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IIBAKST’S SUNDAY AMEKICAN, ATLANTA, GA., SUNDAY, MAY 4, 1913.
Old Police Reporter Analyzes Mystery
ill I W £ 0 ‘ / .;«#A »;•••{• *»•••»• •!•••!• •!•••!• •)•••)•
an Case Solution Far Off, He Says
Continued From Pago 1.
of
>nf©rc
two wit
nesses examined were Dr. J. W. Hurt,
County Physician, and M. B. Darley,
general foreman of the pencil fac
tory where Mary Phagan was cm-
l»lo\od. No details of the conference
were revealed, Although it win known
that two girls who worked nt the fac
tory with Mary Phagan also had been
summoned.
Girls as Witnesses.
These girls, and probably others,
will fee witnesses before the Grand
.Jury afte it is convened. Three
>oting women who were Intimate with
the slain girl at the factory aleo will
be called. Lee is expected to tell more
to the Coroner’* jury than has been
made pubic, and Frank probably will
be beard.
Besides the private defectives, the
powers of the State and county courts
have obtained the services of experts
in medicine. In handwriting and even
in certain forms of insanity, and the
moat capable detectives of the public
force, that the case may be whipped
into tangible shape in time for imme
diate presentation to the Grand Jury
upon its organization.
Among the experts whose efforts
werre solicited 1* Dr. Claude Smith,
city bacteriologist, who has been re
quested to analyze the blood stains
on the ahirt found in the yard of
Newt Dee, the suspected negTo watch
man. This analysis was requested
that the officials might determine the
reasonability of the theory that the
ahirt was put In the yard of the ne-
irro by other persons as a ‘•plant" to
oonvlct him.
It is said that an effort will be
made to have the County appropriate
J 1,0Of to defray the cost of a private
Investigation Into the case. At any
rate, the determination of the Btate
»nd of the County to probe the matteT
i« certain.
That definite action will be taken
by the grand Jury and that definite
evidence may b« in hand for pres
entation to that body is borne out
by the tact that the suspicions of
officers are narrowing rapidly. Mul-
liiiaj and Gantt have been released.
If is understood that further investi-
will
proceed on
il girl did no
ory
lei
tlH
tr
dn
probe
I gatlon
1 that the d
factory aft
her death.
Grand Jury Member*.
The grand jury which wil
the case, will be sworn in to-morrow
morning at 9 o’clock by Superior
Judge W. D. Kills. Its members are:
F. B. ttaker, KouIk Newell, F. P.
H. Akers, iYank Hawkins, R. R.
Nash, Charlo Heinz, Harry G. Poole,
H. G. Hubbard, John I). Wing, R. A.
Redding, V. H. Kriegshaber, R. F.
Sams, A. D. Adair, Sr., S. C. Glass,
J. G. Bell, Cephas M. Brown, George
A. Gershon, A. L. Guthman, Walltet
Dunson, W. L. Percy, C. A. Cowles,
F. A. Pittman, Sol Benjamin, B. F.
Boll, L. H. Beck. B. F. Bennett, Hr.
H. M. Bout ell, W. E. Bcsser, W. A.
Albright. Albert Boylston.
Little Developed.
Chief of Detectives Lanford admit
ted last night that the lengthy confer
ence with Solicitor Dorsey, lasting
from noon until almost 6 o'clock yes-
terdHy. had developed little new in the
hunt for the slayer of Mary Phagan.
He said that the Solicitor had asked
for all the details in chronological or
der and that every feature thus far
developed had been gone over care
fully.
Solicitor Dorsey said at 16 o'clock
last night that nothing new had bean
turned up that could be made public,
but added that he was confident that
the Investigation following Its latest
leads would have now facts in the caso
In hand shortly.
He asserted that he had asked the
police officers for all their Information
and had gotten it.
Aside from Detective John Black,
who has been working steadily on the
case, with Harry Scott, of the Pinker
tons, Detectives Rosser and Starnes
were put to work on what is said to
be a new lead, the import of which is
being kept secret.
Rosser and Starnes worked all day
and Chief Hanford Is authority for the
statement that their work was grati
fying and the lead—whatever It may
be—had produced more than the old
trails traversed by Black and Scott.
Slayer of Mary Phagan
Still May Be at Large
Tin mystery of the death of pretty
Mary Phagan enters upon its second
week to-day with thr police authori
ties admitting that they are still with
out a conclusive solution So far as
the public has been permitted to learn,
the detective* are not even certain
that they have In custody tho person
or persons responsible for her death.
In the light of prewent develop
ment*, the police believe that no more
arresis will be made, but they admit
that th«* entrance of another theory
might entirely change the aspect of
the cast-. Tho detectives base their
present belief that they have the
guilty man or men on the well-sup-
ported theory that Mary Phagan nev
er left the National Pencil factory
from the time she received her pay
envelope on Saturday noon until her
lifeless body was taken from the
basement of tho building.
If this police supposition is correct,
guilt can rest only on one or more of
the men who were in the building
after noon on the day of the tragedy.
The police officers have been able to
learn of only five who were in the
factory Saturday afternoon or night,
most of the employees btdng absent
because of the Memorial Day parade.
These five were Leo M. Frank, su
perintendent; New t Lee, night watch
man; Harry Denham and Arthur
White, workmen, and J. M. Gantt, a
former employee, who returned for a
few minutes on Saturday evening to
ootain a pair of shoes he had left in
the building Of these five It is possi
ble for only two to have had any
knowledge of their crime. These two.
Leo M. Frank and Newt I^ee, are in
custody.
Tragedy That Grips People.
Atlanta for a week has been shock
ed with the horror and brutality of
the deed. That everyone was follow
ing with intense interest the develop
ments of the case wai manifest in the
a^' rn^Rs with which the newspapers
were bought up in the streets. It was
i fetor> that gripped and appealed, and
:i aroused an interest that will not die
until tho guilty person is apprehended.
The essential details of the case
a.- d< veloped throt gh -
V
Mary Phagan. the
daughter of Mrs. W. J
146 Lindsay Street, was
killed some time betve<
midnight Saturday, April
a struggle on the second
National Pencil Factor>
syth Street, indicated tin
week of in-
14-year-old
Coleman, of
j Hacked and
*n noon and
26. Signs of
floor of the
. 37-39 For-
3 o'clock Sunday morning when the
night watchman. Newt Lee, said he
found her bruised and mutilated body
in tho basemcnj as he was making
his rounds.
Harry Denham and Arthur White
were in tho factory from 7:30 in the
morning until about 3; 15 in the aft
ernoon. Newt Lee ('ailed at the fac
tory at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, but
was told by Superintendent Frank
that he need not go to work until
6 o’clock in the evening.
Frank There in Afternoon.
Superintendent 1-Yank left the
building about 1 o’clock in the after
noon, returning about 3. From this
time until 6:80 in the evening he
says he was in the building. At 6
o'clock Lee returned and remained in
the factory until he found the body
and was taken to police headquarters.
J. M. Gantt, the former employee, was
in the factory at 6 o’clock, and the
evidence show’s he left about 20 min
utes later. If there were any other
persons in the building during these
hours the authorities are as yet un
aware of the fact.
The night watchman's story is that
he made his rounds regularly every
half hour on Saturday night. At the
inquest he told that it was not re
quired of him to mako a complete
round of the basement, his main duty
there being only to see that there
was no fire. This he gives as his
explanation for not seeing at an ear
lier hour the body of the girl. The
undertakers say she had been dead
for from six to eight hours when
found. On his 3 o’clock round, the
watchman went farther into the base
ment and there saw the body of the
girl lying face upward.
He ran upstairs and called the po
lice. Then he attempted without
avail to get Superintendent Frank on
the telephone, he testified. The offi
cers came and found the body lying
face downward, although the watch
man declared he had not touched the
body. They also tried to call Su
perintendent Frank, but were un
successful. and finally notified Vic©
President Haas.
Four Men Are Detained.
Lee. the watchman, and Geron
Hailey, elevator man, were taken to
the police station. Both denied any
knowledge . >f the crime. Arthur Mul-
linax. a former street car conductor,
was identified by K. L. Sentell, 82
| Davis Street, as the man he saw with
I Mary Phagan at about midnight Sat-
b is
the
! urtlay.
Hi W
as t
aken by
the police
1 Sunday
niKii t
an
il held pending an
atui
•day i
invosUg
ation (
>f S<
entell’s si
lory.
at
the
1
Intend
ent
Frank
was sum-
fa<-
tury i
tvs pi
din
* headqi
sorters on
t ri
-ank ;
1 Monday'
momi
ii|? *
at he knew
it*r
<ir! an
d h
tr fate.
He offered
Problem of Slaying in Pencil Factory
One That Never May Be Cleared,
Declares Crime Expert.
BY AN OLD POLICE REPORTER.
On** week a«o today a pretty fourteen-year-old girl, Mary
Pliagau, was found dead in the basement of the National Pencil
Company, at d9 South Forsyth Street.
In the week that, has elapsed, little, if anything, ha* been’tlis-
covered tending to show who committed the crime.
I say 1 his without reserve, hut without, knowing what in
formation the detectives and police force may have that has not
yet been made public.
What has been made public is far from convincing. And in
an attempt to consider this most mysterious ease in a calm and
judicial way, we can deal only with such facts as we have before
us, not with facts that may come later.
It should be said at once that this statement is not for the
purpose of refleetng in the slightest degree upon the probity of
the police or detectives, or to attempt to fasten the crime upon an
individual, or to give to the public statements that are not true,
or to inculpate or exculpate any person now under suspicion.
1 am simply trying to set forth here a plain statement of the
ease as it was unraveled during the past week without adding
anything to, or taking anything from, a mystery that is still as
dark and deep as any mystery that has ever puzzled detectives
anywhere.
POLICE WORK IN A CIRCLE.
The police and detectives have acted just as police and detec
tives always act in criminal cases. They have arrested and held
the persons last seen or known to be on the premises; have held
them pending an investigation and sifting of testimony by the
coroner’s jury.
Policemen and detectives always work in a circle. Now and
then some pioneer, a limver man, with imagination, breaks out
of the circle and takes a straight line, pursues a clew not before
considered seriously, and really solves the mystery.
It was the most natural thing in the world, therefore, for the
police and detectives to hold Frank and Lde. Lee’s testimony lias
been heard. What he has told would not be considered very
strong legal evidence in the courts, if. indeed, it would be consid
ered seriously at all.
I am assuming that Lee lias told nothing that has not been
mude public, and it is upon this belief that the worthlessness of
his statements is founded.
Frank has been questioned by detectives and police, but so far
as the public knows, has said nothing, has given no clew, and has
maintained a calm attitude in the face of all cross-questioning.
He stoutly maintains his innocence.
The inquest to be resumed on Monday may clear the whole
mystery and again it may not.
Without in any way desiring to seem to anticipate the action
of the coroner’s jury, it would seem likely that the police will
hold both hee and Frank for the grand jury, where there will
be a iiuul sifting of all facts brought out, under the masterful
hand of Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey, and if sufficient, evi
dence is produced, indictments will follow.
EVIDENCE NOT AT HAND.
At present, on the evidence now before the public, there is lit
tle or nothing to lead to the belief that the mystery has beeu
solved.
Will it ever be solved I
My own guess is that it wall not.
Please remember that I am settting forth my own views and
they may be utterly valueless, and I may be entirely mistaken.
What I am writing is based upon what is known of the ease.
And T may say, too, that never in all my experience as an
old police reporter in many cities have I ever known of a mys
tery that is so many-sided, and so difficult for the public to un
derstand.
Usually, in cases like the oue under consideration, the news
papers publish all the rumors, true or untrue, all deductions of
police officials, valuable or valueless, as the case may be, and an
effort is made to lay before the public everything, column upon
Perhaps as many of the great murder mysteries
of history have been solved through the efforts of po
lice reporters—men assigned by newspapers to
Yover” criminal cases—as have been solved by de
tectives. At any rate the police will always admit
that police reporters have had a large part in un
raveling the knotty problems. In a case of this sort
the police reporter’s analysis is particularly good, for
he is simply seeking the truth. He, unlike the police,
is not held responsible for the production of the crim
inal, and therefore whatever line of thought he pur
sues is solely in the interests of clearing up a baffling
mystery. As such the accompanying article is pre
sented.
i ftp ir
P WWTTP Writes on the
j UKeJl
JlliN £♦ W ill 11 Phagan Case
Draws a
Lesson From the Shocking Occur-
rence
of a Week Ago, and Urges Conti-
dence in the Courage of the Law.
column is written, so that the public may know as much as the
newspapers know, and thus be able to form an opinion for them
selves.
While it is true that no newspaper in Atlanta has suppressed
a single fact in this case, it is also true that what has been pub
lished has been most carefully considered and scrutinized until
there was eliminated every statement that did not bear the name
of the person making it. Statements lhat were* valueless because
of prima facie absurdity were not published.
PUBLIC SUSPECTED NEGRO.
It was perfectly clear on Sunday and Monday last that the
public was willing tp put the extraordinary aet in the category
known as “negro crimes,” and the sentinujut of the streets was
that Lee was guilty or knew the guilty man.
But a second turn of the kaleidoscope, and it was easily seen
that while it might be classed as a “negro crime,” nevertheless Lee’s
story was unshaken; it was clear and circumstantial and ho did
not act in a guilty manner, for it was he who notified the police
instead of running away, as a scared rabbit, as nearly every negro
does when he is guilty or even accused of crime.
This, of course, does not eliminate Lee from the case. But
the fact that he has told the samp story so far as the public
knows and that he did not run away, lias shifted some of the
suspicion from him.
The Phagan case is not a “white man’s crime,” or if it is a
white man’s crime, it is extraordinary and most unusual.
What is known of Frank’s past is in his favor. There may he
pages in his life| that the police and public know nothing of. But
on tho facts as they have been given through the newspapers, his
connection directly with the crime is not yet sufficiently placed.
DID FRANK PLAY PART?
The publie will have a better idea, after hearing his story at
the inquest, what, if any, part he had in the crime, or what, if any
knowledge he had of it.
In the meanwhile, the spirit of fair play and the spirit of
justice that is inherent in everybody should lead to the with
holding of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of either Frank
or Lee.
Nobody knows.
But we do know, all of us, that the law is supreme; that tried
and faithful police officials and detectives ar$ working on the
case, and that every effort is being made to solve the mystery.
Will it ever be solved?
That is the question many people are asking themselves to
day, for after all the crime does not seem to be either a “mcjgro
crime” nor a “white man’s crime|,” nor the crime that a young
man, in the flush of vigorous manhood, would stoop to.
It seems to be more the act of a “Jack-the-Ripper”—a page
taken from the East End of London, from Whitechapel.
But whatever it is, may we not wait with calmness for the
law to take its course? May we not consider carefully the facts as
they are brought out by investigation, and not condemn the police
and detectives, not condemn men under suspicion until they have
been tried, not condemn the newspapers, on the one hand for
being too sensational, and on the other hand condemn them for
“suppressing the news,” when, as a matter of fact, no newspaper
has suppressed anything; and the police and detectives have
worked faithfully and earnestly in a mystery that would puzzle
even a Sherlock Holmes?
iiUy after ttii
ten*. He returned to* his home after
tire conference.
The story of the friendship of J.
M. Gantt. former bookkeeper in the
factory, for Mary Phagan decided the
officer# upon his arrest. He was taken
on Monday as he alighted from a
car at Marietta, where he had gone
to see his mother.
Mulllnax told .t straightforward
story of his every movement Satur
day night. He had been to the
theater with Miss Pearl Robinson, he
said, and afterward had gone to his
boarding house and to bed. His alibi
was established by the stories of
Miss Robinson and his landlady.
Gantt was explicit in detailing his
moves and was borne out by com-
pajiions and by his half-sister, Mrs.
T C. Terrell. 284 Raat Linden Ave
nue. with whom he lived.
The sensation of the case c&mo
Tuesday when a hurried trip by au
tomobile was made to the pencil fac
tory by detectives and Superintendent
Frank was. brought to police head
quarters. Tho officers denied at tirst
that Frank was under arrest. He
was brought to the station only to
throw additional light upon the mys
tery and for hi# own protection, they
explained. Nevertheless, Frank s lib
erties were soon curtailed and on
Thursday, right lie was transferred
with ls>e to the County jail on the
request of Frank's attorney. Luther
/.. Ross, .
Negro Sticks to His Story.
Ft ink rnd Ler were questioned at
la noli, . ..* .lion. The watchman was
put through the "third degree” again
and again. All the efforts of the de
tectives were not productive of a
confession of any sort.
Frank was Arm in the statement of
his absolute innocence. Lee broke
down and wept on several occasions,
but only protested his innocence the
more volubly.
The inquest Thursday proved to be
little more than an elaboration of
the testimony that had been gathered
previously by the detectives. Three
or four of the witnesses declared they
had seen Mary Phagan on the streets
or near her home in Beliwood some
time Saturday afternoon or night.
The stories for the most part were
found to be without basis and the
theory that Mary Phagan was lured
to the factory after once leaving it
was abandoned.
Lee was called to the stand. Tile
most damaging evidence brought
against him was the testimony of a
handwriting expert that two notes
found by the side of the dead girl
were in the same hand as the test
note penned by Lee after he had
been taken to the police station.
O. \V. Epps, the boy sweetheart of
Mary Phagan, created something of
a sensation when he testified that
Mary had told him that Frank had
attempted to flirt with her and that
she had asked him (Epps) to wait
mil go horn with her. Gantt and
Lee .stifled that Frank had ap-
p,seed nervous when they saw him
(Gantt) Fatucday at the factory
Gantt and Mullimix were liberated
soon after the adjournment Wednes
day.
Tho Inquest was to have been re
sumed on Thursday*, but was halted
by the desire of the authorities to ob
tain more clearly* defined evidence be
fore they continued the presentation
of tile case.
The next day Solicitor General
Dorsey announced that he had en
gaged private detectives to run down
clews which he thought had been
neglected or not sufficiently developed,
Prima Donna Wails
As She Misses Liner
Alice Eversman Vainly Offers $500
To Be Put Aboard Ship Disap-
peaing Down the Bay.
Waitress’ Art Wins
Her Rich Husband
Wealthy Lumberman Marries Girl
Whose Service in Hotel Cafe
Pleased Him.
NEW YORK, May 3.—Despite her
frantic offers of $500 to any one who
would get her aboard the Olympic
after that liner had left the dock.
Miss Alice Eversman, soprano of
the Chicago Opera Company, was
forced to stand on the harbor to-day
and watch the vessel disappear down
the bay.
“I want a boat, a tug, anything. I
must get aboard.** declared the ar
tist. "Thousands of dollars depend
on my reaching the ship. All my en
gagements will be missed." she wail
ed.
A reporter assured iter that the
Lapland would leave in an hour.
She esught the Lapland.
ATCHISON, KANS., May 3.—Be
cause he liked the way dainty Stella
Warden, 30 years old, dusted his
plates and arranged his food in the
Byram Hotel Cafe here last week,
H. P. Vernon. 40 years old, a w*ealthy
lumberman, of Memphis, Tenn.,
sought her acquaintance and proposed
to her. They were quietly married
here to-day at the court house.
Vernon came to Atchison on busi
ness last Tuesday* and Miss Warden
served him that night at supper. The
next morning he sought her table and
their friendship grew. After supper
he asked her to become Mrs. Ver
non. She accepted.
BATHTUB MAKER SENT
TO JAIL ON U. S. CHARGE
CINCINNATI. May 3.—Albert Weil,
secretary and treasurer of the Louis
Dipp Company, bath tub manufactur
ers, was sentenced to 60 days in pris
on to-day.
A fine of $2,500 was imposed upon
the company after it pleaded guilty to
violating the interstate commerce law
by underbilling goods shipped from
its factory.
Pastor
By DR. JOHN E. WHITE.
of the
e Second Baptist Church of Atlanta.
The proper study of mankind is
man, but the conditions for this
study are only occasionally fa
vorable. Dressed up in his every
day clothes, thinking his ordinary*
thoughts, and his human impulses
suppressed to the requirements of
conventional life, a man throws
very little light on the problem of
humanity*. Tim individual exhibits
mankind neither at its best nor at
its worst, s£nd never at its deep
est. The interesting things about
folks are not the things that Indi
vidualize and separate .them In
one mass. Therefore to obtain
insight into humanity you must
catch it ofT its guard and in the
sway of some profound spirit of
unity.
Whenever something occurs to
startle, alarm or even amuse a
whole community at a stroke,
there is the opportunity to study
and understand human nature.
The artist with his picture, tho
poet with his poem and the author
with his book are each in his way
striving to express emotions and
awaken sentiments which be
longed to all men—the chord of
human nature that sounds a uni
versal note. It often happens that
a shocking event, a disaster or a
horrible murder, affords the su
premely favorable situation for
understanding one's self and oth
ers, and for realizing the prob
lems presented to society.
The interest in a Murder.
Consider the extraordinary in
tensity of public attention upon
the horrible occurrence of the past
week. A hundred thousand eyes
looking'at one thing, a hundred
thousand ears listening at one
point, a hundred thousand
tongues questioning upon one is
sue—there is a spectacle worth
considering.
It is the murderer who domi
nates the stage in this drama.
Somewhere in this community
there is u man who did this deed.
Upon the retina of every eye and
on the film *>late of every imagi
nation there Is drawn the figure
of one single human being, to
ward which a hundred thousand
questions are hurled and upon
whom a hundred thousand accu
sations are concentrated. Our in
terest in him is his shape like
ours, his human likeness to us,
and, therefore, by him all of us
degraded. His crime dehuman
izes humanity and disgraces the
universe. This is the exquisite
yvoe of a murderer and the se-
cVet of the unvoiced consciousness
of all souls poised at him.
There is a feeling that the mys
tery of every murder is bound to
be uncovered. We reckon that all
the light of the world—light of
stars and moons and suns are
conspired against it. The very
existence of God seems to de
mand that for the honor of the
universe the murderer must be
exposed.
We feel that the murderer him
self must find it impossible to
support the guilty secret. Thus
Victor Hugo portrays Cain, the
first murderer, unable to elude the
great blazing eye that glares upon
him everyw*here; thus Lady Mac
beth, rubbing her red fingers,
echoes tho cry of her guilty hus
band; thus Eugene Aram finds no
leaves to cover the dead body,
and every stream in which he
places it dries up; thus Edgar
Allen Poe conceives the murder
er hearing the heartthrobs of his
victim beneath the floor; thus
the ancients Imagined that a dead
body would bleed in the presence
of the murderer. Upon him wher
ever and whoever it may be for
ever falls an insupportable weight
of doom. Whatever society may
do by law to punish the murderer
1* is nothing compared with the
cosmic wretchedness fixed ami
fastened upon him. Detected or
undetected by men, the murderer
never escapes.
The Mutilation of Life.
It is a somber but true thought
that the extreme guiltiness of
every murderer indicates the con
fraternity of all men who are en
gaged in the mutilation of human
life. In an age to come—and now
coming rapidly—society will not
so sharply discriminate between
the moral responsibility of those
defined as murderers under the
law and those who in more subtle
fashion have tho moral respon
sibility for sapping the vital ener
gy of men and women. This
murder in Atlanta Is associated
with circumstances and sugges
tions calculated to emphasize the
increasing movement of civiliza
tion to make a direful issue be
tween itself and those who despoil
innocence or press degradation
upon womanhood in any fashion.
Once, twice, and then again and
again we will witness a tearing at
the publie heart by the tragedies
of lust and greed, until one day
the social cup will be full and the
resolution which now dimly shows
Its protest wilp be resolved into
social conscience, and then into
social courage, and then into so
cial conquest of the untamed
Kcsts that prowl for their prey.
The lesser beasts who piy trades
and occupations that destroy the
bodies and the souls of men and
then send flowers to their funerals
are to be s. cially segregated, pla
carded and proclaimed. Every
murderer furiously tears the veil
startling crime is pointing its fin
ger at the sources of crime. The
murderer furiously tears the veil
aside for society to se e suddenly
its needs and problem of redemp
tion. It is not a hundred years
from the Coroner's jury and tho
court house, and the jury and the
Judgment of a civilizntiofi that
will (ocus stern eyes on all the
murderous forces at work with
in it.
• * *
The statement has been made
that there are ten million white
people in the South who are to
be described as "unsafely civil
ized." It was made by a Southern
man "to the manner born" and ap
parently approved in the intelli
gence of a large Southern audi
ence entirely devoted to the
South. Edmund Burke said that
he did not know how to draw an
indictment against a whole peo
ple. Since there are only twenty
million white people in the South,
the statement sounds Uke an im
possible indictment. To be "un
safely civilized,” however, is not
the same as being uncivilized.
The point of attention is that
there are vast numbers of white
people who do not sufficiently ap
preciate the necessity of personal
restraint and social confidence in
respect of law and order to be de
pended on under all circum
stances to support the orderly
processes of government. The
Southern people must increase
their balance on the side of safety
in civilization as rapidly as pos
sible. ,
Name Your Man.
Who are the "unsafely civil
ized?” "Name your man.” He
is the man we meet on tho street
and sometimes at the church, who
is willing *o say, without any
sense of saying anything wrong,
that under certain circumstances
he is ready to Join a thousand
others and batter down the Jail to
lynch a prisoner awaiting a trial
before a jury in the court house.
He is the man who expresses a
frank readiness to justify the mob
that has already wrecked Us fury
in thi^s fashion. He is the man
who can not sec that the gross
ness of the crime committed is
the greater reason why no one, or
a few, but all the citizenship
should have a share in its pun
ishment. He is the man who can
not understand that the .success
ful vengeance of a. mob is tho
disdain and therefore the dishon
or of the ritate.
He is the Southern man who
does not appreciate the stand
ards of civilization, by which
Southern people, as well as others,
are estimated in the judgment of
the world. When he is told that
In the four years from 1908 to
1912 all but 14 out of the 39S
lynehings in the United States
were committed in the South, it
makes no difference to him.
There is nothing evasive about
the attitude of this man. Ho is
frankly unconcerned about the
consequence of peril to society,
including himself and his own
• children, which follows the flout
ing of the law. He does not think
that far. He is civilized, but not
"safely."
The Fear of the Mob.
The presence of such large
numbers of men in Southern com
munities of this inflammable type
and of large numbers who assert
no stubborn defense of law and
order when trouble is brewing has
a powerful influence upon public
sentiment and creates a spirit of
uncertainty and of dread in the
whole people. The great ma
jority of the safely civilized is not
available in any outspoken way
to assert the power of society to
protect Itself in support of its in
stitutions.
In several of the Southern
States this fear 'of the mob is
rapidly decreasing. In one of
them only three lynehings have
been allowed in four years and
scores have been prevented. The
State of Georgia will begin to
make a better record when the
citizens of Georgia get a little
closer together In their thinking
on the evils of lawlessness. The
peril of the mob decreases in any
community in proportion as the
people get redder in the face in
stead of paler whenever the ru
mor starts that one Is forming. A
little righteous wrath at the right
time would save many vain re
grets after the mob has done its
work
White City Park Now Open