To get a little glimpse into the daily life of the Franks family, I pulled every time I was able to find a want ad that they posted in the Chicago Tribune. Usually they were advertisements for servants, which could seem mundane on their face, but the evolving requirements they posted (which country they must be from, and later, what religion they must be) offer some insight into what the family valued. There are also some more strange postings, including the attempt to sell what sounds like the contents of a popcorn stand for a motorcycle.
These were all found through a variety of means, including searching by name: often listed under J. Franks or Mrs. J. Franks, their addresses: 3247 Michigan Ave and 5052 Ellis Ave., or their phone number: Drexel 8938.
These postings are in chronological order. If I have commentary, it will be in [brackets], everything else is quoted directly from the paper.
March 28, 1907, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Nurse-For Baby; Experienced. Mrs. J. Franks. 3247 Michigan-av.
[Assumedly this would have been for Josephine, who was born in late November of 1906.]
August 28, 1907, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Baby’s Nurse – Exp., with good city refs. Apply between 10 and 12 o’clock. Mrs. J. Franks, 3247 Michigan av.
September 24, 1907, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Cook and second girl-In small family. J. Franks. 3247 Michigan av.
April 21, 1912, Chicago Tribune
Household Goods: For Sale-5 good size oriental rugs and one mission set of furniture. J. Franks, 5052 Ellis.
April 19, 1914, Chicago Tribune
Barter and Exchange: Popcorn crispette outfit, show case, chairs, tables, counter, monkey maker, resort or park. Want motorcycle, small auto, diamond, cash. What? 5052 Ellis-av., Garage. Drexel 3852.
May 21, 1916, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Maid-Competent upstairs and Lady’s. German, Swedish or French preferred; best of city refs. Required. Answer by mail. 5052 Ellis-av. J. Franks
July 31, 1916, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Waitress and Parlor maid. Competent: Swedish, German or American preferred; city refs. Apply by phone Drexel 8938 or 5052 Ellis av.
June 22, 1917, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Waitress and Parlor maid. Swedish-American or German preferred. 5052 Ellis av
July 15, 1917, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Chambermaid and Lady’s Maid combined-City ref. 5052 Ellis-av.
September 13, 1917, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Waitress and parlor maid combined. Must have city references. Phone Drexel 8938.
June 9, 1918, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Governess to Take Care of 3 Children: Ages 8 to 12; must have best of city refs. Mrs. J Franks. Drexel 8938
August 16, 1918, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Waitress – Competent. Also upstairs maid: must have city ref. : priv. fam. Phone Drexel 8938, 10 a. m. to 1 p. m.
November 29, 1918, Chicago Daily News
Female Help Wanted-General Housework-South Side: 5052 Ellis-Av. Maid: Upstairs: With city references: from 10 to 2 p.m. phone Drexel 8938.
February 12, 1919, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Waitress – Parlor Maid; With City refs. Call Drexel 8938 between 9:30 and 1.
February 26, 1919, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Governess: To take charge of 3 children, ages 8, 10 and 12; must have city references. Apply 5052 Ellis av. From 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m., house, corner 51st
May 14, 1919, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Governess: To take charge of two boys ages 9 and 11 years; must have best city refs. Phone Drexel 8938, between 9 and 1 p.m.
June 15, 1919, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Woman-Educated, Young, With City references, to take care of 3 children. Mrs. J. Franks, 5052 Ellis av. Phone Drexel 8938
May 20, 1920, Chicago Tribune
Automobiles-Electric: For sale – Bargain electric brougham. First class condition: new batteries: also rectifier. Call 5052 Ellis av.
June 17, 1920, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Cook-First Class. In private family. Mrs. J. Franks. 5052 Ellis av. Drexel 8938
August 18, 1920, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Cook-First Class, With City References. Mrs. J. Franks, 5052 Ellis-av. Drexel 8938
September 15, 1920, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Cook: Experienced. In private family. Mrs. J. Franks, 5052 Ellis-av. Drexel 8938
March 6, 1921, Chicago Tribune
Wanted-Female Help: Cook – Exp. In private family. City refs. 5052 Ellis, Drexel 8938
EDIT: Scholar Susanna Cassisa was able to find the original “The Kidnaping Syndicate Story” from the May 3rd, 1924 issue of Detective Story Magazine! I can confirm that the wording in the letters in the original is the same as the newspapers and published 1925 version.
Before Leopold and Loeb were suspects, and only a day after Bobby’s body was found, similarities in the Franks ransom letter and ransom letters from a detective story were noticed. Christopher Booth’s “The Kidnaping Syndicate,” which had been published in the May 3, 1924 issue of Detective Story Magazine, received an enormous amount of attention in the weeks after the Franks crime, as many speculated on whether the killers had based their ransom letter after those contained in his story.
The Chicago Daily Journal printed the fictional letters in full, while the Chicago Herald and Examiner and the Chicago Tribune both printed truncated and mixed up versions of one of the letters, to make comparisons to the Franks letter easier to see.
It’s also possible that both Loeb and the magazine were taking their inspiration from real cases. There are aspects of the Franks ransom scheme which are similar to a 1909 kidnapping which happened in Philadelphia. A young boy named Willie Whitla was picked up in a car, and his parents received a ransom note asking for $10,000 in small bills:
“We have your boy, and no harm will come to him if you comply with our instructions. If you give this letter to the newspapers or divulge any of its contents, you will never see your boy again. We demand $10,000 in $20, $10 and $5 bills. If you mark the money or attempt to place counterfeit money you will be sorry. Dead men tell no tales. Neither do dead boys.”
The kidnapers sent multiple ransom notes and had the kidnapped boy’s father take cars and trains, go to drug stores to pick up notes that directed him to go to other places, much like in the Franks case. The perpetrators, a husband and wife, were quickly apprehended.
Ultimately, there is no definitive answer one way or the other to this question: Loeb denied plagiarizing the letter, and neither killer spoke about it publicly after 1924. Loeb did subscribe to the magazine which the story came from, but claimed he hadn’t read that particular story, and had hardly read the magazine at all that year. Leopold claimed to have typed all the notes related to the crime, and to have largely written them, with Loeb giving suggestions. Leopold was apparently not asked if he had read the story or based the letters on it.
So you can form your own opinion, I’m going to print both the Franks letters and the three ransom letters in The Kidnaping Syndicate in full. I’ll then go over the newspaper coverage and Leopold and Loeb discussing the ransom letters after/during their confessions. The newspaper coverage only talks about the first ransom letter, as the second was only found after Leopold and Loeb confessed.
Italics indicate my additions, and are not part of the source I’m quoting.
The Franks Letters
The first Franks ransom letter, which was sent to Jacob Franks the night after killing Bobby:
Dear Sir:
As you no doubt know by this time your son has been kidnapped. Allow us to assure you that he is at present well and safe. You need fear no physical harm for him provided you live up carefully to the following instructions, and to such others as you will receive by future communications. Should you however, disobey any of our instructions even slightly, his death will be the penalty.
1. For obvious reasons make absolutely no attempt to communicate with either the police authorities, or any private agency. Should you already have communicated with the police, allow them to continue their investigations, but do not mention this letter.
2. Secure before noon today ten thousand dollars, ($10,000.00). This money must be composed entirely of OLD BILLS of the following denominations:
$2,000.00 in twenty dollar bills
$8,000.00 in fifty dollar bills
The money must be old. Any attempt to include new or marked bills will render the entire venture futile.
3. The money should be place in a large cigar box, or if this is impossible in a heavy cardboard box, SECURELY closed and wrapped in white paper. The wrapping paper should be sealed at all openings with sealing wax.
4. Have the money with you prepared as directed above, and remain at home after one o’clock P.M. See that the telephone is not in use.
You will receive a further communication instructing you as to your future course.
As a final word of warning – this is a strictly commercial proposition, and we are prepared to put our threat into execution should we have reasonable grounds to believe that you have committed an infraction of the above instructions. However, should you carefully follow out our instructions to the letter, we can assure you that you son will be safely returned to you within six hours of our receipt of the money.
Yours truly,
GEORGE JOHNSON
The Franks letter which was placed on a train, informing Jacob Franks on how to give them the ransom money:
Dear Sir:
Proceed immediately to the back platform of the train. Watch the east side of the track. Have your package ready. Look for the first LARGE, RED, BRICK factory situated immediately adjoining the tracks on the east. On top of this factory is a large, black watertower with the word CHAMPION written on it. Wait until you have COMPLETELY passed the south end of the factory – count five very rapidly and then IMMEDIATELY throw the package as far east as you can.
Remember that this is your only chance to recover your son.
Yours truly,
GEORGE JOHNSON
The Kidnapping Syndicate Letters
Letter number 1:
DEAR MR. GRISWOLD: The Kidnaping Syndicate is a strictly business organization of high-class criminals organized and operated for the purpose of taking profits. The same purpose which actuates the operation of your bank.
Our business, as our name makes clear, is kidnaping. In this State the penalty for conviction in cases of kidnaping is death by hanging, which, as you can see, makes it a desperate crime. When men knowingly and deliberately face such chances, they quite naturally expect their reward to be commensurate with the risk involved.
We emphasize the foregoing to impress upon you that we have already made ourselves liable to the maximum risk.
Your wife is in our custody, and, so long as your conduct toward us warrants, she shall be treated with every courtesy and respect, and, in so far as the circumstances permit, will be made comfortable. Any change in this attitude will be the result of your own defiance to our terms, which are:
That you make no appeal to the police or to any private detective agency. In that event the amount stated below is automatically doubled, and, let us assure you, it will avail you nothing and only bring great anguish to yourself and your wife.
Upon receipt of fifty thousand dollars in bills of ten-dollar and twenty-dollar denomination, delivered at the place, the time, and under the conditions which you will receive later, Mrs. Griswold will be returned to you within a very few hours thereafter.
Acceptance of these terms is to be conveyed to us as follows: You will leave your house to-morrow morning wearing a white carnation on the lapel of your coat, and wear it all day. Following this we shall send you further instructions as to how, when, and where the money shall be paid.
THE KIDNAPING SYNDICATE
Note: The Chicago Daily Journal does not include numbers in this first letter, though the numbers in the second letter are printed in the same place as the published book. The Chicago Daily News and Chicago Tribune both have the numbers from the first letter printed in the same places as the published book, though the Tribune also adds a 3. in front of the paragraph beginning “Acceptance of these terms…” and a 4. In front of the paragraph beginning “Following this we shall…”
Letter number 2:
DEAR MR. GRISWOLD: We have received your reply, via the white carnation. Realizing your concern for Mrs. Griswold, permit us to inform you that, although we have treated her with every consideration possible under the circumstances, she is in quite a hysterical state and has refused to take any food. It has been necessary at several times to quiet her, although, let us make haste to reassure you, not through any means of physical violence.
We note that the morning papers make no mention of Mrs. Griswold’s disappearance, and we judge that you have wisely refrained from taking the dangerous step of appealing to the police.
Our instructions for paying over the stipulated sum of fifty thousand dollars are given below. Please bear in mind that they must be adhered to in precise detail. Any deviation will force us to take an unpleasant course.
The money must be in bills of small denomination, placed in a satchel and carried by you alone to the spot we designate. One of you our organization shall make certain that you do leave alone, and, if there is any violation or attempted violation of this, negotiations will be automatically and finally ended.
You will drive alone in your car to what is known as the River Road. When you have reached Hudson Corners, you will set your speedometer at zero, and when you have proceeded three and seven tenths miles, as shown by the trip mileage of your speedometer, you will stop. On the cliff side of the road you will see a white handkerchief and with it will find an envelope containing our final instructions.
You will arrange your departure so as to arrive at this spot at twelve midnight, Wednesday. Within five hours from this time, if you have carried out instructions, your wife will again be in your arms.
Realizing that the raising of fifty thousand dollars in cash is possibly no small task, even for a man of your means, we have considerately given you forty-eight hours in which to make these arrangements.
Let us make it clear that any effort to surround the appointed spot with police or detectives will bring you everlasting sorrow. Our representative who calls for the money will, even if captured, be unable to direct you to the place where Mrs. Griswold is detained, and his failure to return within two hours after midnight, Wednesday, with the money, will result in our being forced to carry out a most disagreeable reprisal, the nature of which needs no explanation.
THE KIDNAPING SYNDICATE
Letter number 3:
DEAR MR. GRISWOLD: We have found the amount correct. Inclosed are the keys to No. 2300 Maplewood Avenue. The flat key is to the front door, and the other will unlock the soundproof room in the basement, where Mrs. Griswold is detained.
THE KIDNAPING SYNDICATE
In the fictional story, the hostage is rescued and the syndicate brought to justice.
Newspaper coverage
Find Original Model of Franks Crime in Detective Fiction, Chicago Daily Journal, May 23, 1924
From one angle, the kidnapping of Robert Franks belongs in the list of literary crimes. The letter whose “good English” seems so significant to the police, and set them to grilling instructors at the school, obviously was written by someone who had studied carefully the letters appearing in a story called “The Kidnaping Syndicate,” published in “Detective Story Magazine” on May 3.
“In the fiction story, one letter begins: ‘The Kidnaping Syndicate is a strictly business organization.’
In the Franks case, the real letter contains the phrase: ‘This is a strictly commercial proposition.’
The fiction letter says: ‘Your wife is in our custody…Permit us to inform you that we have treated her with every consideration possible under the circumstances…It has been necessary to quiet her, although not through any means of physical violence.’
The fact letter says: ‘Your son has been kidnaped. Allow us to assure you that he is at present well and safe. You need fear no physical harm for him, provided, etc.’
The fictional letter demanded bills of small denomination.
The fact letter demanded old bills of specific denominations.
There are other points of resemblance, not counting those which are inevitable in such missives. Plainly, the ‘brain worker’ in this kidnaping case had studied the course outlined by Christopher Booth in the ‘Kidnaping Syndicate,’ and believed he had improved on the technic[sic] therein set forth.”
This article then prints the first two letters from the fictional story in full.
Franks Death letter Like Current Story in Magazine, Chicago Tribune, May 24, 1924
Police criminologists, detectives who have made names for themselves in their deep study of the bewildering murder of Robert Franks, came time and again back to the significant letter received by the father of the boy from the “kidnapers.” This letter, with its faultless English, its scholarly diction, bore a striking resemblance to several such letters of fiction which appeared in a story, “The Kidnaping Syndicate,” in the May 3 issue of the Detective Story Magazine.
“Look for the suspect with that magazine in his possession, and you’ll pretty nearly have the man who killed Robert Franks.” Was the detectives’ final decision after hours of study.
Here are both letters-the one of fiction and the one of fact as received by Mr. Franks-as detectives studied their similarity after James Gortland, secretary to Chief of Detectives Hughes, had arranged them side by side yesterday:
To see the way this newspaper arranged the letters side by side, go to the gallery at the bottom of the page.
…
The paragraphs in the fiction and the fact letters which correspond closely are opposite and numbered alike, as the detectives arranged them. Each proposition, it is pointed out, is delt with in each letter in consecutive order, as they are numbers 1, 2, 3, etc.
And the actual death threat letter, though couched in even more faultless rhetoric than the letter of the fiction writer, seems simply, paragraph by paragraph, paraphrased from that author’s work.
Franks Death Letter Like Detective Story, Chicago Herald and Examiner, May 24, 1924
Comparisons between the death threat letter sent to Robert Franks’ father by “George Johnson” and another letter similar in form and almost identical in substance, which was printed in “The Kidnaping Syndicate,” a story by Christopher D. Booth in the May 3, 1924, Detective Story Magazine.
To see the way this newspaper arranged the letters side by side, go to the gallery at the bottom of the page.
Leopold and Loeb Discussing the Ransom Letters and Plagiarism Accusation
The men interrogating Leopold and Loeb are Joseph Savage and John Sbarbaro; assistant state’s attorneys. Robert Crowe is the state’s attorney.
Loeb’s confession, from Additional Statements, May 31, 1924, 4 AM, pages 52-54
Sbarbaro: This is all, now, with reference to the 20th day?
Loeb: Yes. Ever[y]thing was gotten in readiness. I believe also on that day the various notes and telephone messages-pardon me, the various notes were written on the typewriter for Mr. Franks.
Sbarbaro: Did you see him write any notes on the typewriter?
Loeb: Yes, I saw him write all of them.
Sbarbaro: What notes do you have reference to?
Loeb: I have reference to the note demanding the $10,000 in ransom.
Sbarbaro: What kind of a typewriter was that?
Loeb: An Underwood portable typewriter.
Sbarbaro: On a portable Underwood typewriter?
Loeb: Yes.
Sbarbaro: And what was the essence of that note?
Loeb: The essence of that note demanded $10,000, and told Mr. Franks that his son was safe; specified a certain way in which that money should be wrapped, in a cigar box, told Mr. Franks that everything would be all right, the son would be returned to him within six hours, if he obeyed our instructions; but that if he disobeyed any of the instructions, that his son would be killed.
Sbarbaro: Now, who composed that note?
Loeb: The note was composed jointly.
Sbarbaro: And it was typed by Leopold?
Loeb: Yes.
Sbarbaro: Do you recall the words used in that note, to the best of your recollection what were they?
Loeb: “Dear Sir: You no doubt know by this time that your son has been kidnaped. Please follow our instructions carefully and nothing will happen to him. If you don’t follow our instructions to the letter, you will never see your son again.” Then there was a number, 1, and “Go down to the bank and get ten thousand,” – no, that wasn’t it; wait a minute. The number 1 was, “Do not communicate with the police; if you have already done so, please do not mention the letter. Number 2: Go down to the bank and get $10,000 in old bills. Be sure that the bills are old.”
Sbarbaro: Did you specify any denominations?
Loeb: Yes, “any new or marked bills will be noticed. Get $2,000 in twenty dollar bills, and $8,000 in fifty dollar bills. 3. Be home by one o’clock. Do not let the phone be used.”
Sbarbaro: Is that all?
Loeb: There was, at the end, I don’t remember.
Sbarbaro: Do you recall any other note that was written that day?
Loeb: I think the other two notes were written on that same day. All the notes and telephone messages had been written in a rough draft some days before that, so that all that was done on Tuesday, as I remember, was to copy those things. I dictated while Leopold typewrote.
Leopold’s confession, from additional statements, May 31, 1924, 4:20 AM, pages 36 and 39
Savage: Now, this letter, Nathan, that you had already prepared, in an envelope without any address on it, you had prepared that letter some time prior to that time?
Leopold: Yes.
Savage: Just when did you prepare that letter?
Leopold: Four or five days ahead of time.
…
Savage: Who wrote the letter that Richard dropped in the mail box in the car?
Leopold: Who wrote that letter?
Savage: Yes.
Leopold: You mean who typed it, or who composed it?
Savage: Who typed it?
Leopold: I wrote it.
Savage: On the same machine?
Leopold: On the same machine.
Savage: Do you remember how it read?
Leopold: “Dear Sir”-
Savage: It was addressed to Mr. Franks on the outside?
Leopold: Yes, Mr. Jacob Franks. On the inside it read: “Dear Sir: Proceed immediately to the rear platform of the train, have your package ready, face the east immediately after you have passed the first large red brick factory with a black water tower, with the wording “Champion’ in white on it. Count three or four,” I don’t know just what it was, “then throw the package as far as you can. Your son will be delivered to you within six hours after our receipt of the money.” Signed “George Johnson.”
Savage: That was also mentioned in the letter that you wrote to Franks?
Leopold: The one of six hours?
Savage: Yes.
Leopold: Then it wasn’t in this letter. I thought it was this letter.
Additional statements page 266-270, June 1, afternoon
Crowe: Do you remember that letter, Mr. Loeb, that appeared in some detective magazine?
Loeb: I never read that.
Crowe: But you have seen the letter in the paper?
Loeb: Yes, sir.
Crowe: What magazine did that appear in?
Loeb: A Detective Story Magazine.
Crowe: You got that magazine, didn’t you?
Loeb: I got the magazine, subscribed for it, I believe, two years ago. It was my first year up at Michigan; those magazines. I also bought the magazine my first and second year in Chicago quite often; I however recently have not read that magazine.
…
Crowe: You hadn’t seen this magazine, this particular copy?
Loeb: Not this year. I read this magazine, I believe, twice.
Crowe: You hadn’t read this letter prior to that?
Loeb: No.
Crowe: The letter in this case was sent to Franks’ house written in very good English; the punctuation is perfect, and it would be the work of an educated person.
Loeb: Yes, sir.
Crowe: [Crowe seems to be talking to someone other than Loeb] There was a letter published in a detective magazine we have just been talking about that this might be based on.
…
Crowe: Let me ask this question: Who typed this letter?
Leopold: I did, sir.
Crowe: That is the letter to the Franks people?
Leopold: Yes, sir.
Crowe: Who composed it?
Leopold: I composed it, jointly.
Crowe: How about that?
Loeb: That is, to a certain extent, true. The first part of that letter was typewritten, written on Leopold’s stationary; we sat down there and he type-wrote it. It is quite obvious, it is quite natural that a man who would write the letter, whether he was writing it or typewriting it, he did most of the composing, Leopold asking “Shall I say this,” and “Shall I say that?” And I saying, “yes,” or making some corrections. It was done jointly, and I really think the majority of the letter was written and the conversation was entirely Mr. Leopold’s.
Leopold: Didn’t I make some changes at your suggestion?
Loeb: There were some changes, yes.
Leopold talking with reporters on June 1, 1924, Chicago Evening Post, June 2, 1924
“Loeb planned all this,” he said. “Of course, I realize that I am just as guilty as he is, but it was he, nevertheless, who planned it, and then I furthered the scheme by writing the ransom letter. Yes, I wrote every word of it.”
Leopold talking with reporters on June 1, 1924, Chicago Herald and Examiner, June 2, 1924
“It was all Loeb’s idea,” he said. “I realize that I am equally guilty and that we both face the same penalty. It gets me nothing, then, to accuse him. Nevertheless, he planned the kidnapping and I helped carry it out by writing the extortion letter. Yes, I wrote it-every word of it.”
Author Christopher Booth Responds
Author Scouts Kidnaping, by George C. Briggs, Chicago Daily News, May 24, 1924
Christopher Booth, detective story writer whose imaginative letter and abduction procedure used as the basis of a recently published magazine story called “The Kidnaping Syndicate” were emulated by the murderers of 13-year-old Robert Franks, discussed in an interview with The Daily News correspondent to-day the psychological aspect of the kidnapers who followed his fiction formula.
He declared they probably would encompass their own defeat and capture from the very fact that by following a prescribed course they have demonstrated a total lack of inventiveness and cunning without which escape from the law is impossible.
The Lives and Legends of Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold 