Loeb's Confession Accuses Leopold; Typewriter Found
Youth Declares Chum Schemed Kidnaping and Death and Slew Young Victim; "We Did It for Money and Excitement," He Says in Only Hint of Motive
Millionaire Fathers Outline Defense, Making Sanity First Issue, and Deny Hope of Breaking Law with Lavish Outlay of Money for "Unsightly Legal Battle."
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Source: Chicago Daily News, 7 June 1924, pg. 1.
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Paints Leopold Arch Plotter.
Richard Loeb's confession, picturing Nathan Leopold, Jr., as the author of their kidnaping plot and the actual slayer of little Robert Franks, was made public to-day by State's Attorney Crowe.
The Loeb confession agrees in most details with that of Leopold, which was made public yesterday, but the story bears the imprint of a different personality. Where Leopold was coldly rational, Loeb showed emotion. And Loeb, in the panicky, heartsick hour of confession, sought to put the burden of guilt upon his friend.
Leopold's Typewriter Found.
The Underwood portable typewriter on which Nathan F. Leopold, Jr., wrote the $10,000 ransom letter to Jacob Franks was fished out of the Jackson park lagoon this afternoon after eight days of dragging for it.
Although only one of half a dozen items confirming Leopold's and Richard Loeb's confessions of kidnaping and murdering Robert Franks, the typewriter has been regarded as most important of the collection of material evidence. Loeb pointed out a week ago to-day where he dropped it from the stone bridge and policemen with grappling hooks and a diver kept after it.
It was the typewriter that finally caused Leopold and Loeb to confess. Reporters for The Daily News obtained some law school papers written on it and by comparing them with the ransom letter proved that Leopold was the author of it.
Sanity to Be an Issue
"The trial of a century," when Loeb and Leopold come to judgment for the kidnaping and murder of 13-year-old Robert Franks will reach its climax on the issue of insanity.
This was forecast to-day after Nathan F. Leopold, Sr., and Albert H. Loeb, the fathers of the two slayers, had issued their first public statement since the murder through Clarence Darrow, their attorney.
The fathers not only definitely indicated that insanity would be the plea but went so far as to say that no "millions for defense" would be used. They authorized Attorney Darrow to say that the boys would be defended in a normal manner, with no batteries of high-priced legal talent and medical experts on hand.
Fathers Outline Plans
Following is the statement made by the fathers of the accused boys:
"In view of the many statements that large sums of money will be used in the defense of Nathan F. Leopold, Jr., and Richard A. Loeb, the families of the accused boys desire to say that they have lived in Chicago for more than fifty years, and the public can judge whether theyhave conducted themselves in their relations with the community in such a way as to earn a standing as truthful, decent, upright, law-abiding citizens, conscious of their duties and responsibilities to the community in which they live.
"They have not the slightest inclination nor intention to use their means to stage an unsightly legal battle with an elaborate array of counsel and an army of high-priced alienists in an attempt to defeat justice. Only such defense as that to which every human being is entitled will be provided for their sons.
"Assuming that the facts in this case are substantially as published, then the only proceeding they favor is a simple, solemn investigation under the law touching the mental responsibility of their accused sons.
May Add One Lawyer
"They emphatically state that no counsel for the accused boys will be retained other than those lawyers now representing them, with the possible, but not probable, retention of one additional local lawyer. There will be no large sums of money spent either for legal or medical talent.
"The fees to be paid to medical experts will be only such fees as are ordinary and usual for similar testimony.
"The lawyers representing the accused boys have agreed that the amount of their fees shall be determined by a committee composed of the officers of the Chicago Bar association.
"If the accused boys are found by a jury to be not mentally responsible, their families, in accordance with their conscious duty toward the community, agree that the public must be fully protected from any future menace by these boys.
"In no event will the families of the accused boys use money in any attempt to defeat justice."
Meanwhile State's Attorney Crowe has something to say on his side of the fence. He declared that if the boys escape capital punishment in their trial for murder, they will be immediately tried again on another gallows charge—kidnaping for ransom.
Offers to Hang for Boys.
Curt Geissler, 647 West 19th street, Milwaukee, offered himself as a substitute for one of the boys on the gallows, in a letter to Chief of Police Collins received to-day. The letter is only one of hundreds of freak communications that have reached the chief, the state's attorney and the accused boys since the confessions.
"I am willing to take the place of one of the boys in case they are to be hung," Geissler wrote. "If this can be legally arranged and the parents of one of the boys are willing to pay my heirs $1,000,000 then I am ready to be hung any time the law is ready to call on me, as there is no glory in life ahead of me.
[End of news article]
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Page compiled: 6 June 1997
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