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THE A TLA XT \ GEOEHTAX A XT) XEWS, TTDXESDAY. APRIL nn. mX
* MARY PHAGAN AND HER AUNT IN VARIOUS POSES
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WATCHMAN NEWT LEE ON STAND TELLS
HIS OWN STORY OF THE PHAGAN MYSTERY
Continued From Page One.
A
When they
A ate h Air. Gantt
turned him off
Q. Did you know why Gantt was
discharged? A. No, sir
Q How long have you worked in I
the pencil factory? A Three pay (Jays, j
Q. How often do they pay you? A.
Every Saturday.
Q.—Have you told everything that
was said by you and Mr. Frank be
fore he left the factory? A. Yea.
sir; only J offered him aome bananas
and he wouldn’t take them.
Saw Frank Leave Also.
y How long did it take Mr. Gantt
to find his shoes. A Very little time,
lie found bis 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 went outside. I don’t
know whether he came back in or
not.
Q.—Did you see. Air. I-Yank 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 three paydays.
Q.—How long have you known him? I
A.—Just since 1 have been there.
„ Q.—-When did you see that all of
the windows 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 ffoor? A. A
whole world of machinery.
Q. Where were Gantt’s shoes? A.
In the 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 lfght near the
ladder only a few feet from the lad
der.
Q Did you light the gas in the
basement? A. No. sir; it was lighted,
but it wasn’t like 1 loft it that morn
ing. It was turned down like a light
ning bug.
Q. What tinx- Saturday night di.l
you get a telephone call? A. I don’t
remember the exact time.
Q. Who called? A. Frank.
Q. Was that the only call? A. Ye.-,
sir.
Frank Telephoned Him.
Q. What did you do when the phone
rang? A. I took down the receiver
and said. ’Hello!’ He said, ’Hello/
and said it was Mr. Frank. I said,
Ms this you, Mr. Frank?’ Then he
said, ‘How is everything, Newt?’ I
told him everything was all right and
he hung up.
Q. Had Frank ever called you be
fore over the phone? A. No. sir. ho
never had.
Q. Did he say where he was? A.
No. sir.
, Q Did you punch your clock every
huif-hour Saturday night” A. Yes.
sir; every half-hour from 6 o’clock
until 1 found the body.
What did Mr. Frank s-ay to you
Sunday morning? A. He said the clock
had been punched all right.
'4 Did ho say the clock had boon
piinr.hed regularly? Yes. sir.
Q. You say you pushed tic clock
every half-hour? Did you go to the
toilet that night? Yes. sir.
Q. Where did you g«> A Fp-
Q. W
again? A. Almost 3 o'clock. I wait
ed because I wanted to go into the
basement on my rounds, so I waited
and wont Into th.. toilet In the base
ment.
Q. How did you get down into the
basement? A. 1 went down the lad
der and wont back to the toilet. 1
sot the ladder on the floor against
the side of the toilet. I cam# out of
the tdllet and stepped up a few feet.
I don’t know' Just how far. 1 looked
to see if the hack door was all right,
and to see if there was any Are In
the basement. Then I saw the body.
At this Juncture Hoe's testimony
began to differ materially with that of
the officers, who said that the body
was lying face downward.
Thought It Was Trick.
Lee continues: "I thought it was
something some devilish boys had
put there to scare me. I went over
and saw it was a body and I g >t
scared. Then 1 called the police. 1
tried to get Mr. Prank."
Q. Whom did you call first? A.
The police.
Q. What did you say? A. I w .s
scared and I don’t know what 1 said.
1 tried to tell them that I had found
a dead body.
Q. IIow did you know the number
of the police station? A. Mr. Frank
gave it to me and told me to call it
if anything ever happened around the
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 nappen to see
her? A. I saw her when 1 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;
I just looked and saw that it was a
dead body.
Q.—Was her head toward you? A.-—
No, sir. I couldn’t see her head until
1 had walked around.
Q Did you see any bruises on her?
A 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.
Q How was the head? A. On one
side.
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 0 A No, sir.
Q. How did you come to turn her
over? A. I didn’t turn her over.
Q. How did you 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. Yes. sir: they sen' an automobile
for him.
Q. Was he excited when he came
A He didn't come in right away .
A. Me and Mr. Frank and Mr. Darley.
1 don’t know' who else.
Q. Did you ever let anyone in after
(5 o’clock? A. No. sir.
Q. Did you lock the door at 0
o’clock? A. Yes. sir
Q. When do the fireman and tho
(devator man leave? A. I don’t know.
They’re all gone when I get there.
Cj 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.
Q Was anyone working tjiere after
f> o’clock Saturday night? A. Not that
I know of. There were no lights and
all the windows were like 1 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 I never saw no blood.
Q Where are the dressing rooms?
A. Why, there’s dressing rooms all
over the building, boss.
q. Did Mr. Frank say the clock was
punched all right? A. Yes, sir; on
Sunday morning he said I had never
lost a punch.
Q. 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.
Q. Did Mr. Frank ever tell you that
the clock was not punched regularly
last Saturday night? A. Yes, sir; he
told me on Monday morning that the
clock was not punched right.
Q. How often did you go to the
basement Saturday night? A. Every
hour, but only a few feet from the
ladder
Q. Gould anyone have u. c »ed 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.
Q. On its face or on its back? A.
The same way, boss.
Q. When did you turn out the gas?
A. I didn’t turn it out.
Q. Was it burning when the officers
came? A. Yes, sir.
Q. What kind of a lantern did you
have? A Just an ordinary lantern,
boss.
tWas the bantern dirty ? A. Yes\
sir.
Knew It Was White Girl.
Q. Could you tell by the light of
the lantern whether the woman was
white or black? A. Yes. sir; 1 could
tell by the skin and by the hair.
Q. 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 ret there.
Q. What Is the back door for—the
one In tlie basement? A. 1 don’t know.
Q. 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 night? A. No; he leaves
when I get there.
Q. What's his name? A. Knox.
Q. Is he a negro? A. Yes.
Lee was excused and J. M. Gantt,
who was in the factory Saturday aft
ernoon to get a pair of shoes he had
left there, was called to bo questioned
by Coroner Donehoo and others.
en dki
, I
q. win
have keys to the plant
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 (.all 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 lying on her face. The cel
lar was very dark.
"I did not see the body until 1
reached It. There' is a toilet on the
opposite side of the basement, on the
right side next to the boiler. There
was rubbish, shavings and the like.
I did not see any white trash lying
about.
“Sergeant Dobbs picked up one
of the notes while I was there. Think
I 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 wore four or five of us
there, and I 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 left 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 eves were filled with
dirt and sawdust. She was covered
with so much dirt that I could not
toll whether she was white or black,
and had to pull down one of her
stockings to tell whether she was
white. 11» r logs below knees w ere
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 boor. It has a bar with a hasp.
There was a lock in the staple, but
the door was closed. Sergeant Dobbs
and Brown were there before me.
"There was blood on her head,
stomach and legs. I had a flashlight
with me. The watchman had tn
Continued on Page 4, Column 1.
LEE'S
STOBV HE sail
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 foufid the blood-stained
shirt in an old barrel in Lee’s room,
and around this point lias been built
the theory that after committing the
crime the man went home, 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 mile back room at 40
Henry Street; L6rena 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 Key.
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 ttye house. Lee does not carry
a gate key.
His only access at night to his own
room is through the room of the
w'oman 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 adjoining room,
separated by only a thin partition,
thinks she 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 ther».
Lee’s wife ran away from him a
few months ago and has not been
heard from lately.
Corine Holsey declared to-day she
say Lee at about midday Saturday,
in his back yard cutting wood and
that 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, X. 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 Treskn. Patrick
quinlan and Adolph Lessig. Industrial
Workers of the World leaders, in
dicted for inciting the Pat- rson silk
ruill strikers to riot.
CROSLAND BANK SHORTAGE
SAID TO TOTAL $10,000.00
MOULTRIE, GA„ April 30.—An au-
dit of the books of th<‘ Bank of Cros-
land. just completed by a State bank
examiner sent to Crosland following
tin' 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
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.
St, Louis Dedicates
Jefferson Memorial
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’^ Chapel to-morrow morn
ing at 10:30 o’clock. The burial will
be in Oakland Cemetery.
Mrs. Dodd was reputed to have In
herit' d an estate worth half a million
at the death of her husband, Philip
Dodd.
The deceased is survived by one
sister, Mrs. Fannie Ac kerman, 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 State’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
LAGRANGE. GA.. April 30.—j. f>.
Edmond sen defeated P. II. Hutchin
son for Mayor of LaGrange fn the
city primary yesterday by a vote of
385 to 140. Edmqndson is the
incumbent. The Oouncilmen were
re-elected .without opposition.
George B. Raymond, of Brooklyn,
Bible student of note and eloquent
speaker, will lecture at the Grand
Sunday in the second of a series of
weekly religious meetings. The first
lecture was delivered by J. F. Ruth
erford last Sunday.
Considerable interest 1n the lectures
is being manifested.
Brother Says Rich Italian’s
Daughter Was Kidnaped by
Their Father’s Secretary.
PHILADELPHIA, April 30.—Lena
Bussemy, the 16-year-old daughter of
Boston’s wealthiest Italian importer,
who has been famous in art circles
as 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 w'hieh
set forth that his daughter would be
kidnaped.
.Frank Bussemy, who is 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 the
police are searching. Tho 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 w’hieh he had charge
of, was also gone from his desk at
the Bussemy place of business. It is
s*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 hdr irt a
semi-comatose condition.
Governor Edward F. Dunne, of Illi
nois, Makes Address-—Peace
Envoys Attend.
ST. LOUIS, April 30.—.St. y UouifrAa
in gala spirit for the dedieaao?.! Cere
monies which formally gave- Jef
ferson memorial building in Fprest
Park into possession of tbe igity.
Thousands of visitors from-Illinols,
Missouri, the Southwest ahd the na
tion in general, attended jthe cere
monies—-the largest crowd' ever as
sembled on a similar occasion in tho
city’s history.
Governor Edward F. Dunne, of Il
linois, and members of his official
staff arraived from Springfield. The
Governor will deliver an address.
Envoys to the fourth American
Peace Congress, which opens Thurs
day, were guesfs.
DR. B0WD0IN MEW HEAD
OF ROYAL ARCH MASONS ,
MACON, GA., April 30.—Dr.. Jop P. «
Bowdoin, 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
WASHINGTON, April 30.-—Represent
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 thinly
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. HoodV
•'.3
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..
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.
WOMEN STRIKE RIOTERS
HURL STONES; ARRESTED
AUBURN. X. Y., April 30 —Six
strikers, three women and threq men,
were arrested to-day in riots near the
International Harvester Company
twine mill when employees who aban
doned the strike and returned to work
S
(were thrown, mostly by women.
SEWELL’S
SPECIALS FOR
THURSDAY and FRIDAY
We retail at wholesale
prices.
Solid carload Fancy
Lemons.. . 15c per doz.
Solid carload Pine
apples 9c each
Solid carload New
Irish Potatoes, per
peck 37y 2 c
15c can Condensed
Milk 8 l-3c
15c can Corn 7y 2 c
15c can Hominy .... iy 2 c
15c can Salmon 5c
15c can String Beans.. 5c
1,000 pounds Fresh
Country Butter,
per pound 22 ] / 2 c
SEWFLl COMMiSS OM CO.
WHOLESALE AND RETA5L
11-13-15 Whitehall St-
Branch Stord, IG4 Decatur St.
FLOWERS and FLORAL DESIGNS!
ATLANTA FLORAL CO;
Both Phones Number 4. 41 Peachtree!
ATLANTA
THEATER
Nights 15c to 60o
ALL THIS WEEK
Eicspt Wed, A Thors, Nights
Miss BILLY- LONG
And Company In
A Butterfly
on the Wheel
Flret Time In Atlanta
LYRIC
This
Week
Mats. Tues.,
Thurs., Sat.
BILLY THE KID
A DRAMA OF THE WE8T.
With the Young American Star,
BERKELY HASWELL.
Home Again With Vaudeville
forsyth re,sag a? ;
Sophye Barnard--Lou
Angler & Co.—Chria
Richards — Gaby —
Helm Children—Barr
& Hope—Muriel <&.
Francis and Others....
NEXT WEEK
6us Edwards
Kid Kabare*
/
.1
!