro named Flanders. The other is Dr.
L. M. Harris, convicted in Columbus of
another crime.
While these two doctors worked over
Frank a hurry call was sent to Dr. Guy
Compton, prison physician, at his home
half a mile away. Dr. Compton arrived
within a few minutes. Thu three phy
sicians at once began an operation to
•titch up Frank’s throat. It took over
two hours.
Frink never lost consciousness. The
Journal correspondent entered the room
after the operation and asked Frank
how he felt.
“Pretty well,” said Frank and at
tempted to Bmile.
Dr. Compton stated that Frank might
recover, slthough his head is cut nearly
off. While the jugular vein is severed,
the windpipe and spinal cord are not
touched. He had lost much blood,
which, in his poor physical condition re
sulting from long confinement, makes
hia chances for recovery smaller.
The knife Creen used is said by War
den Smith to have been obtained on the
farm Saturday afternoon doubtless
when Creen was assisting in killing sev
eral In gs, the prisoners always being
served with fresh meat on Sunday. It
is Warden Smith’s belief that Creen
concealed the knife about his clothing
and lay awake for two hours awaiting
his chance.
Frank had been at the farm exactly
three weeks at 4 o’clock Sunday morn
ing, having been removed from the
Fulton county lower Sunday night, June
20, by Sheriff Wheeler Mangum and two
deputies, who took him on a Central of
Georgia train to Mucon and thence 30
miles across country by automobile to the
Prison Farm. Announcement of his
commutation to life imprisonment for
the murder of Mary Phagsn was made
live hours later by Gov. Slaton.
The prisoners are allowed the freedom
of the floor until 8 o'clock, and the
the lights are turned down promptly at
9 o'clock. After that hour no prisoner
is allowed to move without permission
from a guard. It is said Creen muttered
a curse as he drew his knife across
Frank’s throat. He struck but once.
Frank uttered a cry as he fell back and
the lights were turned on full as the
other prisoners and the guards sprang
forward. Excitement which followed
lasted for hours.
Frank was conscious from the start,
and continued to talk. “I guess they’ve
got me,” he is quoted as saying to the
doctors who stood over him. He sug
gested to them how the (low of blood
might be stopped.
At 1:15 o'clock Sunday morning the
physicians had completed sewing up the
wound in Frank’s throat. They had
joined the jugular vein and believed the
operation was successful. Frank was
taken to the hospital, still conscious.
Some animosity had been Bhown to
ward Frank since he arrived at, the
Prison Form, but the prison officials
stated Sunday morning that they had
not thought for an instant that an at
tack would bo made on him.
After F'rank's wound had been dress
ed, he turned to the physician attend
ing him and asked:
“Am I go to die?"
“Wedon't know,’’Raid Dr. Compton,
the prison surgeon. “You are in a se
rious condition and will have to be
quiet.’’
“If 1 am going to die,” replied Frank,
"1 am not afraid. Nothing stands be
tween me and God. I hope that the
man who attacked me will be forgiven.”
Mrs. F'rank happened to be at the
State F’arm, a guest at the home of Su
perintendent Smith, to-night at the time
that the attack was made on her hus
band.
Superintendent Smith himself in
formed Mrs. F'rank of the attack.
Mrs. F'rank became hysterical. She
soon rallied, however, and was taken to
the operating room where doctors were
at work on her husband. She main
tained remarkable composure, held her
husband's hands and conversed with
him while the doctors were putting in
the stitches.
At 2:15 o’clock this (Sunday) morning
Dr. Compton, the prison surgeon, sta
ted that F'rank’h chances for recovery
are Hlight.
“There is danger of blood poisoning,”
said the doctor. "There is danger of
the Btitches in the jugular vein slip
ping, either one of which might cause
death.”
CHRONOLOGY OK THE SRANK CASE.
April 20, 1913—Mary Phagan mur
dered in the National Pencil F'actory,
Atlanta.
April 27, 1913 —Her body found in the
basement of fuctory.
April 29, 1913 —Leo M. F'rank placed
under arrest.
May 1, 1913 — Jim Conley, negro
Bweeper in factory, arrested.
May 24, 1913-F'rank indicted on mur
der charge.
July 23, 1913 —F’rank’s trial begun in
F’ulton Superior Court at Atlanta.
August 23, 1913—Jury finds verdict of
guilty.
August 20, 1913 —Frank sentenced to
hang Oct. 10. Motion filed for new
trial.
October 31, 1913-New trial denied.
F'ebruary 17, 1914 —Georgia Supreme
Court affirms conviction.
March 7, 1914 —F'rank resentenced to
die April 17.
April 10, 1914-Another motion for
new trial tiled, staying execution.
June 6, 1914—New trial again denied.
November 14,1814—Georgia Supreme
Court sustains denial of petition for
new trial.
November 18, 1814—Georgia Supreme
Court refuses writ of error.
November 21, 1914 —F'rank’s attor
neys Beek writ of error from Justice
Lamar of tho United States Supreme
Court.
November 23, 1914-Justice Lamar
refuses writ.
November 25, 1914—Justice Holmes,
of United States Supreme Court, also
refuses writ.
December 7, 1914 — Full bench of Uni
ted States Supreme Court refuses writ
of error.
December 9, 1914 —F'rank resentenced
to hang Jsn. 2
December 21, 1914 —United States
District Judge Newman, of Georgia, re
fuses application of writ of hubeas
corpus.
December 24, 1914 —Frank’s attorneys
apply to Justice Lamar for a certificate
of reasonable doubt and an appeal
December 28, 1914-Justice Lamar
grants appeal ami certificate of reason
able doubt.
F'ebruary 25, 1915—F'rank's case ar
gued before full bench of United States
Supreme Court.
April 19, 1915 —Supreme Court, with
Justices Lamar and Hughes dissenting,
dismissed the plea for a writ of habeas
corpus
May 31, 1915—Frank's plea for com
mutation of sentence to life imprison
ment heard before the State Prison
Commission.
June 9, 1915—The State Prison Com
mission submitted a divided report to
Gov. Slaton, Commissioners Davison
and Rainey voting against and Commis
sioner Patterson for commutation.
June 12, 1915—F'inal hearing for ex
ecutive clemency begun before Gov.
Slaton.
June 21, 1916—Gov. Slaton commutes
F'rank’s sentence to life imprisonment,
and prisoner is taken to Milledgeville
and begins sentence.
July 17, 1915 —F’rank assaulted with
butcher knife by prisoner at State
F'arm.
Columbus Ga., July IS.—Wm. Creen,
who cut Leo F'rank’s throat at the
State F'arm last night, has had an ad
venturous arid unsual career. He bad
killed two men before attacking F'rank,
and is now under life sentence.
Creen is about 45 years of age, and
is married, his wife now residing in
Columbus. As a stonemiBon he has
worked in and around this city for a
good many years. He was one of the
workmen on the new Dillingham street
bridge across the Chattahoochee river
here, and fell from the bridge into the
river, narrowly escaping death. It is
believed that he has not been altogether
sound mentally since his fall from the
bridge.
Creen’s first man was Tobe Reese,
whom he killed in a saloon fight. Reese
is said to have run amuck and Creen
ran behind the cash register for refuge.
The other fired at him, the bullet
striking the register, and then Creen
dropped him with a well-aimed shot
from behind the register. He was
tried and acquitted on the ground of
self-defense.
Afterwards Creen shot Sam Hudson
in a fight, and while under indictment for
this, on a charge of assault with intent
to murder, killed Otis Kitchens on
March 9, 1913. CreencurBed a number
of boys in the street who laughed at
him as he passed by in his buggy.
Kitchens, an insurance man, who was
passing along, reproved him for his
words. Creen went to his home, se
cured a pistol, returned and shot
Kitchens between the eyes, killing him.
Upon his arrest Creen acted queerly,
and his attorneys claimed that he was
insane. Dr. Jones, an expert from the
State insane asylum at Milledgeville,
was called to Columbus, and examined
the prisoner, reaching the decision that
ho was feigning insanity. At the same
time it was felt that Green was not al
together sound mentally, and under an
agreement between the Solicitor-Gen
eral and his attorney, he was given a
life sentence.
Mrs. Creen was much affected when
she heard of her husband’s deed, and
expressed the opinion that he is crazy.
She said that last June, when she
vrnited him, he seemed to have lost his
mind and was apparently unable to
talk to her in a connected manner.
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Frank May Recover—His Assailant
Repudiates Former Statement
Milledgeville, Ga., July 19.—J. W.
Creen, the convict who attacked Leo
F'rank Saturday night, to-day gave out
statement in contradiction of his
assertion to Warden Smith following
the crime that he was ‘ sorry” he cut
Frank.
“I only wish that I had had more
strength,” he told The Journal corres
pondent to-day. Crten is still chained
to a concrete post in the big sleeping
quarters of the convicts. He’s suffering
intensely from a bad bruise in his side
as a result of his scuffle with Frank.
"I don’t think I ever did wrong in my
life,” he said. "I think I have done
my duty in this matter, as well as my
strength would allow. I believe that
God has helped me. ’ ’
F'urther than this Creen said nothing.
He had given out no other statement,
and to-day reiterated his declaration of
yesterday that he will tell the whole
Btory to no one except B. H. Harda
way, a Columbus contractor for whom
he at one time worked. Much of his
time is Bpent in reading tho bible. This
morning he wrote to his wife at Colum
bus telling her not to worry.
The attitude of Frank toward Creen
remains unchanged. ‘‘I only wish that
be had been man enough to have given
me a fair chance, ” Frank Baid in dis
cussing the attack with friends.
Although F'rank’s temperature went
to 102.4 degrees at 7:30 o’clock this
morning and his wound in the neck
showed considerable swelling, which
caused serious apprehension among the
nurses and doctors, there was a slight
change for the better at 10 o'clock
when hia temperature dropped one de
gree, and Compton, the prison physi
cian, became more hopeful.
Dr. Compton stated that some fever
was to be expected and that the swell
ing in the neck was not necessarily a
da ngerous sy mptom within itself. Blood
poison was the greatest danger feared
by Dr. Compton, as the stitches seemed
to be holding firmly, and the wound was
hurriedly dressed. The knife with
which Creen attacked Frank might
easily have been infected.
Frank will be moved to-day to a
private room, if arra ngement can be
made. The hospital facilities of the
State Prison Farm do not provide pri
vate rooms for pa'ients, and the room
into which Frank will be moved is an
office.
The prison officials believe Creen’s
attack was the result of long brooding
and planning. Creen is known to have
expressed hatred for Frank to the fel
low prisoners more than once.
One of the guards is authority for
the statement that Creen, discussing
Frank with a fellow prisoner before
F'rank’s sentence was commuted made
this remark:
"Just wait until he comes down here.
Then I’ll show you something.”
Because of the wide discussion of the
case this alleged remark passed un
noticed at the time.
Officials of the prison will take no
action, as far as Creen is concerned,
until they receive instructions from the
State Prison Commission.
Creen is now chained to a concrete
post in a sort of a dungeon room in the
basement of the prison buildings. He
refuses to talk. His attitude is Bullen
and at times feiocious.
It is now believed Creen slipped the
knife from the dining-room. The guards
think he carried it for days, concealed
somewhere in his prison clothes, and
that he waited his chance and bided hiB
time to make the attack on Frank.
One hundred prisoners were sleeping
in a dormitory on the second floor of
one of the prison buildings. The dormi
tory has two entrances, and an inside
guard is stationed at each entrance,
near the door, while outside of the en
trances are other guards.
Frank’s cot was about forty feet
from one entrance. Creen’s cot was
the fourth from Frank’s in the same
row, the cots being ranged in rows
with aisles between.
Theplisoners who sleep in the dormi
tory are allowed to stir around until 9
o’clock. Then the lights are turned low
and the prisoners go to bed. After that
no one is allowed to stir except on per
mission of the guards.
The inside guard on Frank’s end of
the dormitory Saturday night was Bar
bour Smith, a prisoner and a trusty.
About 11 o’clock Creen raised up and
asked Smith for permission to speak to
the outside guard. Smith granted the
permission, and Creen got up and
started toward the door.
At F'rank’scotCreen stopped, reached
down with his left hand and seized
Frank by the hair, placed his right foot
on Frank’s chest and struck with the
knife in his right hand.
The point went in below the left ear.
Still holding F'rank’s hair, still pinning
him down with his foot on Frank’s
chest, Creen sawed the knife across
Frank’s throat, jerking and jerking.
Frank, awakened instantly, threw up
hiB hands and grabbed the knife, cut
ting open his right palm and cutting his
left thumb to the bone.
Meanwhile Barbour Smith and two
prisoners leaped upon Creen, overpow
ered him and led him out of the dormi
tory and carried him into the presence
of Warden Smith.
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