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Show Body Roughly Handled and Clothes Cut by Souvenir Hunters. DRAGGED BY HIS HAIR Was Serving Life Sentence Sen-tence for Murder of Mary Phagan. Marietta, Ga., Aug. 17. Leo M. Frank, serving a life term for tho murder of Mary Phagan, the Atlanta factory girl, and who was taken from the prison farm at Mllledgeville last night, was lynched two miles east of here today by the armed party which took him. He was hanged to a tree. Frank was brought 100 miles from the prison tarm to a point almost within sight of the former homo of Mary Phagan. No shots were fired. Frank's Body Found. Trank's body, barefooted and clad only In prison trousers and shirt, was found at 8:30 o'clock this morning. It is believed he was lynched about daylight. Several automobiles, well loaded, left here in the direction of Mllledge-villo Mllledge-villo last night. After the return of some of the mnchlnes today, officers started out on the road which they believed the automobiles had traveled. trav-eled. They had gone only two miles when they saw the body of Frank not more than 150 yards from the roadside. Hundreds Rush to Scene. News that the body had been found spread rapidly and within a short t'me, hundreds of persons were crowding to the scone. No immediate immedi-ate effort was made to cut the body down as Sheriff Hicks was not in town and the coroner took no ac tion. It is believed that the stop at the I bridge over Little river, near Eaton-ton, Eaton-ton, when the armed party talked loudly and fired shots, was a ruse to delay pursuers. The vicinity of the bridge was thoroughly searched and at the time the search was being made, it is probable Frank already had met death. The crowd increased rapidly as the day wore on. By 10 o'clock many women and children were mingling with the crowd In the woods at the edge of which the body still hung. At that 'hour no effort had been made to dispose of the body although Coroner Coro-ner Booth bad beeri summoned. Body Is Cut Dovn. Frank's body was cut down at 10:15 o'clock, but not until Robert Powell had spoken to the crowd advocating mutilation of the body. Newton Morris Immediately pleaded plead-ed with the throng to allow an inquest in-quest to take Its proper course. A ote was suggested and takeu. It was overwhelming in favor of allowing the coroner to take charge of tho ' body. It then was cut down and the two-mile trip to Marietta started. The laquest was set for 11 o'clock. When the body was cut down parts of Frank's shirt were torn away by souvenir hunters. Tho body was roughly handled before it was put into the undertaker's wagon. Within a short time after the body was started for Atlanta, oxcltement here subsided and the town presented present-ed almost a normal appearance before be-fore noon. Coroner Johana Booth empaneled a jurv and began an Investigation of the lynching. Mrs. Leo M. Frank received tho news of hor husband's death In a manner that led those present to believe be-lieve -that she was expecting IL She was preparing to go to an uncle's homo In Athens, Ga., when she was told of the deed. She is reported bearing up well. At tho suggestion of Newton A. Morris, former superior court judge here, the body was taken from the undertaker's wagon, in which It was placed at the lynching scene, and put Into an automobile on the outskirts of tho town, Tho automobile started toward Atlanta. Judge Morris telephoned from Smyrna to an undertaker to meet the automobile and take charge of the body. Men Grab Superintendent. Mllledgeville, Ga., Aug. 17. "I was called to tho door Just as I was preparing pre-paring to retire," said Captain J. M. Burke, superintendent of the state priBon farm today. "Two strong men grabbed mo and snapped handcuffs on my wrists. Four others stood eiard over me.' I remonstrated and they declared it was no use for me to squirm as thoy had come for Leo Frank and were going to get him. "I was marched up to the poniten-tlary poniten-tlary building by a guard which was doubled as we proceeded. When we searched the building a demand was made Tor the gate to be opened. Meanwhile, Mean-while, one of the men began cutting the wires and informed the prisoner Inside if he did not open it he would be killed as soon as nn entrance was affected. The gate was unlocked and a night guard came forward, but he was immediately covered and ordered to throw up his hands. When half way up tho steps, a dozen men rushed by mo and made a dash for Frank's room. One prisoner declared that four men took Frank by his arms and legs, while a fifth grabbed him by the hair and he was dragged out and bumped down the stone steps. Frank did not utter a word, but apparently was suffering Intensely and groaned from pain Inflicted in handling him In his wounded condition. The affair was all oyer within five minutes, It seemed to me. Procedure Well Planned. During the entire time I was handcuffed hand-cuffed and under guard. The whole procedure was well ordered and methodical meth-odical and only a few words were spoken. spo-ken. A leader did all the talking. Only two of tho men were masked, but I did not recognize any of them. The leader" said. 'Now, boys, for the swamp, and in less time than it takes to tell it they were off." Mllledgeville, Ga., Aug. 16. A mob variously estimated at between 25 and 75 in number overpowered warden, superintendent and guards of the Georgia state prison farm near here at 11 o'clock tonight and quickly got Leo M. Frank and rushed him away in an automobile. First reports that it might be friends of Frank were dispersed when a prisoner said he had heard a member of the mob say that Frank's body would be placed tomorrow on the grave of Mary Phagan at Marietta. Mariet-ta. Frank was serving a life terra for the murder of the girl. The mob was orderly, but worked with quick precision. Eight automobiles automo-biles took the men to within a short distance of the prison. First all wires from the prison and all except one from Mllledgeville were cut. Five men went to the house of J. T. Smith, warden, covered him with a pistol and stood guard over him. Other men went to the house of J. M. Burke, superintendent of the prison, pris-on, and held him under cover of their guns. Practically every other member of the mob then rushed to 'the stockade gate nearest the dormitory where Frank was being housed. Only yesterday yes-terday did the physicians discharge him from the hospital where he had been since being murderously asault- ed In the dormitory As on the night Frank was attacked, only two guards were on duty. The mob quickly overpowered over-powered Chief Night Guard, Hester and the other man on duty, proceeded proceed-ed to the dormitory and within a few minutes seized Frank and rushed him back to the automobiles. Those who had been holding Smith and Burke left as soon, as Frank was brought out and Joined their fellows. Only one member of that party or the mob that went to the dormitory talked. 'He gave the commands to the guards which wore backed up by the arms of tho other members of the guard Another prisoner who was .sleeping in the dormitory is responsible for the statement that this spokesman said tho mob intended to take Frank to Marietta and that tomorrow morning his body would be found on the grave of Mary Phagan, for whose murder the prisoner was serving a life sen; tence. |