The Loeb-Leopold case - The Clarence Darrow Collection

The Loeb-Leopold Case
Then they put away the body in the culvert, after
they poured the acid over the face. And the things
that they took away were burned at Loeb's home,
except the shoes, belt and blanket. They burned
the blanket elsewhere, and disposed of the shoes,
and then mailed this ransom letter.
They had to kill the boy because the boy knew
them, and would identify them. Their plan at the
outset was to kill the boy to carry through the ransom
program, and when they mailed the ransom
letter the boy was dead and in the culvert. They
washed out the car and told the chauffeur the blood
was wine; and then they returned the car to the
owner, throwing away the chisel. Then they
planted a letter in the Pullman car and they sent
Franks instructions about taking a train, and they
sent a cab to the house.
" Put $10,000 in a cigar box in old bills, and
throw it off the train," and Loeb and Leopold would
be on hand to pick up the money, but if the train
slowed down, or anything happened, they would
know it, and they could get away.
It is proved here that they wanted to commit the
master crime; they wanted to talk about it and read
about it. The master criminals wanted to commit
the perfect crime that could not be detected. They
did commit a most atrocious crime, and went about
it with deliberation and a malice aforethought that
carries with it only one punishment, and that is the
extreme penalty.
SI