The Loeb-Leopold case - The Clarence Darrow Collection

The Loeb-Leopold Case
and the boys not returning, they decided that they
could possibly reach the Levinson boy's home before
he could reach it. But they missed him.
They then started to drive around looking for
some other victim. And while driving west on
Forty-ninth Street, nearing Ellis Avenue, they saw
Bobby Franks and immediately decided upon him.
And this cold-blooded, fiendish murderer, if the
court please, called to that little innocent boy, that
undersized boy of fourteen years of age, who ad-
mired Richard Loeb, who played tennis in his yard
day after day, called to him and said, " Bobby, don't
you want a ride? " And Bobby thanked him and
told him he would rather walk, only having a short
distance to go.
And then what did the cowardly fiends do? Loeb
says, " Come, Bobby, I want to introduce you to my
friend Nathan Leopold," and as this manly little
boy walked over and shook hands with Nathan
Leopold, on a further subterfuge to get this boy into
the car, Loeb said he wanted to talk to him about his
tennis racket. And then, oh, what then?
Why, Judge, you wouldn't strike a dog four times
on the head with a chisel and not give him some
chance.
Bobby Franks would have fought for his life, had
he seen that blow coming. But no. The blow was
struck from behind, that cowardly blow. And then,
your Honor, counsel come here and cry out for
mercy. What mercy did they show that boy? Why,
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