335 Sheet – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

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Reading Time: 3 minutes [407 words]

Here is the translated text as follows:

LEO M. FRANK. 308

Did we hear cries of prejudice when we arrested Gantt, when we arrested Lee, when we arrested others? No, the prejudice came when we arrested this man, and never until he was arrested was there a cry of prejudice.

Those gentlemen over there were disappointed when we did not pitch our case along that line, but not a word emanated from this side, showing any prejudice on our part, showing any feeling against Jew or Gentile.

We would not have dared to come into this presence and ask for the conviction of a man because he was a Gentile, a Jew, or a Negro. Oh, no! Two men never had any greater pleasure shown on their faces than did Mr. Arnold and Mr. Rosser when they started to question Kendley and began to get before the court something about prejudice against the Jews. They seized with avidity the suggestion that Frank was a Jew.

Remember, they put it before this court, and we did not; the word Jew never escaped our lips. I say that the race this man comes from is as good as ours; his forefathers were civilized and living in cities and following laws when ours were roaming at large in the forest and eating human flesh. I say his race is just as good as ours, but no better. I honor the race that produced Disraeli, the greatest of British statesmen; that produced Judah P. Benjamin, as great a lawyer as England or America ever saw; I honor the Strauss brothers; I roomed with one of his race at college; one of my partners is of his race. I served on the board of trustees of Grady Hospital with Mr. Hirsch, and I know others, too many to count, but when Lieutenant Becker wished to make away with his enemies, he sought men of this man's race.

Then, you will recall Abe Hummel, the rascally lawyer, and Reuff, another scoundrel, and Schwartz, who killed a little girl in New York, and scores of others, and you will find that this great race is as amenable to the same laws as any others of the white race or as the black race is.

They rise to heights sublime, but they also sink to the lowest depths of degradation!

We don't ask for a conviction of this man except in conformity with the law which His Honor will give you in charge.