One year ago in this blog I told the story of the parents of Nathan F. Leopold, Jr., one-half of the infamous Loeb and Leopold murder team who set out to commit the perfect crime and murdered fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks. If you are not familiar with the story of Richard Loeb and Nathan F. Leopold, Jr., a very good synopsis can be found in Wikipedia:
I pointed out in the blog entry about the Leopold family that when a heinous crime is committed there are more people who suffer than the victim alone. The families of the perpetrators suffer untold agonies to be sure, but they pale in comparison to the suffering done by the victim's family. This week we will explore the story of Jack M. Franks, the older brother of murder victim Bobby Franks.
Jack Morris Franks was born May 9, 1908 in Chicago, Illinois to fifty-three year old Jacob Franks, and his thirty-one year old wife Flora nee Griesheimer.
Jacob Franks was born February 17, 1855 in London England to Joseph Franks and Hannah (nee Hart). Two-year-old Jacob immigrated with his family to the United States in 1857. In the 1900 Census, Jacob Franks is living in Chicago with his sister Rosina Rubin and her family, and Jacob lists his occupation as "Capitalist".
Flora Grieshimer was born August 15, 1876 in Chicago to Morris (Moritz) Grieshimer and Bertha (nee Dernham). Later on, the family Americanized their surname to "Gresham".
On February 17, 1906, Jacob Franks' fifty-first birthday, he incorrectly stated his age as forty-seven when he married twenty-eight year old Flora Grieshimer. They were married by Rabbi Joseph Stolz of Temple Isaiah in Chicago.
When Jacob and Flora Franks had a son in May of 1908 they did not name him after his father directly. Instead of calling him Jacob Franks, Jr., they decided on the more American sounding "Jack". Jack Morris Franks was born May 9, 1908 in Chicago, Illinois.
Jack Morris Franks was born May 9, 1908 in Chicago, Illinois to fifty-three year old Jacob Franks, and his thirty-one year old wife Flora nee Griesheimer.
Jacob Franks was born February 17, 1855 in London England to Joseph Franks and Hannah (nee Hart). Two-year-old Jacob immigrated with his family to the United States in 1857. In the 1900 Census, Jacob Franks is living in Chicago with his sister Rosina Rubin and her family, and Jacob lists his occupation as "Capitalist".
Flora Grieshimer was born August 15, 1876 in Chicago to Morris (Moritz) Grieshimer and Bertha (nee Dernham). Later on, the family Americanized their surname to "Gresham".
On February 17, 1906, Jacob Franks' fifty-first birthday, he incorrectly stated his age as forty-seven when he married twenty-eight year old Flora Grieshimer. They were married by Rabbi Joseph Stolz of Temple Isaiah in Chicago.
When Jacob and Flora Franks had a son in May of 1908 they did not name him after his father directly. Instead of calling him Jacob Franks, Jr., they decided on the more American sounding "Jack". Jack Morris Franks was born May 9, 1908 in Chicago, Illinois.
Mr. and Mrs. Franks already had a daughter Josephine Helene Franks, born November 30, 1906. The ill-fated Robert Emanuel "Bobby" Franks was not born until September 19, 1909.
Jacob Franks was a businessman. In the 1910 Census he listed his occupation as "Manufacturer of Watches," and he was at that time the president of the Rockford Watch Company in Rockford, Illinois. The Rockford Watch Company went out of business in 1915, but in the 1920 Census, Jacob Franks still listed his occupation as "Owner Watch Company".
Jack Franks had just celebrated his sixteenth birthday when his brother Bobby was kidnapped on May 21, 1924.
We don't know what went through Jack's mind when Bobby did not come home from school as usual but if the Franks family was like most families, the older siblings were expected to look after their younger brothers and sisters. We can imagine that many times Jack was told "Look out for your brother." As the hours ticked by on that fateful Wednesday Jack must have wondered just what had happened to Bobby. According to accounts at the time Jack had even suggested that Bobby may be at the Loeb's house playing tennis, but when someone checked, Bobby was not there. Both Jack and his sister Josephine had no idea where their little brother was.
Most accounts state that when Loeb and Leopold called the Franks home around 10:30 the night of the 21st, Flora Franks was alone, or (more likely) alone except for a housekeeper. Jack was not at home when the call came in - he was probably out searching the neighborhood for his lost brother.
We can be sure that Jack was present the next morning when the ransom demand letter came in, and he was probably present later that same day when the call came in from his uncle Edwin Gresham that Bobby's body had been found.
Bobby Franks' funeral was held on Sunday, May 25, 1924 from the Franks home at 5052 S. Ellis Avenue.
Here is the account from the Chicago Daily Tribune of May 26, 1924:
“I will lift up mine eyes to the hills” - But her mother heart lay buried behind the marble slab with its words of gold: “1909 - Robert Franks - 1924.”
For yesterday afternoon while police were following every clew that might lead to the capture of the kidnappers who murdered the young son of the millionaire Jacob Franks, a simple funeral service was held at the home at 5052 Ellis avenue. Then, guarded by six motorcycle police, the body was taken to the Franks mausoleum at Rosehill cemetery.
Only relatives, a few close friends, and twenty of Robert's schoolmates from the Harvard private school were admitted at the house, where grief is mingled with horror and fear - for the life of the daughter Josephine has also been threatened.
The hushed groups here and there did not talk of the tragedy, but their eyes were all fixed on the lodestone of their thoughts, the little white coffin in the library. There before the fireplace where he used to dream, it stood covered with a blanket of crimson rosebuds. The mantel was hidden with crescents of lilies of the valley and orchids, circles of roses and mignonettes and bouquets of peonies. Sheaves of lilies and baskets of old fashioned garden flowers banked the walls.
The service was conducted by Elwood A. Emory, first reader, and Maybelle B. Armstrong, second reader, of the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist. The twenty-third Psalm was read and other passages of Scripture, and the Lord‘s Prayer with spiritual interpretation from (Mary Baker Eddy's) Science and Health. Glenn Drake, soloist from the same church sang "Shepherd, Show Me How to Go”, and “O, Gentle Presence.”
Mrs. Franks, who had been frantic with anxiety since her son’s disappearance last Wednesday, sat in subdued quiet throughout the reading of the words meant for comfort. She had told her son good-bye alone in the room with him three hours before - and she made no effort to look again in the flower covered casket.
But as she passed a group of schoolboys clustered on the stairway she paused and ran her hands hungrily over their faces. Some with the round features of childhood, others slim in adolescence - and four days ago her son had been with them!
Eight of them served as pallbearers: Maurice Gresham, John Coleman, Justin Cohen, Robert Ascher, Louis New, William Schuyler, Sidney Eppenstein, and Max Welheimer. As they carried the casket slowly out to the hearse, Mr. and Mrs. Franks and 17 year old daughter Josephine, left by a side entrance to escape the photographers and crowd who had gathered at the front. They were escorted by one of the guards stationed at the home as a result of threats made since the murder of the boy. A dozen policemen were in front of the house to regulate the crowd of two or three hundred, who had gathered to see the procession, and the departure was made with quiet dignity.
Twenty-five cars carried the friends to the cemetery. A velvet carpet was laid from the road to the mausoleum, and flowers were strewn on each side. The crowd separated quietly to make way for the casket - still covered with flowers - and stood with bared heads while it was placed inside.
Mr. Emory again read from the Scriptures, "I lift up mine eyes to the hills", and offered prayers. Mrs. Franks, assisted by Josephine and her brother, stood for a long time at the door, looking down at the coffin where her boy lay. Then they put aside the blanket of crimson buds, and placed the slab: 1909 - Robert Franks - 1924.
She trembled, turned away, and went back to the car, where she gave way to her grief in pitiful little moans and sobs. Her daughter, a pretty dark-eyed girl, tried to comfort her, and so did her husband, though he, too, was on the verge of breaking down.
Slowly the procession turned back to town.
As shown in this photo from the funeral, the Jacob Franks family mausoleum had already been built when Bobby was killed in 1924, although nobody had been interred there yet. Bobby was the first "occupant".
You may wonder why a couple who had been married in Temple Isaiah had Christian Science Readers conduct their son's funeral. Sometime between 1906 and 1924 the Franks family converted from Judaism to Christian Science. In the 1910s and 1920s many wealthy society women converted to Christian Science and took their families with them. Apart from the theological tenets of Christian Science, it was a very appealing faith for women to follow. Christian Science was a religion founded by a woman (Mary Baker Eddy) and one of the few "mainline" religions that not only allowed female clergy, it encouraged women to follow the call. In the 1930 Census, Flora Franks listed her occupation as "Christian Science Practitioner."
But life goes on, even after a tragedy such as this. It was not enough that Jack Franks had to deal with his brother's murder and funeral, he also had to endure the indignity of the sensational trial of Bobby's killers: Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr. The trial took place in July, August and September of 1924. Jack went to court every day, along with other members of his family. He had to sit just a few feet away from Loeb and Leopold, knowing that they had killed his brother while trying to commit "The Perfect Crime". He had to witness the emotionally heart-wrenching testimony of both his father and his mother. He had to listen as the autopsy report of Bobby was read into the court record, with its unemotional description of Bobby's wounds and the fact that Bobby's face and genitals had been darkened and disfigured by the acid put on them by Loeb and Leopold. Like the other members of the Franks family, Jack had no closure after Bobby's funeral. All his emotional wounds lay open and exposed day after day and week after week. Every day the newspapers were filled with lurid photos and stories about the perversions of Loeb and Leopold. It was impossible to escape. It is a miracle that none of the Franks family lost their minds, although Flora did suffer from spells of melancholy - but who could blame her.
In researching this story I read the transcript of the trial of Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr. for kidnapping and murder. It is a sordid tale. If you want to read the trial transcript, you can find it at:
On September 10, 1924 to a packed courthouse that included Jack Franks and his family, Judge John R. Caverly pronounced the sentence on Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr.: The term of their natural lives (for murder) and 99 years (for kidnapping). Jacob Franks reported at the time that the Franks family had never wanted to see Loeb and Leopold executed for their crime.
In September of 1924 the Franks family moved out of their beautiful home on S. Ellis avenue and into the Drake Hotel on Lake Shore Drive.
Maybe there were just too many reminders of Bobby in the Ellis avenue home.
In the autumn of 1927 to try to put some normalcy back into their lives, Jack and his father took a vacation together to Banff, Alberta, Canada. Jack wrote of the trip in his book Echoes, published by The Lakeside Press, Chicago, 1929.
It was a limited edition on 1000 copies, each one autographed by Jack M. Franks.
The first part of the book is entitled "The Echo of a Journey with Jacob Franks" and "Which I dedicate to and write about my beloved father."
Here is a photo of Jacob in Banff that Jack included in the book:
The second part of the book is original poetry composed by Jack. He laces his poetry with quotes from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, and from the Christian Science hymnal, and even manages to take a swipe at the practice of medicine. It seems that Jack had become a willing participant in the Faith of his mother.
If readers expected a tell-all book from Jack, they came away sorely disappointed. The first part is an ode to his father and the second part is filled with random thoughts and musings. There is one poem, however called "And Tender Thoughts Flowed On" which Jack wrote "after scrutinizing a tinted picture of my brother:"
Reviews of Echoes were lukewarm.
Jacob Franks died on April 19, 1928 of heart disease. His death certificate erroneously listed his year of birth as 1857.
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The newspapers reported that "Mr. & Mrs. Louer would be staying in her apartments in the Drake Hotel."
Flora's first marriage (to Jacob Franks) was performed by Rabbi Joseph Stolz of Temple Isaiah in Chicago. For her second marriage (to Albert S. Louer) she chose Dr. Preston Bradley of The Peoples Church in Chicago. Bradley preached a form of liberal religious humanism that would fit well with Flora's unitarian and Christian Science beliefs. As far as I could ascertain, Albert Louer remained a practicing Jew all his life.
In 1935, on the eleventh anniversary of the slayings, Jack Franks was asked if he had any opinion as to where or whether Loeb and Leopold should be freed. He said "I have no feelings of animosity. It has been hard for the families. How my family feels about it, I don't know. We never discuss it. As far as I am concerned, I just want them to stay out of my life. They're in another world from me, and I'm not interested in them, that's all."
On June 15, 1937, Flora Grieshimer Franks Louer died of breast cancer at the age of 60.
Her obituary from the Chicago Tribune is short and to the point:
Chicago, June 16 (AP). - Mrs. Flora Gresham Louer, mother of Bobby Franks, who was killed in 1924 by Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, died last night in her apartment at the Drake Hotel at the age of 60. She had been ill a year. Her first husband, Jacob Franks, father of Bobby, died several years after the boy's murder. They had two other children, Jack Franks and Mrs. Josephine Glasser (sic). Mrs. Franks and Albert S. Louer, retired attorney, were married four years ago.
Flora was laid to rest in the Jacob Franks mausoleum at Rosehill:
The Chicago Daily Tribune from July 12, 1938 brought the surprising news of the sudden death of Jack M. Franks:
Jack M. Franks, brother of Bobby Franks who was murdered by Leopold and Loeb, was found dead of a heart attack yesterday in his room at the DeWitt hotel, 244 East Pearson Street. He was 35 (sic)years old. His sister, Mrs. Josephine Glaser of New York City, was notified and is on her way here to make funeral arrangements. He formerly attended the University of Chicago, where he was active in fraternity affairs and a member of the staff of the Daily Maroon, student newspaper. At the time of his death he was a partner in the firm of Franks & Cooke, real estate dealers at 319 South Clark Street.
There is a postscript to the story from the Chicago Daily Tribune of June 29, 1945:
Jack Franks had just celebrated his sixteenth birthday when his brother Bobby was kidnapped on May 21, 1924.
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| Jack Franks - 1924 |
We don't know what went through Jack's mind when Bobby did not come home from school as usual but if the Franks family was like most families, the older siblings were expected to look after their younger brothers and sisters. We can imagine that many times Jack was told "Look out for your brother." As the hours ticked by on that fateful Wednesday Jack must have wondered just what had happened to Bobby. According to accounts at the time Jack had even suggested that Bobby may be at the Loeb's house playing tennis, but when someone checked, Bobby was not there. Both Jack and his sister Josephine had no idea where their little brother was.
Most accounts state that when Loeb and Leopold called the Franks home around 10:30 the night of the 21st, Flora Franks was alone, or (more likely) alone except for a housekeeper. Jack was not at home when the call came in - he was probably out searching the neighborhood for his lost brother.
We can be sure that Jack was present the next morning when the ransom demand letter came in, and he was probably present later that same day when the call came in from his uncle Edwin Gresham that Bobby's body had been found.
Bobby Franks' funeral was held on Sunday, May 25, 1924 from the Franks home at 5052 S. Ellis Avenue.
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| 5052 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago |
Here is the account from the Chicago Daily Tribune of May 26, 1924:
SIMPLE FUNERAL SERVICE IS HELD FOR FRANKS BOY
For yesterday afternoon while police were following every clew that might lead to the capture of the kidnappers who murdered the young son of the millionaire Jacob Franks, a simple funeral service was held at the home at 5052 Ellis avenue. Then, guarded by six motorcycle police, the body was taken to the Franks mausoleum at Rosehill cemetery.
His Schoolmates Attend.
Only relatives, a few close friends, and twenty of Robert's schoolmates from the Harvard private school were admitted at the house, where grief is mingled with horror and fear - for the life of the daughter Josephine has also been threatened.
The hushed groups here and there did not talk of the tragedy, but their eyes were all fixed on the lodestone of their thoughts, the little white coffin in the library. There before the fireplace where he used to dream, it stood covered with a blanket of crimson rosebuds. The mantel was hidden with crescents of lilies of the valley and orchids, circles of roses and mignonettes and bouquets of peonies. Sheaves of lilies and baskets of old fashioned garden flowers banked the walls.
The service was conducted by Elwood A. Emory, first reader, and Maybelle B. Armstrong, second reader, of the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist. The twenty-third Psalm was read and other passages of Scripture, and the Lord‘s Prayer with spiritual interpretation from (Mary Baker Eddy's) Science and Health. Glenn Drake, soloist from the same church sang "Shepherd, Show Me How to Go”, and “O, Gentle Presence.”
Mother Sits Dazed.
Mrs. Franks, who had been frantic with anxiety since her son’s disappearance last Wednesday, sat in subdued quiet throughout the reading of the words meant for comfort. She had told her son good-bye alone in the room with him three hours before - and she made no effort to look again in the flower covered casket.
But as she passed a group of schoolboys clustered on the stairway she paused and ran her hands hungrily over their faces. Some with the round features of childhood, others slim in adolescence - and four days ago her son had been with them!
Eight of them served as pallbearers: Maurice Gresham, John Coleman, Justin Cohen, Robert Ascher, Louis New, William Schuyler, Sidney Eppenstein, and Max Welheimer. As they carried the casket slowly out to the hearse, Mr. and Mrs. Franks and 17 year old daughter Josephine, left by a side entrance to escape the photographers and crowd who had gathered at the front. They were escorted by one of the guards stationed at the home as a result of threats made since the murder of the boy. A dozen policemen were in front of the house to regulate the crowd of two or three hundred, who had gathered to see the procession, and the departure was made with quiet dignity.
Flower Strewn Path.
Twenty-five cars carried the friends to the cemetery. A velvet carpet was laid from the road to the mausoleum, and flowers were strewn on each side. The crowd separated quietly to make way for the casket - still covered with flowers - and stood with bared heads while it was placed inside.
Mr. Emory again read from the Scriptures, "I lift up mine eyes to the hills", and offered prayers. Mrs. Franks, assisted by Josephine and her brother, stood for a long time at the door, looking down at the coffin where her boy lay. Then they put aside the blanket of crimson buds, and placed the slab: 1909 - Robert Franks - 1924.
She trembled, turned away, and went back to the car, where she gave way to her grief in pitiful little moans and sobs. Her daughter, a pretty dark-eyed girl, tried to comfort her, and so did her husband, though he, too, was on the verge of breaking down.
Slowly the procession turned back to town.
As shown in this photo from the funeral, the Jacob Franks family mausoleum had already been built when Bobby was killed in 1924, although nobody had been interred there yet. Bobby was the first "occupant".
You may wonder why a couple who had been married in Temple Isaiah had Christian Science Readers conduct their son's funeral. Sometime between 1906 and 1924 the Franks family converted from Judaism to Christian Science. In the 1910s and 1920s many wealthy society women converted to Christian Science and took their families with them. Apart from the theological tenets of Christian Science, it was a very appealing faith for women to follow. Christian Science was a religion founded by a woman (Mary Baker Eddy) and one of the few "mainline" religions that not only allowed female clergy, it encouraged women to follow the call. In the 1930 Census, Flora Franks listed her occupation as "Christian Science Practitioner."
But life goes on, even after a tragedy such as this. It was not enough that Jack Franks had to deal with his brother's murder and funeral, he also had to endure the indignity of the sensational trial of Bobby's killers: Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr. The trial took place in July, August and September of 1924. Jack went to court every day, along with other members of his family. He had to sit just a few feet away from Loeb and Leopold, knowing that they had killed his brother while trying to commit "The Perfect Crime". He had to witness the emotionally heart-wrenching testimony of both his father and his mother. He had to listen as the autopsy report of Bobby was read into the court record, with its unemotional description of Bobby's wounds and the fact that Bobby's face and genitals had been darkened and disfigured by the acid put on them by Loeb and Leopold. Like the other members of the Franks family, Jack had no closure after Bobby's funeral. All his emotional wounds lay open and exposed day after day and week after week. Every day the newspapers were filled with lurid photos and stories about the perversions of Loeb and Leopold. It was impossible to escape. It is a miracle that none of the Franks family lost their minds, although Flora did suffer from spells of melancholy - but who could blame her.
In researching this story I read the transcript of the trial of Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr. for kidnapping and murder. It is a sordid tale. If you want to read the trial transcript, you can find it at:
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/trials.php?
On September 10, 1924 to a packed courthouse that included Jack Franks and his family, Judge John R. Caverly pronounced the sentence on Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr.: The term of their natural lives (for murder) and 99 years (for kidnapping). Jacob Franks reported at the time that the Franks family had never wanted to see Loeb and Leopold executed for their crime.
In September of 1924 the Franks family moved out of their beautiful home on S. Ellis avenue and into the Drake Hotel on Lake Shore Drive.
Maybe there were just too many reminders of Bobby in the Ellis avenue home.
In the autumn of 1927 to try to put some normalcy back into their lives, Jack and his father took a vacation together to Banff, Alberta, Canada. Jack wrote of the trip in his book Echoes, published by The Lakeside Press, Chicago, 1929.
It was a limited edition on 1000 copies, each one autographed by Jack M. Franks.
The first part of the book is entitled "The Echo of a Journey with Jacob Franks" and "Which I dedicate to and write about my beloved father."
Here is a photo of Jacob in Banff that Jack included in the book:
The second part of the book is original poetry composed by Jack. He laces his poetry with quotes from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, and from the Christian Science hymnal, and even manages to take a swipe at the practice of medicine. It seems that Jack had become a willing participant in the Faith of his mother.
If readers expected a tell-all book from Jack, they came away sorely disappointed. The first part is an ode to his father and the second part is filled with random thoughts and musings. There is one poem, however called "And Tender Thoughts Flowed On" which Jack wrote "after scrutinizing a tinted picture of my brother:"
Reviews of Echoes were lukewarm.
Jacob Franks died on April 19, 1928 of heart disease. His death certificate erroneously listed his year of birth as 1857.
He was interred in the Franks family mausoleum in Rosehill Cemetery above the crypt of his son Bobby.
As I mentioned above, the 1930 Census listed Flora Franks' occupation as "Christian Science Practitioner." Jack listed his occupation as "Freelance Writer." They paid $750.00 per month for their suite at the Drake Hotel.
On July 21, 1930, Jack accompanied his mother and his sister Josephine (by then Mrs. Richard Glaser) to the laying of a cornerstone for a $100,000 memorial to Bobby Franks, a boys' clubhouse at 3413 W. Thirteenth Place in Chicago. The funds were left in the will of Jacob Franks to fund a memorial giving "pleasure, help and encouragement to boys as he (Bobby) gave sympathy, consideration and encouragement to his playmates." Mrs. Franks placed a trowelful of mortar on the cornerstone as it was lowered into place. The press reported that Jack spoke in place of his mother and he was quoted as saying: "(Bobby's) death left an aching void in our hearts. It may help to appease that pain to realize that hundreds of boys will be happy here in this structure built in his memory." It is interesting to note that the boys clubhouse dedicated to Bobby Franks sits in the heart of the old Jewish neighborhood of Lawndale, off of Douglas Boulevard, and the Tribune noted that the Franks family enlisted the aid of The Young Men's Jewish Charities to help them decide on a suitable memorial. The building is still standing today, and is still a youth center, although it is now dedicated to the Polk Brothers, another Jewish philanthropic family of Chicagoland.
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| 3413 W. 13th Place, Chicago |
The Chicago Daily Tribune of October 7, 1930 announced a happy occasion for the Franks family:
The Franks family and the Florsheim family moved in the same social circles, and Milton and Gertrude Florsheim also lived in the Drake Hotel, so Jack had probably met their Arkansas cousin several times through the years. There is no record of the marriage in Illinois, so they probably married in Arkansas.
In April of 1933, Flora Franks married widowed Chicago attorney Albert S. Louer.
Flora's first marriage (to Jacob Franks) was performed by Rabbi Joseph Stolz of Temple Isaiah in Chicago. For her second marriage (to Albert S. Louer) she chose Dr. Preston Bradley of The Peoples Church in Chicago. Bradley preached a form of liberal religious humanism that would fit well with Flora's unitarian and Christian Science beliefs. As far as I could ascertain, Albert Louer remained a practicing Jew all his life.
In 1935, on the eleventh anniversary of the slayings, Jack Franks was asked if he had any opinion as to where or whether Loeb and Leopold should be freed. He said "I have no feelings of animosity. It has been hard for the families. How my family feels about it, I don't know. We never discuss it. As far as I am concerned, I just want them to stay out of my life. They're in another world from me, and I'm not interested in them, that's all."
On June 15, 1937, Flora Grieshimer Franks Louer died of breast cancer at the age of 60.
Her obituary from the Chicago Tribune is short and to the point:
MRS. ALBERT S. LOUER
Flora was laid to rest in the Jacob Franks mausoleum at Rosehill:
The Chicago Daily Tribune from July 12, 1938 brought the surprising news of the sudden death of Jack M. Franks:
BOBBY FRANKS' BROTHER FOUND DEAD IN HOTEL
Jack M. Franks, brother of Bobby Franks who was murdered by Leopold and Loeb, was found dead of a heart attack yesterday in his room at the DeWitt hotel, 244 East Pearson Street. He was 35 (sic)years old. His sister, Mrs. Josephine Glaser of New York City, was notified and is on her way here to make funeral arrangements. He formerly attended the University of Chicago, where he was active in fraternity affairs and a member of the staff of the Daily Maroon, student newspaper. At the time of his death he was a partner in the firm of Franks & Cooke, real estate dealers at 319 South Clark Street.
Jack died of chronic myocarditis, complicated by epilepsy. His death certificate states that he had been divorced from his wife Ida.
He was also interred in the Jacob Franks mausoleum, although across from his parents and Bobby:
Josephine Franks Glaser Lederer died October 20, 2007, just short of her 101st birthday.
Bobby Franks was the direct victim of Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr., but the other members of the Franks family were their indirect victims. Jacob Franks was seventy-three when he died, but Flora was only sixty. I think it's safe to say that the stress of dealing with the murder of a child probably took some years off their lives - especially Flora. Jack Franks died of heart trouble when he was only thirty years old. From the time Jack was sixteen he had to deal with the stress of losing his little brother in a violent and public way. I am sure that not a day went by where he did not think about Bobby, and I am also sure that every time he met someone new or was in a new situation that the subject came up as well.
Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr. may have killed Bobby Franks directly, but the list of their victims is much longer than that. When asked, Jack said with his characteristic understatement, "It has been hard for the families." Bobby Franks' life was taken quickly, but the rest of the Franks family died a little bit every day.
May Jack Morris Franks, and all the Franks family rest in peace.
This was really interesting Jim. I've heard a little about Loeb and Leopold, but not much about the victim and his family.
ReplyDeleteI remember a Hitchcock movie that told this same story...maybe it was based off the real story? The rope, I think it was called.
Anyway, thanks for sharing all the real life details.
I have researched this case for years but this was the most informative article on Bobby Franks that I have ever read. I guess it is safe to say that there are just the decedents of the sister that are still alive.
ReplyDeleteI believe there are two granddaughters of Josephine Franks Glaser Lederer alive, and of course cousins. Right after I wrote this article I was contacted by someone (anonymously) who corrected one of the facts surrounding the dedication of the Franks Boys' Club. I am sure it was a member of the family. Thank you for your kind words.
DeleteThere are many surviving grandchildren.
DeleteThere was a pic. in the Chi. Trib. taken at the dedication of the club house. I had a copy however unable to find it now. Mrs. Franks and daughter were sitting among a lot of
ReplyDeletepeople at the ceremony, Jack was not in the pic.
This is such a great site, Jim. Very interesting! I found out so much more about the Franks family than I've ever been able to research. Strangely, in all the research I did, I found that we live about 500 feet from the Franks mausoleum at Rosehill. Right over the wall at the end of our driveway. I've been a few times Thanks for all your research!
ReplyDeleteI bought a family photo album on ebay a year ago...i had no idea who or what it was about....i have been doing a lot of research, and i have family photos of bobby franks, and his killers. Where can I locate the family and let them know what i have found?
ReplyDeleteThis should give you enough clues to find a family member:
Deletehttp://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?n=Josephine-F-Lederer&pid=96609587
You could donate the pictures to Northwestern University. The Loeb family has donated their pictures and letters from Richard
DeleteWas unable to sleep and watched the movie compulsion this night. That led me to looking up more information and your site came up. Very interesting and complete.
ReplyDeletemagnificent job... Jim Craig
ReplyDeletePer usual, the victims are forgotten in high profile cases such as this. Thank you for sharing your research.
ReplyDeletePer usual, the victims are forgotten in high profile cases such as this. Thank you for sharing your research.
ReplyDeleteI want a copy of the book Jack Franks, please can you help me?
ReplyDeleteI want to thank you for choosing the victim's brother as the focus of your article. My brother was a victim of homicide, and it is very easy to be forgotten as a person who suffered a great loss. Your story is incredibly researched and so well done, but again, the topic is so appreciated. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHello, i just found your very interesting blog about the Loeb and Leopold story that I watched on ID last night. I was married once to James Coleman. We lived in AZ. We went to Chicago to visit his family many times. Jim had gone to the Harvard School for Boys, but he was born in 1916. So he was a little boy when this happened. But he remembered it well. Jim came from a wealthy Jewish family in Chicago, and he always told me that he thought his brother Johnny (about Bobby's age) might have been targeted by Loeb and Leopold. I kind of wondered about that. But thanks to you and your blog, I just found that photo where John Coleman appears as a pallbearer! Johnny passed away and so did Jim. So I can't share that picture with them. Too bad. But thank you for all you very interesting work!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, Jim. Thanks for filling in the details that deleted from the vast coverage of the two murderers. It's really good to see Bobby Franks' family covered. Only those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, especially the loss of a child, to remorseless, arrogant thrill-killers can possibly fathom the grief the Franks family suffered. The PBS American Experience Documentary, "The Perfect Crime" is good, but again, few details on the Franks family. I finally discovered how Booby's family was kinned to Loeb's.
ReplyDeleteI found this info and pictures of Bobby's sister earlier today. Losing her brothers and parents so early must have been so hard.
Josephine Helene (Franks) Lederer (1906 - 2007)
Josephine Helene Lederer formerly Franks aka Glaser
Born 30 Nov 1906 in Chicago, IL
ANCESTORS 
Daughter of Jacob Franks and Florance (Griesheimer) Louer
Sister of Jack Morris Franks and Robert Emanuel Franks
Wife of Carl Singer Lederer — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Wife of Richard Julius Glaser — married about 1 Jan 1927 in Cook County, IL
DESCENDANTS 
Mother of [private daughter (1930s - unknown)], Jan (Glaser) Ebert and Jill (Glaser) Norden
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Franks-1550
"Josephine was born in November 1906 in Chicago, IL, the oldest of 3 children. She lived with her parents in Chicago in 1910, 1920 (census). Her brother, Bobby, was killed in May 1924. She eloped on January 1, 1927 with Richard J. Glaser (as told to Cari Ebert Starosta). She lived with her husband in Chicago in 1930 (census). She lived in New Trier, IL with her husband and 3 daughters in 1940 (census). She was widowed in 1954. She married Carl Lederer in 1976 and was widowed in 1980. She died in October 2007 in IL and is buried in the Franks mausoleum at Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum."
Best,
Teri
Interesting post, Jim. Thanks for filling in the details that deleted from the vast coverage of the two murderers. It's really good to see Bobby Franks' family covered. Only those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, especially the loss of a child, to remorseless, arrogant thrill-killers can possibly fathom the grief the Franks family suffered. The PBS American Experience Documentary, "The Perfect Crime" is good, but again, few details on the Franks family. I finally discovered how Booby's family was kinned to Loeb's.
ReplyDeleteI found this info and pictures of Bobby's sister earlier today. Losing her brothers and parents so early must have been so hard.
Josephine Helene (Franks) Lederer (1906 - 2007)
Josephine Helene Lederer formerly Franks aka Glaser
Born 30 Nov 1906 in Chicago, IL
ANCESTORS 
Daughter of Jacob Franks and Florance (Griesheimer) Louer
Sister of Jack Morris Franks and Robert Emanuel Franks
Wife of Carl Singer Lederer — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Wife of Richard Julius Glaser — married about 1 Jan 1927 in Cook County, IL
DESCENDANTS 
Mother of [private daughter (1930s - unknown)], Jan (Glaser) Ebert and Jill (Glaser) Norden
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Franks-1550
"Josephine was born in November 1906 in Chicago, IL, the oldest of 3 children. She lived with her parents in Chicago in 1910, 1920 (census). Her brother, Bobby, was killed in May 1924. She eloped on January 1, 1927 with Richard J. Glaser (as told to Cari Ebert Starosta). She lived with her husband in Chicago in 1930 (census). She lived in New Trier, IL with her husband and 3 daughters in 1940 (census). She was widowed in 1954. She married Carl Lederer in 1976 and was widowed in 1980. She died in October 2007 in IL and is buried in the Franks mausoleum at Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum."
Best,
Teri
Thank you so much for your detailed information about the poor, in one sense of the word, Franks family. I was startled to see the information about them converting from Judaism to Christian Science. Also, the explanation of why they did that was most interesting. I have done a lot of research on the history of Christian Scientists and this fits right in. Thank you so much for sharing you findings.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this beautiful blog post.
ReplyDeleteIs there any relation to the Illinois position Jack Franks
ReplyDelete