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Negro Conley Makes Startling Admission
EXTRA
The Atlanta Georgian
South Georgia
Read for Profit---GEORGIAN WANT ADS---Use for Results
VOL. XI. NO. 256.
ATLANTA, GA., FRIDAY, MAY 30, 1913.
Copyright, 1906, q IJ\T r rC PAT N<
By Tn* Ueorgian Co. — J. o MORE
jrpo PAT NO
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NFRIIII Pit ft l&KLGNMS
II L W I I U M I Jand Gwktf •£&/.Afvc /
STEVENS
Son Is Freed of All Suspicion,
Men Sought Were Feared by
Slain Women.
As a result of his straightforward
story and the proof he has brought
forward to sustain it, the police vir
tually have eliminated Wade Stevens
as a suspect in the murder of his
mother, Mrs, Sarah C. Stevens, and
his sister, Miss Nellie Stevens, and
the burning of their home on the
McDonough road.
The activities of the police ana
Sheriff McCurdy are now being di-
Vected toward Walter Wilkes, and
Ernest Maynard, former employees
of Mrs. Stevens. A country-wide
search has been instituted for them.
Descriptions of the negro and the
half-breed have been sent out to all
parts of the South by telegraph, and
the officers are confident that it is
only a matter of hours before they are
arrested.
The theory that Wilkes and May
nard committed the crime, formulated
by statements made by neighbors of
the Stevens family, and statements
made by William Stevens, has been
strengthened, the police say, by the
statements of Wade Stevens.
Caw Wilkes Near Home.
Young Stevens, brought to Atlanta
from Chattanooga by Detective John
Black at 2 o’clock Friday morning,
told the police that twice within the
past week he has seen Wilkes, the
last time being only a few hours be
fore the murder.
“I met Wilkes in town Tuesday
night shortly before 8 o'clock,” said
young Stevens. “He stopped me and
asked me where I was going. I told
him that I was to Chattanooga. He
asked me if father had not already
gone, and I told him yes. Then he
remarked that he supposed mother
and sister would be alone at the house
during the night, and I told him I
supposed so. Then he asked me if
we needed a hired man, and said
’tie guessed he would go out and ask
mother if he could get another job.”
Young Stevens said he also saw
Wilkes within a mile of his home
last Sunday morning.
“I was driving to town,” the boy
declared. “And I met Wilkes just
beyond the bridge over the South
ern railroad. He asked me where I
was going, and I told him to town.
Then he wanted to know if mother
wanted any work done, and I told
him I didn’t know. He then asked
me if father was at home, and when
I told him he was, he asked if he
could go back to town with me. He
got in the buggy then and we came
to town. He said he was going down
on Decatur Street, and that was the
last time I saw him until Tuesday
night, just before I left lor Chatta
nooga.”
Both Insulted the Women.
Young Stevens is positive that
‘Wilkes and Maynard committed the
crime, and declares that both the
men have several times insulted his
mother and sister and tried to get
them to give them money.
"The negroes thought mama kept
a large sum of money in the house,”
said the Stevens boy, "an dthey were
always asking her for a quarter or
a dollar, and getting mad when she
wouldn’t give it to them. Mamma
and sister often talked of the ne
groes, and said they were afraid of
them. Three times that I can re
member, while Wilkes was working
for us, he tried to insult sister, and
that is why we discharged him.
• Twice sister saw him peeking in the
Tfe SCARLET PLAGUE
z/i £A.<s^~
FREE MAGAZINE
given with next
SIMM
Avoids Ma’s Scolding,
But Hearing Is Hurt
WASHINGTON, IND., May 30.—
Just because he did not wish to take
a scolding: from his mother, Clinton
Fitzgerald, 12-year-old son of Milton
Fitzgerald, carried the rubber off the
end of* a new lead pencil in his ea)
for a year and a half and nearly lost
his hearing.
The boy got the rubber fast in his
ear at school a year ago last winter
and was never able to get it out. His
parents noticed that he was losing his
hearing, but did not until recently dis
cover the cause.
The lad was hurried to a doctoi
and the piece of rubber was removed.
Wales’ Club Supper
Makes Queen Angry
Special Cable to The Atlanta Georgian.
LONDON, May 30.—The Prince of
Wales; it became known to-day, suf
fered a rebuke from his mother for
attending a “Bullingdon blind,” or
club supper at Oxford.
An exaction of the King and Queen
that he would not participate in any
of the Bullingdon’s evenings of drink
and song was the condition on which
he was permitted to join that college
organization.
The Queen has telegraphed him to.
remove his name from the Bulling
don.
Crippled American
Liner Towed to Port
Special Cable to The Atlanta Georgian,
QUEENSTOWN, IRELAND, May
30.—The American liner Haverford,
which crashed on Daunts Rock yes
terday in a thick fog, was towed tu
the entrance cf Queenstown Harbor
to-day with 21 feet of water in her
forward hold. The ship w’ill be towed
to Liverpool.
Arrangements were made for the
passengers to sail for New York to
day on the Baltic.
Court Wasn’t Her
Dear, So She’s Fined
PHILADELPHIA, May 30.—Mrs.
Katheryne S. King, of this city, was
arraigned for attempting to jump on a
moving coal wagon while she was at
tired in a slit skirt of the latest
model.
When the Magistrate asked for an
explanation, Mrs. King said:
“Why, I did it on a dare, my dear.”
“That will do; $5 or five days,” said
the Court. “No woman but my wife
can say ‘my dear’ to me.”
Whitney to Build
$110,000 Playhouse
NEW YORK, May 30.—Ham
Payne Whitney will build a $110,000
tennis court, swimming pool and club
house, 68 by 129 feet, on his Roslyn,
L. I., estate.
The structure will be of the armory
type, with no inside supports, its cen
ter ridge 59 feet high. The roof will
be of plate glass, the walls of con
crete. The pool will be 15 by 30.
BOOZE
ii
We Should Worry”
Motto Worries Class
Continued on Page 2, Column 8.
MUSCATINE,. IA„ May 30.—Mem
bers of the graduating class of the
Muscatine High School, who remain
firm in their refusal to accept any
motto other than that of "We Should
Worry," which was adopted by the
class yesterday, were to-day threat
ened with expulsion unless they
abided by the faculty ruling to accept
a more satisfactory motto.
Ready for Start of Big Auto Race
•*•••!• ^*•4* •»•••*•
27 in Indianapolis Speed Contest
•!•••$• •ft*!*
Weather and Track Are Ideal
Two cars in the big race at. Indianapolis,
low, Harry Endicott at wheel of the Nyberg.
At top, William Chandler in the Mercer. Be-
NOT BLOCKED YET
Proposal Before Finance Com
mittee Calls for New Contract
to Cost Less Than Old.
A proposal to purchase the out
lawed crematory through a new legal
contract will be made at a meeting of
the finance committee Friday. It is
generally agreed that it will take all
the city’s available money to buy the
plant, which means numerous special
improvements will be sacrificed.
Council is? agreed to carry out the
spirit, if not the letter, of the old
contract. This is firmly opposed by
Mayor Woodward, who reiterates his
charge that the plant is costing too
much, and he will do his utmost to
block the ‘new plan.
The original contract provides that
Council shall pay $276,000 for the
plant. It is believed this figure will
be reduced by the new contract, but
not as much as Mayor Woodward will
demand.
W. G. Humphrey, chairman of the
finance committee, agrees with the
majority of officials that Atlanta’.**
garbage problem must be solved this
summer at any cost. He has joined
with those trying to make a new legal
contract.
THE WEATHER.
Forecast for Atlanta and
Georgia—Generally fair Fri
day and Saturday.
Records Expected to Fall in Great
500-Mile Grind — Foreign
Cars Feared.
MOTOR SPEEDWAY, INDIANAP-
OLIS, May 30.—Bright skies, a warm
sun and prospects for an ideal racing
day greeted the drivers who took their
cars out upon the two and one-half
mile brick paved course early to-day
to try them out before the 500-mile
race, scheduled to start at 10 o’clock.
Each of the cars that qualified for
the biggest event of the auto year
was carefully inspected by the drivers
during the early hours.
Indianapolis to-day was speed
rrazy. The entire city was talking
auto races. Being a national holi
day, the day was given over to the
big speed contest. All business was
suspended.
Six Hours of Speeding.
When the 27 starters were being
made ready for the long grind which,
for the fleetest cars that finish, will
mean six hours of nerve-straining
work, the race course was being
washed clean and white.
It was expected that speed records
set In the 500-mile races of last year
and the past will fall to-day. An
average speed of 80 miles an hour was
predicted by the men who will drive
in the race.
The foreign cars entered from Eng
land, France, Germany and Italy were
the unknown quantities in the race.
Piloted by Tetzlaff, Trucco and
Grant, the Isotta cars which quali
fied by making a rate of 75 miles an
hour yesterday, were feared by the
American entrants. The English Sun-
Cars and Drivers
In Big Auto Race
The cars which qualified with
their drivers and their best time
in qualifying tests follow:
Miles
Per
Car and Driver. Hour.
Mason (Evans) 82.0
Schacht (Jenkins) 76.0
Stutz (Herr) 86.0
Stutz (Anderson) 82.5
Stutz (Merz) 84.5
Mercedes-Knight (Pillette) 75.5
Peugeot (Zucarrelll) 86.0
Nyberg (H. Endicott) 76.8
Mercer (Rragg) 87.5
Mercer (Wlshart) 82.0
Fox Special (H. Wilcox) 81.6
Case (W. Endicott) . 85.5
Tulsa (G. Clark) 76.0
Mason (W. Haupt) 81.0
Mason (J. Tower) 88.5
Case (J. Nlkrent) 78.0
Mercedes (Mulford) 81.0
Keeton (It. Burman) 84.0
Sunbeam (Guyot) 81.0
Isotta (Trucco) 82.0
Case (Dfsbrow) 82.5
Peugeot (Goux) 86.0
Anel (W. Liesaw) 77.0
cmra
IS CRITICALLY ILL
Attack by Nihilist Given as Cause
for Grand Duke’s Alarming
Condition,
Special Cable to The Atlanta Georgian.
ST. PETERSBURG, May 30.—
Alarming reports about the condition
of the health of Grand Duke Alexis,
the young Czarevitch, reported criti
cally ill last October, again were cir
culated here to-day.
Physicians attending the youth have
ordered him to Euphatorla, Crimea, to
take a course of treatment at the fa
mous Crimean mud baths. Because
of his illnees. the proposed visit of
King George and Queen Mary of Eng
land has been abandoned.
Czar Nicholas, the Czarina and
their only son probably will leave
within a few days for Crimea upon
the Imperial bomb-proof train.
Conflicting reports have been cur
rent as to the cause of the Czare
vitch’s illness.
Some stated he had fallen and in
jured his spleen. One rumor said he
had been attacked by a Nihilist on
board the imperial yacht Standart.
beam car, the mount of the French
driver, Guyot, was a favorite.
French Cars Heavily Backd.
The French car Peugeots, entered
by Zaccarelli and Goux, was bet on
by followers of the racing game who
are In Indianapolis. Mulford’s Mer
cedes and Pilette’s Mercedes-Knight.
made In Germany, were conceded to
have excellent chances of being
among th first few cars to cross the
finish line.
Of the American drivers, Bob Bur-
man in his Keeton, was said to have
the surprise of the race stow'ed in his
sleeve. Burman once was crowned
with a “speedway helmet,” denoting
that he was “king of the Indianapolis
motor speedway.” He knows every
Inch of the course, and his light car
Continued on Page 2, Column 4.
Friedmann’s ‘Cure’
Barred in New York
NEW YORK, May 30.—Dr. Fred
erick F. Friedmann, the German dis
coverer of turtle vaccine for tubercu
losis, has been barred from inoculat
ing person.** in this city, by a resolu
tion of the Board of Health.
In addition, the board amended the
sanitary code to make turtle vaccine
come w ithin its prohibitory scope. The
board holds that use of the vaccine is
dangerous.
WORLD’S OLDEST SALE8MAN.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 30.—Mort
than 80 year*-* of age, 63 of which
have been spent in the employ of
one firm, N. W. Flaisig, a needle
salesman, has just signed a contract
to continue with the house 25 years
longer.
&
SKIS BE HELPED 10
Detectives Place Credence in Factory
Sweeper’s Newest Startling Admis
sion-Prisoner To Be Grilled Again
in Effort to Uncover More Details.
Chief of Detectives Lanford admitted Friday morning that
Jim Conley, under the rack of the third degree, had made the
astounding confession that he had assisted Leo M. Frank in dis
posing of the body of the murdered Mary Phagan. His new
statement is believed to contain even more startling admissions
than have not yet been made public.
If the negro sweeper is to be believed after his long series
of deceits and lies, this forms the most damaging evidence that
has been brought against Frank since suspicion was first pointed
in his direction a month ago.
CHIEF BEAVERS
MADE POLICE
(i
H
Eleven of the twelve members of
the police board voted last night to
give Chief James L. Beavers plenary
power in selecting patrolmen and pro
moting officers in the line. The chief
thereby virtually is made dictator in
his department.
This action was embodied in a reso
lution expressing Implicit confidence
in the chief, also in N. A. Lanford,
chief of detectives. It broke a dead
lock in which the board stood six to
six on the election of a sergeant nom
inated by Chief Beavers.
Express Desire for Peace.
When the board assembled the
struggle between the Mason and
Woodward factions, instead of becom
ing accentuated, was abandoned by
leaders of both contingents, who ex
pressed a desire for harmony. J. B.
Newell, a detective who had been
nominated by Chief Beavers to suc
ceed the late Sergeant K. 8. Foster,
was thereupon elected almost unan
imously.
Commissioner Clarke was not pres
ent,. Mayor Woodward and Commis
sioner Johnson voted for other can
didates, explaining that they did so
only because of pledges.
Introduced by C. A. Garner.
The resolution making Beavers
chief of the police department in fact
as well as In name, and expressing
confidence in him and the chief of
detectives, was introduced by Com
missioner C. R. Garner. It was adopt
ed unanimously. Following is the
resolution:
Whereas it is essential that
there should be harmony In the
police force and its officers; and
Whereas at this critical time
there should be no mistake in the
public mind concerning the atti
tude >f this board toward Chief
James L. Beavers and Chief of
Detectives N. A. Lanford, and
their work as chiefs of the forces
under them; be it
Resolved, That this board has
implicit confidence in the chiefs,
their work, and the entire force,
and be it further
Resolved, That it Is the sense of
this board that the chief of police
should nominate the officers and
men to serve under and with him
in his work.
Ip
All hinges on the negro’s
credibility. Conley, if his truth
fulness can be established in
this instance, after he has lied
persistently for weeks, seems to
be the only person in the world
who may be able to connect
Frank directly with the crime.
To Ask Indictment.
it became so assured by Friday
morning that Chief Beavers was con
cealing circumstances of which the
public was already aware that he ad
mitted that the negro had made state
ments of this nature, although he had
no* confessed to the crime itself.
He added that he would apply for a
writ of ne exeat so that Conley might
be transferred to the county jail to be
held as a witness.
Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey
announced that if Conley persisted in
this story he would take steps to have
him indicted as an accessary after the
fact and bring him to trial on this
charge.
It was announced at police head
quarters that the negro would be
given the most sevdre examination he
has yet had, and would be confronted
with the charge that he was guilty of
murder.
Conley's startling tale came late
Thursday afternoon after he had been
under a merciless sweating for near
ly three,hours. Noting the signs of
weakening, Detective Harry Scott and
Chief Lanford shot question after
question at him in rapid succession.
Conley hesitated and then told
told the men who surrounded him
that he had seen Mary Phagan on
the day of the crime, but that she
was dead when he saw her. When it
became evident that the most im
portant disclosures of the long in
vestigation were to be made, G. C.
February, secretary to Chief Lanford,
was called in and took the negro’s
statement.
Aided Frank, He Says.
Conley said that Frank led him to
where the girl’s body lay and di
rected him to help in carrying the
body to the basement. The negro said
that he did as he was commanded
without asking any questions and
that he was badly frightened by the
grewsome task. He said that Frank
made no explanation of his strange
actions.
It is understood that Conley de
clared the body was hidden under
neath the steps on the second floor
before it was dragged to the base
ment. The body is supposed to have
been lying there when the tw'o wo
men came into Frank’s office shortly
after 1 o’clock, at the time Conley
says he das shut up in a closet
opening off the office.
According to Conley’s story, Frank
released him from the closet aa. soon