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{{infobox person

{{infobox person

|name=Leo Max Frank

|name=Leo Max Frank

|death_place=Marietta, [[Georgia]]

|death_place=Marietta, [[Georgia]]

}}

}}

'''Leo Max Frank''' was a Jewish pencil manufacturing superintendent who was lynched in 1915 in Marietta, [[Georgia]] by an enraged mob. After being accused and convicted of the murder and molestation of a young girl named Mary Phagan in 1913, Frank's legal team worked to have his sentence commuted from death to life in prison. The judge eventually decided to commute his sentence, and shortly afterward, Frank was abducted from his prison cell, driven to Marietta, and hanged by the neck from a tree until he was dead. The incident resulted in and caused the creation of the [[Anti-Defamation League]], who strongly believed Frank was innocent.

'''Leo Max Frank''' was a Jewish pencil manufacturing superintendent who was lynched in 1915 in Marietta, [[Georgia]] by a mob of enraged white supremacists. After being falsely accused<ref>See talk page.</ref> and convicted of the murder and molestation of a young girl named Mary Phagan in 1913, Frank's legal team worked to have his sentence commuted from death to life in prison. The judge eventually decided to commute his sentence, and shortly afterward, Frank was abducted from his prison cell, driven to Marietta, and hanged by the neck from a tree until he was dead.

During Frank's trial, Tom Watson, the 1896 vice presidential candidate on the Populist Party ticket that included [[William Jennings Bryan]], strongly opposed Frank and used his magazines to write against Frank and convince the public of his guilt. Former Emory University professor Don Livingston argues Watson was correct and that the evidence reveals Frank was indeed guilty, despite the opinions of the ADL and some modern researchers.<ref>https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/tom-watson-brown/</ref> It should be noted that many women testified against Frank because of his inappropriate sexual behavior.<ref>https://youtu.be/O_L6p4Ci47c?si=fmZRLGqAC637vVBw</ref>

Leo's case underscores the dangers of [[fake news]], as journalist Thomas Dixon, Jr. whipped up racist, [[anti-Semitic]] hysteria during his trial and later. Another demagogue who incited the lynching was [[far-left]] Democrat Thomas E. Watson, later a brief U.S. senator from Georgia.<ref>[https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/thomas-e-watson-1856-1922 Thomas E. Watson (1856-1922)]. ''New Georgia Encyclopedia''. Retrieved September 28, 2021.</ref>

Frank's defenders say Frank was allegedly framed by his janitor, Jim Conley,<ref name=newgeorgiaencyclopedia>[https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/leo-frank-case Leo Frank Case]. ''New Georgia Encyclopedia''. Retrieved September 28, 2021.</ref><ref>Bogage, Jacob (March 22, 2017). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/05/22/leo-frank-was-lynched-for-a-murder-he-didnt-commit-now-neo-nazis-are-trying-to-rewrite-history/ Leo Frank was lynched for a murder he didn’t commit. Now neo-Nazis are trying to rewrite history.]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved September 28, 2021.</ref> who was supposedly the true murderer. According to Alonzo Mann, who worked in an office as a kid, Conley carried Phagan's dead body to a basement and was threatened with death if he revealed the truth.<ref name=newgeorgiaencyclopedia/> Conley was initially arrested as a suspect for washing blood stains off his shirt, but became the prosecution's primary witness to allege Frank was guilty.<ref name=newgeorgiaencyclopedia/>

Frank was framed by his janitor, Jim Conley,<ref name=newgeorgiaencyclopedia>[https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/leo-frank-case Leo Frank Case]. ''New Georgia Encyclopedia''. Retrieved September 28, 2021.</ref><ref>Bogage, Jacob (March 22, 2017). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/05/22/leo-frank-was-lynched-for-a-murder-he-didnt-commit-now-neo-nazis-are-trying-to-rewrite-history/ Leo Frank was lynched for a murder he didn’t commit. Now neo-Nazis are trying to rewrite history.]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved September 28, 2021.</ref> who was the true murderer and is defended by fringe black and white supremacists to this day. According to Alonzo Mann, who worked in an office as a kid, Conley carried Phagan's dead body to a basement and was threatened with death if he revealed the truth.<ref name=newgeorgiaencyclopedia/> Conley was initially arrested as a suspect for washing blood stains off his shirt, but became the prosecution's primary "witness" to wrongfully allege Frank was guilty.<ref name=newgeorgiaencyclopedia/>

==References==

==References==

[[Category:Georgia]]

[[Category:Georgia]]

[[Category:American Jews]]

[[Category:American Jews]]

[[Category:Sexual Immorality]]

[[Category:Victims]]