Newspaper Page Text
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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AM) NEWS, TUESDAY. APRIL 20, 19.13.
YOUTH HELD IN PHAGAN CASE
John M. Gantt, held in connection with lln- investigation of 1he strangling of little Mary Phagan
in the National Pencil Factory. Here Gantt is shown reading the warrant for his arrest on a
charge of murder. He stoutly denies any connection with the crime. An alibi story, told by his
sister, may clear him of suspicion.
lave already quizzed him as to all he knew in connection "with
he affair.
At the factory of the pencil company reporters were.suddenly
xolnded.
"We've been harassed enough by the reporters of the news-1
tapers,’’ was the explanation volunteered by Ed Montag, in
■harge. “This plant has had all the notoriety it wants.’’
In the working ranks of the National Pencil Company is be-
ieved to he the last hope of solving the great strangling mystery,
f these workers are barred to the press and to the public and ad-
nission is denied to the factory, those in authority have effectually
•loscd one of the most important avenues for the solution of the
rrime.
Frank Last in Building
Frank, to a Georgian reporter, just before his arrest, said:
"No one is more anxious to learn of the whereabouts of
itary Phagan Saturday afternoon and night Ilian I am. The com
jany is exerting every effort to get information and lias em
ployed a Pinkerton detective to work on the case. Officials of the
•ompany ako thought it best to retain counsel to assist in the in
vestigation, while every one of the foremen and head men about
die factory is endeavoring to find out if any of the employees
tnow anything.
"I deeply regret the carelessness shown by the police depart
nent in not making a complete investigation as to linger prints
ind other evidence before a great throng of people were allowed
:o enter the place.
"The affair is exceedingly embarrassing to me. To know
hat the authorities even felt that they should detain me for a
vhile and question me leaves a bad taste, and 1 am doing every
thing possible to locate the guilty man."
Arthur White and Harry Denham, the last two workmen in
lie factory plant the day of the tragedy, declared to The Geor
gian that when they left the building shortly after •'{ o’clock in
he afternoon Superintendent Frank was the only inaii remaining.
White's statement follows:
Denham and I went to the factory to work on Saturday, al-
ihough it was a hohlav. We left shortly after 3 o’clock in the
ifteruooil.
"We punched our time at exactly 3:10 o’clock.
"On our way out l stopped in Mr. Frank’s office and bor
rowed two dollars of him. Denham went in with me. Neither of
is saw anyone else in 1 lie* building. When we left Frank was the
inly person remaining.
Saw Gantt in Pool Room
“Denham and 1 stayed together most of the afternoon, and
m-the evemng we went to the Globe pool rooms on Broad Street,
near Marietta. We had been in thepe a little while when 1 saw
John Gantt come in. He did not play, but sat down and watched
the game.
“In a little while we went out, blit returned in a few min
utes and stayed until after 10 o’clock. Finally he said that he
guessed he ■would gp home, and that, was the last I saw of him.”
Denham’s statement is substantially 1he same. He said
that'he saw uo one else in the factory aside from his fellow work
man, White, and Superintendent Frank.
Mrs. ljeo Frank, wife of tire superintendent of the pencil
Faebory, declared to-day before the arrest that her husbnad was
anxious to do everything in his power to clear up the Mary Phagan
mystery and regarded the feeling against him as totally unwar
ranted.
“I do not care to go into any of the details of the crime,”
said Mrs. Frank. “My husband is at the office and is perfectly
competent to give out all information. Auv knowledge I have of
the affair l got from him.
“All 1hat I know is that lie is doing everything to solve the
mystery. He has engaged detectives ami is personally investigat
ing many of the clews.”
An investigation was conducted at the plant of the pencil
factory this afternoon in an effort 1o find some employee who pos
itively hail seen the Phagan girl after she drew her pay Saturday
noon at the office of Superintendent Frank. The canvass of em
ployers was made under the direction of Frank hmself.
Mrs. Leo M. Frank, wife of the factory superintendent: his
father and brother called at the police station this afternoon to aid
the closely guarded Frank.
They were not given admittance at once, as Frank was under
going an examination in the office of the detectives. They were
taken to he on’.ce of Probation Officer Ooogler, where they waited.
Restraining her tears with difficulty, Mrs. Frank declared her
belief in the entire innocence of her husband. She preferred not
to talk at length of the ease and said that it had not been discussed
in their home
Slo- broke down several times while talking and burst into
tears, hut recovered herself and contnued the conversation.
"My husband is absolutely innocent and able to take care of
himself in the matter, she said. " I would rather that any state
ments should come from him. We discussed the matter hardly at
all in our home.”
Airs. Frank is a striking appearing woman of about 30 years.
With her were her father, E. Selig, 68 East Georgia Avenue, of the
West Disinfectant Company, and a brother-in-law, A. E. Marcus,
of the Marcus Clothing Company.
Frank’s Rise in Company Rapid
Frank is 27 years old and has been married three years. His
iff was Alms l.ucile Selig. Frank and his wife live with her fa
st 68 East Georgia Avenue.
.f’l^nk was induced to come to Atlanta about five years ago by
his uncle, 1
1. M. 1'
rank, of this
city.
He
formerly
lived
in
New
York
and.
was in
the employ o
f the
St unlevant 1
’an C
ompany.
lie is
an ex
>ert nu
clianie and his
rise
uis
>een rapit
l with
th
s Na-
tionii
Pent-
1 Company. Coming
here
ii a
minor ca
mcity
hi
‘ was
not 1
ong in
being
promoted to i
posi
ion
of a lit ho
pity.
A
short
time
later li
e was made superinte
rnlent
SUFFRAGE PARADE
Startling Plan Is Proposed by
Daugliter-in-Law of Presi
dent Tyler.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL., April 29.
Rumors of a plot to assassinate
Lieutenant Governor O’Hara at
the hearing of the white slave in
vestigation commission to-night
were circulated throughout the
Statehouse this afternoon.
NEW YORK, April 29.—“In the pa
rade of May S let there be a banner
marked ‘Vice.’ If only one woman
marches behind that banner, thus de
claring her desire to free herself
from the dominion or man, the sight
of that brave woman would stir every
heart and the cause would take an
onward sweep toward success. Will
that banner wave In that procession,
and who will be that brave woman?”
This is the proposition put up to
the Woman Suffrage Parade Commit
tee by Mrs. G. Vere Tyler, widow of
Dr. Lachlan Tyler, who was a son of
President Tyler.
Furthermore, Mrs. Tyler not only
makes this appeal, but she lias found
a woman who has promised to march
carrying the banner.
“I have read this call sent out by
the Women Suffragist Committee
asking ill women to join the march.”
she remarked, ‘and 1 trust the> arc
sincere ir. their declaration 1 am
going to test their sincerity. If they
are sincere no woman in that great
aggregation of New York women
could possibly object to the woman
who will bear the banner ‘Vice’ and
behind whom will march, 1 hope
hundreds of her sisters in the same
profession.”
CLOSED^ BANK REOPENS.
MERIDIAN. MISS. April The
Hank of Cuba, closed by order of the
State Hank Examiner, was reopened
to-day. T. S. Ward, of Meridian, is in
charge.
CLASH OP SEXES
Militants’ Violence Arouses Bitter
Feeling—Mrs. Pankhurst
Still Outside Bars.
Special Cable to The Atlanta Georgian.
LONDON. April 29.—England is
becoming thoroughly aroused against
the violence of the militant suffra
gettes, and the early prophecy of Mrs.
Emmeline Pankhurst that there would
be a war of the sexes seems nearer
of fulfillment than ever before.
Anti-suffragists at a meeting to
day made angry speeches, condemn
ing the suffragettes for burning the
grandstand on the Neville athlet’.c
field. A number of suffragettes pres
ent tried to speak. They were seized
by the antis and severely assaulted.
Because of her physical condition,
Mrs. Pankhrust, who was temporarily
released from Holloway jail April 12
because of illness brought on by a
hunger strike, was granted an exten
sion of leave to-day by the home of
fice.
Doctors representing the Govern
ment examined Mrs. Pankhurst and
reported she was not in condition to
resume serving her three-year sen
tence. Throughout most of the day
militant suffragettes in great numbers
gathered outside the nurses’ home,
where Mrs. Pankhurst is confined, and
made hostile demonstrations against
the Government, the police and every
other institution symbolical of order.
They boasted that the nurses* home
was filled with gunwomen and any
attempt by the police to remove Mrs.
Pankhurst would be the signal for an
outbreak.
Followers of the famous militant
leader declared that if Mrs. Pankhurst
were removed they would make re
prisals in the form of violence which
would not only shock Europe, but.ihe
entire world.
PASTOR PHIS
FBI JUSTICE IT
URGED 811108
Brown Offers $200 for Capture
of Slayer—C. C. Jones
Also Gives $100.
Governor Joseph M. Brown to-day
offered a reward of $200 for the ap
prehension and conviction of the mur
derer of little Mary Phagan and May
or Janies G. Woodward issued a call
for a special meeting of Council for
tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock, urg
ing a $1,000 reward.
Governor Brown's decision was
reached on receipt of the following
letter from Solicitor Hugh M. Dor
sey :
"From the best information obtain
able, it is my belief that the circum
stances surrounding the death of lit
tle Miss Mary Phagan indicate a most
brutal murder, probably attended with
another horrible and detestable crime.
"The officers of the local police and
detective departments seem to be
using their best efforts toward the
solution of the mystery, but I believ
it advisable to ask that you offer a
reward for the apprehension, with evi
dence to convict, of the guilty par
ty.”
The Mayor’s message follows:
“To the General Council, City of At
lanta:
"Gentlemen'—The General Council of
the city of Atlanta is hereby called to
convene in special session to-morrjw
morning at 10 o’clock, April 30, 1913,
to take cognizance, in an official way,
of that most brutal crime that was
committed in thi9 city on last Sat
urday night.
"I think it is proper that the city
government should take some befi •
ting action as regards this most de
plorable matter, which, as it is, is
liable to cast unenviable criticism
upon the name of our fair city, and I
would suggest that your honorable
body offer a suitable reward of not
less than $1,000 for the capture of the
brute or brutes that committed such
an outrageous rime. I feel satisfied
that every taxpayer of this city will
heartily co-operate in indorsing the
action of the Mayor and General
Council in offering this reward. Re
spectfully submitted.
"J. G. WOODWARD, Mayor.”
Mother and Aunt of Mary Phagan
Swoon at Burial in Marietta
This Morning.
A thousand persons saw a minister
of God raise his hands to heaven to
day and heard him call for divine jus
tice.
Before his closed eyes was a little
casket, its pure whiteness hid by the
banks and banks of beautiful flow
ers.
Within the casket lay the bruised
and mutilated body of Mary Phagan.
the innocent young victim of one of
Atlanta's blackest and most bestial
crimes.
The spirit ©f the terrible tragedy
filled the air. An aunt of the stran
gled girl suddenly screamed, fell over
In her seat and was carried from the
church in a swoon from which she
did not fully recover for hours.
The stricken mother collapsed and
it was feared that her condition might
become critical.
The scene was in the Second Bap
tist Church at Marietta, where Mary
Phagan had lived when she was a
child of only three or four years. An
immense crowd was at the station
when the funeral train arrived at 10
o'clock. Many of them were young
people who had played about with
the strangled victim when she had
lived there years before.
Mother Collapses at Station-
Just as Mrs. W. J. Coleman, mother
of Mary, was being helped into a cab,
the pure white coffin was lifted from
the car. Mrs. Coleman saw it and
the single glance was sufficient to
awake afresh the torrent of fearful
memories.
She screamed and fell Into the arms
of her husband. It was some time
before she could be taken to the
church to witness the rites over her
daughter whose life had been sacri
ficed to the brutality of some man.
"Nearer, My God, to Thee, 1 ’ sang
the choir when the little casket was
borne into the church and carried
forward, where it was covered with
flowers.
Rev. T. T. Linkus. of the Christian
Church at East Point, whose Sunday
school Mary had attended in the
earlier years of her laughing, happy
childhood, was the minister.
"May God bring the man guilty of
this terrible crime to justice,” was
the supplication of the minister as
he raised his hands above him.
‘‘May God aid the officers of the
law in detecting and bringing be
hind the bars such a man/’ he con
tinued.
Aunt Screams and Faints.
His words were interrupted first by
the sobs of one member of the fam
ily and then by another. Miss Lizzie
Phagan, an aunt of the strangled
girl, uttered a piercing scream. She
was unconscious when those by her
picked her up. She was taken home
in a carriage and Dr. W. M. Kemp
was called. He had great difficulty
in reviving the grief-stricken woman
W. J. Phagan, the girl’s aged
grandfather, sat with his white head
bowed in sorrow. The tears ran
down his furrowed cheeks unheeded.
He was utterly broken and crushed
by the calamity which had visited
him and his family in his last years.
All the way from New York, where
he was on board one of the United
States battleships, came Benjamin
Phagan to witness the tragic funeral
of his innocent young sister. With
him were his brothers, Joshua and
Charles, and his sister, Ollie Phagan.
A sad procession moved to the lit
tle cemtery where the coffin was low
ered into the grave that had been
prepared. Mrs. Coleman collapsed
again at the grave and it is greatly
feared that she will be seriously af
fected by the ordeal through which
she has passed.
STEPFATHER OF DEAD GIRL
OUTSPOKEN AGAINST LEE
That Mary Phagan never left the
factory after she entered it at 12:15
o’clock Saturday, the day of her mur
der, and that she was killed and her
body dragged Into the basement by
the negro night watchman, Newt
Lee, now in jail, is the firm belief
of the child’s stepfather, W. J. Cole
man, and other members of her fam
ily.
As for Arthur Mulligax, former
street car conductor, held on suspi
cion. Mr. Coleman told a Georgian
reporter he thought him innocent of
the crime. He was also \’ery doubt
ful If J. M. Gant, ex-bookkeeper for
the pencil factory, where the girl
worked, had anything to do with her
murder or knew anything about it.
“If the negro watchman did not kill
the child, how would It have been
impossible for him to hear her
screams going on In the building?”
he asked. “A livery stable mar. next
door heard them, and it would have
been much easier for the watchman
to. If the black did not do it him
self, then he must have known
something about it, and who the per
son was who. did it.”
Outlines Theory of Murdor.
Then, In broken tones, for he had
just returned from making all ar
rangements for taking the girl’s body
to Marietta, Ga., to be buried, he out
lined his idea of how she met her
death.
“When Mary turned from the win
dow after receiving her money,” he
said, “I think that, instead of going
directly out, she went to the dress
ing room, perhaps for a drink of wa
ter, as one of the notes found said.
Superintendent Frank, missing her
when he came out and supposing she
had left the building, locked her in.
The negro watchman must have «een
her go into the dressing room, and
a little lator seized her a|d gagged
her.”
I^ater developments in the story go
to show' that the spot where the
child’s hair was found caught on a
steel lathe was not the scene of her
struggle with her assailant. In the
dressing room, It was said J>y a mem
ber of her family, there were plain
evidences that the attack was made.
She was also gagged in the room, for
a strip of her new lavender dress
was cut off from the front and bound
around her mouth to keep her from
screaming.
Ribbon Found Near Boiler.
Another bit of evidence, it was
said, that went to throw added sus
picion on the black was a bow of
the child's blue ribbon and a hand
kerchief found down near the boiler,
w’here he constantly stayed.
“The negro evidently kept the child
in the factory all day,” Mr. Coleman
said, “and was afraid to attack her
until midnight for fear she would
scream or somebody would come. He
may or may not have knocked her
senseless from the first, or he may
have tied her. I do not know, but
when Gant, entered the shop it is
more than likely that he knew’ noth
ing of the girl’s presence there and
simply went up and got his shoes, as
he said, and went out again.
“All this about Mary having been
seen on the street at midnight or at
any other time after 12 o’clock in
the day I do not think can be true.
I believe she remained all day In the
building. After the negro did the
work, he was afraid to leave or not
to notify the police, which would
make appearances worse for him.
Therefore he called the officers.”
Now Clears Mullinax.
Mr. Coleman said he had at first
given credence to a report that Mary
had come home at 6 o’clock Saturday
afternoon, and tjiat Mullinax, meeting
; her as she got off of the car, had
; taken her back to town with him.
This report, Mr. Coleman said, turned
! out to be untrue. The conductor had
' made a mistake, and the girl Mulli-
nax was with was Miss Pearl Rob
inson, of Bellwood, as he sw T ore in
jail.
This was corroborated by the con
ductor himself, J. C. Horne, 11 Coral
Place, on whose car the reporter rode
out to the Coleman home on Lind
say Street. The conductor said that
Mullinax and Miss Robinson had
taken-nis car out and, knowing Mul
linax, he had talked with him and
the girl, who at that time he thought
was Mary Phagan. When Mullinax
and Miss Robinson reached their cor
ner Mullinax remarked that it was
a bit chilly and he was going home
to build a fire. It was later that
they returned to the theater, the
conductor said, but on w hose car ho
did not krow. —
Anarchy Reported
In Mexican Capital
300 Refugees Arriving in New Or
leans Say Battle in City
Is Imminent.
NEW ORLEANS, April 29.—Mex
ico City is in a state of anarchy, ac
cording to 300 Mexican and Ameri
can refugees w’ho arrived here by boat
from Vera Cruz to-day.
They left the city, fearing a battle
was imminent. More than 100 of
those who fled from the Mexican cap
ital were compelled to sleep in the
hold of the vessel. They said an ex
odus from Mexico City had been go
ing on for several days.
SCRANTON, PA., DYNAMITE
PLOTTER’S BOND APPROVED
CHICAGO, April 29— Michael J.
Hanon, of Scranton. Pa., will he re
leased from the Pederal prison at
Leavenworth. Kans., to-morrow.
Supersedeas bonds to the amount of
$30,000 were approved in United
States Circuit Court here to-day.
Hanon was convicted in Indianapolis
of being a party to the dynamite
conspiracy.
Start Tifton Postoffice.
TIFTON.—James Devault, of Can
ton. Ohio, who has the contract for
building the Tifton postoffice, is here
to begin work. Devault got the con
tract last week im* $47,500.
IN STREET AS ft SPY
Five Gunmen Caught After Kill- Underwood Permits Free Discus
NO CHECK YET ON
TARIFF BILL TALK
ing Near Spot Where Herman
Rosenthal Met Death.
NEW YORK, April 29.—Jerry Mai-
da, known as "Jerry the Lunchman,”
was shot dow n on Forty-first Street
near Broadway early to-day by gang
sters, who suspected he had squealed
to the District Attorney.
The shooting occurred only a couple
of blocks away from the scene of the
murder of Herman Rosenthal last
July, but the gunmen had less luck
than the Rosenthal murder crew. Five
policemen heard the shots and pounc
ed upon five men whom they accused
of the killing.
The police allege that the men they
caught are members of the Paul Kelly
band, of which Jerry was an adher
ent. They gay that Jerry was thought
to be revealing the gang’s secrets to
the District Attorney.
None of the men caught were
armed, but witnesses said they had
seen them throw' revolvers away and
three of the guns were found in a
•garbage can near by.
The police say "Guinea Sam,” one
of the prisoners, was under arrest two
years' ago in connection with the mur
der of another member of the gang.
Police Herd Throng at
Trial of Four Inspectors.
NEW YORK, April 29.—Police
trials rivaling In public interest and
Importance the case of Charles Beck
er began to-day when former In
spectors Dennis Sweeney, James E.
Hussey, James F. Thompson and John
J. Murtha were arraigned on a charge
of obstruction of justice.
These cases grew out of the graft
upheaval which began with Becker's
trial for the murder of Herman Ros
enthal. Then men are accused in con
nection with the attempt to keep
George A. Sipp, a former Raines law-
hotel keeper, out of this State so he
could not testify at the trial of ac
cused policemen and police officials.
Police reserves were called out to
handle the crowds.
sion—Republicans to Offer
Flood of Amendments.
WASHINGTON, April 29.—With
Democratic Leader Underwood deter
mined to paBs his tariff bill at the
earliest possible moment, the House
to-day plunged into actual considera
tion of the measure under the flve-
rnlnute rule.
Underwood still was determined to
allow full and free discussion and
ample opportunity to offer amend
ments. He is not disposed to resort
to gag rule. It was known, though,
that the Democratic leader will re
sort to a gag as soon as he becomes
convinced that an attempt is being
made to delay the bill.
The best opinion was that if no re
sort to a rule is had it will take at
least two weeks to complete the read
ing of the bill. On the other hand,
Underwood can force immediate ac
tion by making a rule. Some idea
of the number of amendments that
will be offered can be obtained by the
statement of a prominent Republican
who declared lie had fifty amendments
to offer to the chemical schedule
alone.
LEGISLATORS PLAY BALL.
COLUMBUS, OHIO, April 29-
Democrat ami Republican baseball
"bugs'’ In the lower house of the Ohio
Legislature crossed bats at the Amer
ican Association Park here to-day.
FLOWERS and FLORAL DESIGNS]
ATLANTA FLORAL CO. !
Both Phones Number 4. 41 Peachtree]
MACON MERCHANT FATALLY
HURT IN AUTO ACCIDENT
MACON, GA.. April 29.—Laurence
H. Riley, a merchant, is at the hos
pital, expected to die from injuries
received when his automobile turned
turtle near Dunbar. 12 miles from Ma
con. Dr. George Cline, of Byrom,
witnessed the accident and rendered
surgical attention.
Sam Riley, also in the machine, was
rendered unconscious.
CARRY ANTI-FRAT FIGHT
AT MERCER TO FACULTY
MACON, GA,. April 29.—The fight
of the "frats" of Mercer University
against the Greek letter fraternities
will be carried to the faculty and pos
sibly to the trustees. A petition,
signed by every non-fraternity stu
dent, asking for the inhibition of the
societies at Mercer, this week will
be presented to the officials.
ATLANTA
THEATER
Mat>nees
Wed. and Sat.
Nights 15c to 50c
ALL THIS WEEK
Except Wed. & Thurs. Nighls
Miss BILLY LCMG
And Company In
A Butterfly
on the Wheel
First Time In Atlanta
LYRIC
This
Week
Mats. T ies.,
Thurs., Sat.
BILLY THE KID
A DRAMA OF THE WEST.
With the Young American Star,
BERKELY HASWELL.
Home Again With Vaudeville
rnQCVTU Mat. To-day 2:30
* Vliai H n To-night at 8:30
Sophye Barnard--Leu
Angler & Co.—Chris
Richards — Gaby —
Helm Children—Barr
& Hope—Muriel &
Francis and Others....
NEXT WEEK
Gut Edwards