Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, April 30, 1913, Image 2
2
THE ATLANTA (J EOUHTAX AND NEWS, WEDNESDAY. APRIL :u>, 11)13.
* MARY PHAGAN AND HER AUNT IN VARIOUS POSES *
WATCHMAN NEWT LEE ON STAND TELLS
HIS OWN STORY OF THE PHAGAN MYSTERY
Continued From Page One.
wail'll Mr. <1 tntt? A. When they
turned him oil.
Q. Did you know why Gantt was
dischargedV A. No. sir
Q. How long have* you worked in
tin- pencil factory? A. Three pay days.
id. How often do they pay you? A.
Kvery Saturday.
Q. Have you told everything that
was said by you and Mr. Frank be
fore he left the factory? A Yea,
sir; only I offered him some bananas
and he wouldn’t take them.
• Saw Frank Leave Also.
Q.—How long did it take Mr. Gantt
to find his shoes. A. Very little time.
He found his shoes and went out of
the building after he had talked over
the telephone.
Q.-—Do you know' whether Mr.
Frank left the building during that
time? A. He wont outside. I don't
know whether he came back in or
not.
Q.—Did you see Mr. Frank walk
away? A Yes
Q Where did he go? A.—He went
up Forsyth Street toward Alabama.
Q How long have you worked for
Mr. Frank? A. Just throe paydays.
(4.—How long have you known him?
A - Just since 1 have been there.
Q When did you see that all of
the window's of the plan were down?
A When I made the rounds Just be
fore making my 7 o’clock punch.
Gas Light Changed.
Q. What did you do then? A. 1
went into the basement a few min
utes after 7 o'clock.
Q. What is on the top floor? A. A
whole world of machinery.
Q. Where were Gantt’s shoes? A.
In thn shipping department, near the
front.
Q. How do you get to the base
ment? A Through a scuttle hole.
Q. What part of the basement did
you go to? A. To a light near the
ladder only a few' feet from the lad
der.
Q. Did you light the gas in the
basement? A N*o, sir; it was lighted,
but it wasn’t like I left it that morn
ing. It was turned down like a light-
Q. Whi
Q. Wi
u Wi
iturday night did
e call? A. 1 don’t
: time.
A. Frank.
only call? A. Yes,
N Frank Telephoned Him.
Q. What did you do when the phone
ring? A. I took down the receiver
and said, ‘Hello!’ He said, ‘Hello,’
and said it was Mr. Frank. I said,
’Is this you. Mr. Frank?’ Then he
said, 'How is everything. Newt?’ I
♦old him everything was all right and
he hung up.
Q. Had Frank ever called you be
fore over the phone? A. No, sir. he
never had.
Q. Did he say where he was? A.
No. sir.
Q. Did you punch your clock every
balf-hour Saturday night? A. Yes.
sir; every half-hour from 6 o’clock
until 1 found the body.
Q. What did Mr. Frank say to you
Sunday morning? A. He said the clock
had been punched all right.
Q. Did he say the clock had been
punched regularly? A. Ye?, sir.
Q. You say you pushed the clock
every half-hour? Did you go to the
toilet that night" A. Yes. sir.
Q. Where did you go? A Up-
stairs.
Q. in you go to the 10:.ct
again? A. Almost .1 o'clock. I wait
ed because I wanted to go into th.e
basement on my rounds, so I waited
and went into th» toilet in the base-
I inent.
Q. How did you get down into the
I basement? A. 1 went down the lad
der and went back to the toilet. I
set the ladder on the floor against
I he side of the toilet. I came out of
the toilet and stepped up a few feet.
I don’t know Just how far. 1 looked
1 to see if the back door was all right,
land to see if there was any flr> fn
the basement. Then I saw' the body.
At this Juncture Lee’s testimony
began to differ materially with that of
the officer®, who said that the body
was lying face downward.
Thought It Was Trick.
I.ee continues: "I thought 1t was
something some devilish boys had
put there to scare me. 1 went over
and saw’ it was a body and I g.it
scared. Then I called the police. 1
tried to get Mr. Frank."
Q.’ Whom did you call flrst ? A.
1 The poflee.
Q. What did you say? A. I wai
; scared and f don’t know what 1 said.
1 I tried to tell them that 1 had found
I a dead body.
Q. How did you know the number
of the police station” A. Mr. Frapk
| gave it to me and* told me to call 1t
if anything ever happened around the
j plant.
Q. How was the girl lying when
you found her? A. On her back.
(Officers had testified that they found
her on her face.)
Q.— How did you happen to see
her? A.—1 saw her when I walked
out to look for a fire.
Didn't See Whole Body.
Q. Did you walk beyond that par
tition in the basement? A.—No, sir
I just saw parts of her. 1 saw* her
legs.
Q. Did you put your hands on her?
A.—No. sir.
Q What kind of an examination
of the body did you make? A None;
1 Just looked and saw’ that it was a
dead body.
Q.— Was her head toward you? A.—
No. sir. 1 couldn't see her head until
1 had walked around.
Q. Did you see any bruises on her?
\ No. sir, I just blood and lots of
dirt.
Q How did you find her” A On
the flat of her back.
Waited for the Police.
y How was the head? A. On one
Q. You didn’t touch her or make
any examination? A. No. sir; 1 didn’t
touch her.
Q. After you called the police, did
you go down into the basement be
fore they came? A. No. sir.
y How did you come to turn her
over? A I didn'. turn her over.
y. How did vou know she was dead?
A. I knew she was dead because she
was there. There ain’t no white wom
an going to be there if she ain’t dead.
She was all dirt and bloody. 1 knew
she was dead, boss.
Q. Was Mr. Frank at the plant
Sunday morning when the police took
you back there? A. No. sir
Didn’t Come in at Once.
Q Did he come after you got there?
A Y« \ sir. they sent an automobile
Q. Was lie excited when he came
■5 ? A. He didn't come in right away.
Q. Who have keys to the plant?
A. Me and Mr. Frank and Mr. Darley.
1 don’t know who else.
Q Did you ever let anyone in aft r
6 o’clock? A. No, sir
Q. Did you lock the door at 0
o’clock? A. Yes. sir
y. When do the fireman and the
elevator man leave? A. I don’t know.
They’re all gone when I get there.
y. Who stays In the plant from half
past 5 to 6 o’clock when you’re not
there? A. Mr. Frank and the book
keeper. and sometimes the lady who
stays In the office.
No One There After 6 o’Clock.
y. Was anyone working there after
6 o’clock Saturday night? A. Not that
1 know of. There were no lights and
all the windows were like I left them.
Q. Did you see blood in the ma
chinery room on Saturday night? A.
No, sir; I had to go through the room
where they say the lady was killed,
but 1 never saw no blood.
Q. Where are the dressing rooms?
A. Why, there’s dressing rooms all
over the building, boss.
y. Did Mr. Frank say the < lock was
punched all right? A. Yes, sir; on
Sunday morning he said 1 had never
lost a punch. *
y. When did you first tell any one
that Frank sent you away from the
factory Saturday afternoon? A. 1
don't know when 1 told it. boss.
Went to Basement Every Hour,
y. Did Mr. Frank ever tell you that
thej clock was not punched regularly
la *t Saturday night? A. Yes. sir; lie
told me on Monday morning that the
clock was not punched right.
y. How often did you go to the
basement Saturday night'.’ A. Every
hour, but only a few feet from the
ladder
Q. Could anyone have used the ele
vator and you not know It? A. No,
sir.
Q. How was the body lying when
you went back with the officers? A.
Like I found it.
y. On its face or on its back? A.
The same way, boss.
y. When did you turn out the gas?
A. I didn’t turn it out.
y. Was It burning when the officers
came? A. Yes. sir.
y. What kind of a lantern did you
have? A Just an ordinary lantern,
boss-.
Q. Was the lantern dirty? A. Yes*,
sir.
Knew It Was White Girl.
y. Could you tell by the light of
the lantern whether the woman was
white or black? A. Yes. sir; I could
tell by the skin and by the hair.
y. Was the head the only skin of
the girl you saw? You didn't see her
legs or her body? A. No, sir.
Q. Do you know any of the opera
tives? A. No, sir; they’re always gone
when I get there. •
Q. What is the back door for—the
one in the basement? A. 1 don't know.
y. Did you ever see it open? A.
Yes. sir; last Friday morning.
Had No Back Door Key.
Q. Did you have a key to the back
door? A. No, sir: the fireman had
one.
Q Was the fireman supposed to be
there at nfght? A. No; he leaves
when I get there.
Q. What’s his name? A. Knox,
y. is he a negro? A. Yes.
Lee was excused end J. M. Gantt,
who was* in the factory Saturday aft
ernoon to get a pair of shoes he had
left there, was called to be questioned
by Coroner Donehoo and others.
Went Down Scuttle Hole
On Ladder to Reach Body
Previous to Watchman Newt Lee’s
testimony, three police officers, who
were called to the pencil factory when
Mary Phagan’s body was found, testi
fied. Their testimony, with the ex
ception of such parts as were unfit to
print, follows:
W. T. Anderson, police call officer
on duty Sunday morning, was first
witness.
"We went over in an automobile
to the pencil factory and the negro
took us into the cellar where the body
was found." he said.
Anderson told of the location of
the scuttle hole, from which a lad
der led to the. basement, and of the
location of the body.
"At the foot of the ladder I did not
find anything.” he went on. "On the
left of the basement is a partition
part of the way. forming a room.
The body was at the lower end of
the partition, a few inches from the
partition and about six feet from the
outside wall of the building. Her head
was toward the from of the building.
She was l> ing on her face. The cel
lar was very dark.
"I did not see the body until 1
reached It. There is a toilet 011 the
opposite side of the basement, on the
right side next to the boiler. There
was rubbish, shavings and the like.
1 did not see any white trash lying
about.
"Sergeant L>obba picked up one
of the notes while I was there. Think
1 could identify them." ^
On being shown several papers An
derson selected one of the papers as
one of the notes found. It was the
note written on yellow paper.
“We also found a tablet and a pen
cil. There were four or five of us
there, and 1 do not know who found it.
"Right in front of the body on the
right side, 1 found her left shoe and
hat. She was dressed in a dark col
ored dress. She had no shoe on her
left foot. Her clothes were up to
her knees.
"Her lefi leg just below the knee
the stocking was torn and her leg
skinned. There was blood on her
head, while her eyes were bloodshot.
A piece of wrapping cord* and her
underskirt band were tied around her
neck. There was a cut on the back
side of her head by the left temple.
Her mouth and eyes were filled with
dirt and sawdust. She was covered
with so much dirt that I could not
tell whether she was white or black,
and had to pull down one of her
stockings to toll whether she was
white. Her legs below knees were
also covered with dirt and sawdust.
Staple Pulled From Door.
"There was a staple pulled out of
the lock at the back door. It is a
side door. It has a bar with a hasp.
There was a lock In the staple, but
the door was closed. Sergeant Dobbs
...
"There was blood on Her head,
stomach and legs. 1 had a flashlight
with me. Tiie watchman had tn
Continued on Page 4, Column 1.
LEE'S
STORY OF SHIRT
Negro Woman Says Man Accused
of Phagan Crime Was Not
Home Saturday Night.
If Newt Lee, the watchman, went
home on Saturday night and discard
ed a bloody, stained shirt. Lorena
Townes, the negro woman with whom
he boarded, knows it. Lorena says
Lee was not home on Saturday night.
Detectives found the blood-stained
shirt in an old barrel in Lee’s room,
and around this point has b^en built
the theory that after committing the
crime the man went homo, changed
his shirt, returned to the factory and
then telephoned the police. Support
ing this belief are the alleged omis
sions in Lee’s time clock checks dur
ing the night.
Lee lived in a utile back room at 40
Henry Street; Lorena Townes sleeps
in the front room opening on the
porch. There is no hallway. There
is a side door to Lee's room, but it is
always locked from the inside, ac
cording to Corinne Holsey, who lives
in the other half of the house.
Lee Had No TT«y.
The door to Lee’s room opens into
his chicken yard, the gate of which
is always locked at night and the key
kept in the house. Lee does not carry
a gate key.
His only access at night to his own
room Is through the room of the
woman who says she is his house
keeper. She says she thinks she
would have heard Lee if he had gone
through her room Saturday night.
Corine Holsey, in an adjoinihg room,
separated by only a thin partition,
thinks sht would have heard any un
usual noises.
Barrell Contains Rags.
In Lee's room is an old barrel
filled with rags and cast-off clothing.
The Torous woman says she has
never examined the contents of the
barrel and supposed that Lee’s wife
left it there.
Lee’s wife ran away from him a
few months ago and has not been
heard from lately.
Corine Holsey declared to-day she
>ay Lee at about midday Saturday,
in his back yard cutting wood and
1 hat he wore a brown flannel shirt.
When Lee was arrested he wore a
heavy shirt answering that descrip
tion.
HAYWOOD ON TRIAL AS
INCITER OF STRIKE RIOTS
PATERSON, N. J.. April 30.—
Scores of deputy sheriffs and police
men guarded the court of special
sessions to-day for the arraignment
of William D. Haywood. Elizabeth
Gurley Flynn, Carlo Treska. Patrick
Quinlan and Adolph Lessig, Industrial
Workers of the World leaders, in
dicted for inciting the Paterson silk
mill strikers to riot.
CROSLAND BANK SHORTAGE
SAID TO TOTAL $10,000.00
MOULTRIE, GA.. April 30.—An au
dit of the books of the Bank of Crop
land. just completed by a State bank
examiner sent to Crosland following
the alleged confession of an official
that he had embezzled several thou
sand dollars of the bank’s funds, it is
said reveals a shortage of $10,000.
EDMONDSON RE-ELECTED
AS MAYOR OF LAGRANGE
I.ARRANGE. GA.. April 30.—J. D.
Edmondson defeated P. H. Hutchin
son for Mayor of LaGrange in the
• ity primary yesterday by a vote of
385 to 140. Edmondson is the
incumbent. The Oouncilmen were
re-elected without opposition.
Girl Parts Battling
Newsies; Both Hurt
Saves Lads, Armed With Club and
Stone, From Serious Injury
In Street Fight.
Only the interference of a young
woman who had the courage to take
a hand in the melee saved Arthur
Wilson and Johnnie VonLiebman, 13-
year-old newsboys, from seriously in
juring each other in Peachtree Street.
Young VonLiebman attacked the
Wilson lad with a heavy club, and
the latter retaliated by banging a
stone on VonLiebman’s head.
Both were injured enough to cause
their removal to the Grady Hospital
for patching before being turned over
to the probation officers.
Mrs. Dodd's Funeral
Set for To-morrow
Well-Known Atlanta Woman Died
Last Night at Aragon Hotel
From Apoplexy.
L
The funeral of Mrs. Barbara C.
Dodd, prominent. Atlanta woman, who
died at her apartments in the Aragon
Hotel last night as a result of a stroke
of apoplexy Monday, will be held from
Patterson’s Chapel to-morrow morn
ing at 10:30 o’clock. The burial will
be in Oakland Cemetery.
Mrs. Dodd was reputed to have in
herited an estate worth half a million
at the death of her husband, Philip
Dodd.
The deceased is survived by on?
sister. Mrs. Fannie Ackerman, of New
York, and one brother. O. C. Dibble
of Atlanta.
N. C. ROADS ASK AID OF
COMMERCE COMMISSION
RALEIGH, N. C„ April 30.—Rail-
road officials this afternoon finally
declined to accept the Slate’s propo
sition for a settlement of the North
Carolina freight rate controversy,
and urged that the whole matter be
referred to the Interstate Commerce
Commission. The conference now in
progress here will be fruitless.
The State claims rates from Vir
ginia cities are inequitable. There
was talk to-day of Governor Craig
calling a special session of the Legis
lature to consider this matter.
NOTED BIBLE STUDENT TO
SPEAK AT GRAND SUNDAY
George B. Raymond, of Brooklyn,
Bible student of note and eloquent
speaker, will lecture af the Grand
Sunday in the second of a series of
weekly religious meetings. The flrst
lecture was delivered by J. F. Ruth
erford last Sunday.
Considerable interest in the lectures
Is being manifested.
MANY ENTRIES RECEIVED
FOR AUTO HILL CLIMB
Arrangements are being made to
day for the annual hill climb of the
Atlanta Automobile and Accessory
Association on Stewart Avenue May
17.
L. S. Crane, chairman of the com
mittee. to-day said entries this year
would be larger than last.
Many entries have been received.
Brother Says Rich Italian’s
Daughter Was Kidnaped by
Their Father’s Secretary.
PHILADELPHIA, April 30.—Lena
Bussemy, the 16-vear-old daughter of
Boston’s wealthiest Italian importer,
who has been famous in art circles
a.« a model, and who disappeared from
her home a week ago, has been traced
to this city by her brother and de
tectives, who say she is held by black-
hand abductors.
The girl’s father, who is known as
Mayor of Boston’s Italian quarter, re
ceived many threatening letters which
set forth that his daughter would be
kidnaped. ft
Frank Bussemy. who i« directing
the search for his sister, say the
kidnaping was carefully planned un
der the leadership of his father’s for
mer private secretary, for whom tiie
police are searching. The detectives
say that this man, Luigi Olivier, dis
appeared at the same time the girl
was lost sight of
It was also discovered that $974. a
personal fund which he had charge
of. was also gone from his desk at
the Bussemy place of business. It is
.‘•’aid that two men compelled the girl
to accompany them from the city by
the use of drugs, which they forced
her to take and which kept her in a
semi-comatose condition.
St. Louis Dedicates
Jefferson Memorial
Governor Edward F. Dunne, of Illi
nois, Makes Address—Peace
Envoys Attend.
ST. LOUIS, April 30.—St. Louis is
in gala spirit for the dedication cere
monies which formally gave the Jef
ferson memorial building in Forest
Park into possession of the city.
Thousands of visitors from Illinois,
Missouri, the Southwest and the na
tion in general, attended the cere
monies—the largest crowd ever as
sembled on a similar occasion in ihe
city’s history.
Governor Edward F. Dunne, of Il
linois, and members of his offiei il
staff arraived from Springfield. The
Governor will deliver an address.
Envoys to the fourth American
Peace < ongresy which opens Thurs
day, were guests.
DR, B0WDOIN NEW HEAD
OF ROYAL ARCH MASONS
MACON, GA., April 30.—Dr. Joe P.
Bovvdoin, of Adairsville, was this aft
ernoon elected grand high priest of
the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Ma
sons of Georgia.
Judge H. W. Hill, of Atlanta, was
elected grand sire, which means that
in 1915 he will be chosen grand high
priest.
REPUBLICAN WOULD REPEAL
FREE CANAL TOLL MEASURE
VASHINtJTON. April 30.—Represen
tative Britten, of Illinois, introduced a
bill in the House to-day to repeal the
free tolls section of the Panama Canal
act.
Britten declares free tolls is a thlnlj
veiled ship subsidy for American ships.
Drive away that tired feeling
or it may drive you down hill so
fast your health will be shattered.
Put on the brakes. Hood’s
Sarsaparilla stops the decline,
purifies the blood, creates appe*
tite and lifts one back to the
crest of the hill —the summit
of perfect health. Get it today.
WOMEN STRIKE RIOTERS
HURL STONES; ARRESTED
AUBURN. N. Y.. April 30.—Six
strikers, three women and three men,
were arrested tr-day in riots near the
International Harvester Company
twine mill when employees who aban
doned the strike and returned to work
were met by 150 strike pickets. Stones
| vi ere thrown, mostly by women.
SEWELL’S
SPECIALS FOR
THURSDAY and FRIDAY
We retail at wholesale
prices. *
Solid carload Fancy
Lemons. .. 16c per doz.
Solid carload Pine
apples 9c each
Solid carload New
Irish Potatoes, per
peck 3Ty 2 c
15c can Condensed
Milk 8 l-3c
16c can Corn 7y 2 c
15c can Hominy .... 7y 2 c
15c can Salmon 5c
15c can String Beans 5c
1,000 pounds Fresh
Country Butter,
per pound 22V 2 c
SEWELL COMMISSION CO.
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
11-13-15 Whitehall St.
Branch Store, 164 Decatur St.
? FLOWERS and FLORAL DESIGN!
ATLANTA FLORAL CO
Both Phones Number 4. 41 Peachtrei
rrfnTi mi’ri'? 1 if'if
ATLANTA
THEATER
Matinees
Wed. and Sat.
Hlglita 15c to 60c
ALL THIS WEEK
Except Wed. A Thuri, Klghia
Miss BILLY LONG
And Company In
A Butterfly
on the Wheel
First Time In Atlanta
This
Week
Mats. Tues.,
Thurs., Sat.
BILLY THE KID
A DRAMA OF THE WEST.
With the Young American Star,
BERKELY HASWELL.
Home Again With Vaudeville
ETffcOCVTLS Met. To-day 2:30
runs! m To-night at 8:30
Sophye Barnard--Lou
Angler & Co.—Chris
NEXT VEEI
Richards — Gaby —
Heim Children—Barr
6ua Edwardi
<£. Hope—Muriel &
Kid Kabaret
Francis and Others....