Leo Frank lynching
The Leo Frank lynching refers to the pivotal and tragic event in 1915 when Leo Frank, a Jewish factory superintendent in Atlanta, Georgia, was wrongfully accused of murdering a thirteen-year-old girl named Mary Phagan. Despite evidence pointing to an African American janitor, Jim Conley, as the likely perpetrator, intense anti-Semitic sentiments in the community led to Frank's conviction and sentencing to death. His case garnered significant media attention, fueled by rampant bigotry, which shaped public perception against him. In a turn of events, Georgia Governor John M. Slaton commuted Frank's death sentence to life imprisonment, causing public outrage and mobilizing a mob to storm the prison. On August 16, 1915, Frank was abducted by the mob and lynched the following day. This event highlighted the intersection of racial and religious tensions in early 20th-century America and remains a poignant example of mob violence and anti-Semitism. Frank was posthumously pardoned in 1984, marking a recognition of the injustices he faced. The case continues to resonate as an important chapter in discussions about prejudice, justice, and the rule of law.
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Leo Frank lynching
In 1913, Leo Frank, a Jew born in Texas in 1884, was the superintendent of a pencil factory in Atlanta, Georgia. When one of his employees, a thirteen-year-old gentile girl named Mary Phagan, was murdered, Frank was accused of the crime. Credible evidence pointed to an African American janitor, Jim Conley, as the likely killer, but anti-Semitic passions outweighed the racial tensions of the time. Frank was tried, convicted, and given the death penalty. Newspapers and politicians used strident anti-Jewish stereotyping and bigotry to arouse public opinion against Frank. When Georgia governor John M. Slaton became doubtful about the verdict, he commuted Frank’s sentence to life in prison. Outraged at Slaton’s action, a group of armed men attacked the executive mansion. On August 16, 1915, a mob stormed the prison where Frank was being held and rushed him away to exact their own vengeance. A few hours later, on August 17, 1915, Frank was lynched. In 1984, Frank received a posthumous pardon from the state of Georgia. His well-publicized lynching was one of the most sensational and controversial examples of mob lawlessness and anti-Semitism during the early years of the twentieth century.
Bibliography
Alphin, Elaine Marie. An Unspeakable Crime: The Prosecution and Persecution of Leo Frank. Carolrhoda, 2010. Print.
Berger, Paul. "Leo Frank Case Stirs Debate 100 Years after Jewish Lynch Victim's Conviction." Forward. Forward Assoc., 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Oney, Steve. And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank. New York: Pantheon, 2003. Print.
Oney, Steve. "The People v. Leo Frank." Atlanta Sept. 2013: 32–36. Print.
Zola, Gary Phillip, and Marc Dollinger, eds. American Jewish History: A Primary Source Reader. Waltham: Brandeis UP, 2014. Print.