GAOL FOR LIFE

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11932, 12 September 1924, Page 7

GAOL FOR LIFE

CHICAGO BOY MURDERERS JUDGE ADVISES AGAINST SHORTENING OF SENTENCE. “IN INTERESTS OF SOCIETY.” Bv Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received September 11, 7.35 p.m.) NEW YORK, September .10. Judge Oalverly, at Chicago, sentenced Nathan Leopold and Loeb to life imprisonment for the murder of Boßby Franks. He imposed additional sentences of 99 years each on the charge of kidnapping, to which the prisoners pleaded guilty. In delivering his considered opinion, the judge discredited the widespread reports concerning the mutilation of the victims, but added: . . , “The court, however, cannot find mitigating circumstances. It is moved chiefly by consideration of the age of the defendants. Life imprisonment may not strike the public imagination as forcibly as death, but the prolonged suffering of years of coufinment may well he a more severe form of punishment.” In conclusion, the judge specifically advised against admitting the defendants to parole in future, saying: “If parole is denied, the punishment will satisfy the ends of justioe, and safeguard the interests of society.” “CHICAGO’S WORST CRIME” ALL FOR EXCITEMENT. The atrocious murder of Bobby Franks last May has stirred America more than any other crime in a generation. Not only the social standing of the accused, hut their youth, and the callousness of their demeanour after their “rrest, raised public feeling to fever heat, with the result that crowds attempted to break into tie court during the trial, and the judge was threatened with death if he should sentence the youths to anything less than execution. “ADVENTURE 1” “I want to say that I offer no excuse,” said Loeb in his confession. “If it was not for the suggestion and stimulus of Leopold the crime would not have been committed.”- - " • ■ " Loeb began his confession by saying that Leopold and himself had intended to kidnap one of the younger boys from the Harvard School, attended by the Franks boy, and that the crime had been planned about two months ago. “The plan was broached by Nathan Leopold,” Loeb said, “who suggested it as-a means of having a great dealof excitement, together with getting quite a sum of money.” >, - ■ “Adventure, you would say P” asked the examiner. “Yes,” was the reply. “Nathan Leopold has a WillyaKnight eport model, red,” Loeb. “It is very conspicuous, and so we deemed it inadvisable for use and decided to get a rented car. Such a car, obtained under a false name, would not be incriminating were we discovered. i THE PREPARATIONS, . ; “On May 20th, Leopold and I purchased some rope. I, myself, alone purchased both the chisel and some rope. Then we proceeded down the street to a drug store, where Leopold purchased some hydrochloric acid. “Then we proceeded to Leopold’s house, where we got the gags and everything in readiness—some ether that he had in the house, the - ropes, the rags to be used as gags, the chisel which he bound up with adhesive tape on the sharp end, and some hip boots that I believed belonged’to his brother. I believe, also, that on that day, the 20th, the various notes were written on the typewriter fpr Mr Franks.” The confession went on to relate h'ow they waited the motor-car for a victim, And indicated that the one they' had in mind was Levison, but that he eluded them, and that the Franks hoy was a chance victim. A RIDE HOME. “We proceeded until we got a glimpse of Robert Franks. As we passed him we were just coming across the street, Leopold. got, into ~ihs back seat. I (’rove parallel to where young Franks was, stopped, and, remaining in my seat, opened the front door ana called to Franks that I would give him a ride home. He said no, he would just as soon walk, hut I told him I would like to talk about a tennis raoquet, so he got into the car. We proceeded south on Ellis'avenue; and” just' after we turned, off Ellis, Leopold leached his arm around under Franks, grabbed his mouth, and hit him over the head with the chisen. I believe he hit him several times. “(He was ■ not entirely unconscious. He was moaning. ■ Leopold carried Franks over the back of the front seat and threw him on the rug in the car. He took one of the rags and gagged him by sticking it down his throat, I Believe.” ACID POURED ON FACE. Loeb detailed the arrival of the car at the culvert where the body was deposited, his story agreeing with Leopold’s confession as to pouring acid on the face and pushing the body into the culvert with boots. Starting home Leopold telephoned his folks he would be n slightly detained.” Next, at a drug store, they obtained the address of Franks’s father and addressed the ransom letter. They burned Franks’s clothing in the furnace at his house, the confessor stated. While burning the clothing the bloodstained blanket in which Franks’s body had been rolled was hidden near the greenhouse at Loeb’s home. Next they tried to- the beet of their ability in the dark to clean the bloodstains from~the car. This done, they drove to another drug store, where Leopold telephoned to (Mrs Franks that her son had been kidnapped. * Loeb said Leopold telephoned Mr Franks where to go, hut that when the father did not appear at a designated drug store “we realised the body had been identified, and that any further attempt to get money would only result in failure.” They were arrested shortly afterwards.