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3 THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS SECOND CHAPTER IN PHAGAN MYSTERY The Discovery of the Body of- the Slain Factory Girl and Start of Hunt for Slayer. WOM EN WHO MOURN MARY PHAGAN| MATTIE PHAGAN. MRS. R. E. PHAGAN. RUTH PHAGAN CHAPTER n. His heart pounding in superstitious fright, Newt Lee, the night watch man, forced himself to approach the strange object on the pile of debris in the pencil factory basement. A step nearer and he could make out what appeared to be a human foot. He recoiled and was on the point of precipitate flight. But he must look closer, he thought. Perhaps, after all, it was only the ghastly prank of some of the factory employees who had manufactured a rude effigy and placed it there to scare him. Determinedly he walked closer and thrust his lantern out over the mys terious object. He shrieked. Before his horrified eyes the shaky and un certain light of his lantern disclosed the body of a little girl. Grimed, bloody and mutilated the body lay on the flat of its back, as the terrified negro remembered it aft erward, although the police, coming, a few minutes later, found the body on its face, one arm drawn slightly up under the body and the other stretched full length at the side. Discrepancy Not Explained. This strange discrepancy never has been explained to thl public ex cept by the possibility that Lee, in his terror, was mistaken in the po sition he believed the body was in when he discovered It. Conley, tell ing his remarkable story three weeks later, said that he dumped the girl’s body face downward on the trash pile where it later was come upon by Lee. Lee was to oappalled by his grew- some find to make a close investiga tion. He only saw that it was a. lit tle white girl and that she had been murdered. With frightened steps he hurried to the ladder at the other end of the basement. He. was in a panic. He scuttled up the ladder and dropped the trap door over It. He felt a bit relieved away from the blackness of the ‘basement and the awful thing that it contained. In a moment he remembered that Mr. Frank had told him that when anything happened at the factory to call the police. Tbd telephone, at police headquarters rang at 3:30 o’clock. Policeman Anderson an swered it perfunctorily. Suddenly he straightened in his chair, his indiffer ence dropping from him in a flash. •What’s that? What’s that?” he shouted, trying to make out the inco herent message of the negro at the other end of the wire. Finally he un derstood that a girl had been killed and that her body was lying in the basemert of the National Pencil Fac tory on Forsyth street. Police Rush to Scene. •‘T ,,o re's been a murder, fellows,” he exclaimed, slamrqing the receiver on the hook. “Boots” Rogers was in the station. His automobile stood ill front The two men rushed out and jumped into the ear. in the still morning hours, they dashed toward the scene of the tragedy. Sergeants Dobbs and Brown stood conversing at Pryor and Decatur streets. An in stant’s stop was made and the two officers leaped Into the car. The automobile sped on to Forsyth street, and then down to the bleak, gray building from which only one dim light flickered. The car had barely stopped before the men were out of it, and on the sidewalk. They tried the door and it was locked. They rattled it impatiently and in a moment the figure of the still fright ened negro, swinging his smoky lan- * tern, was seen coming down the stairs that lead from the second floor. “Where’s the body?” was the first question they shot at him. Already the negro was under the shadow of suspicion. “Come this way,” Lee replied, and led the way to the opening into the dark basement. Into the Dark Basement. One by one the officers descended the narrow ladder into the inky dark ness, unrelieved except by the single gas jet, which was turned so low that the negro Lee described it as a “light ning bug.” Dobbs and Brown, with the negro, took the lead. Straight to the huddled, tragic form the black man guided the men. Sergeant Brown took one look. “My God. It’s only a child!” he exclaimed. And the child was little Mary Pha- gan, who had gone forth from home the day before filled with the happi ness of youth and untouched by any thought of harm or evil. The change was terrible. Tn ‘bp tortured form that lay cold In the fac tory basement could hardly be recog nized the fresh, pretty girl that came to Atlanta the day before to draw her pay and take childish delight in the Memorial Day parade. The brute who slew her had worked a sickening transformation in her features. The smiling, innocent face was bruised. Swollen and discolored. Cinders and black dirt were ground into the tender face so that at first it was almost impossible to tell whether she was black or white. Dragged About the Floor. She appeared to have been drag ged across the basement floor by her murderer with as little feeling as is given a sheep in the shambles. ■Blood from an ugly wound in the back of the head soaked and matted the pretty hair that, with girlish van ity, had been carefully brushed and tied with twin blue ribbons on each side of her head when she left home. A length of heavy cord was looped about her neck, and the deep purple imprints in her flesh told that her as sailant had used this either to drag her across the floor or to strangle her to death. If the story of the negro Conley' is found to be true, the body was not dragged in the basement. A clumsy gag, torn from her dress, was bound around her head. The pongee Silk lavender dress which Mary proudly had donned for the holiday was tom and blood stained. The twin bows of blue had been kept in place by the gag bound around her head. One little slipper was on her right foot and the other was found a few feet away. Her hat was found near the elevator shaft. Basement Is Searched. When the policemen had recovered from their first horror, they set out at once to investigate. They had hardly begun a search of the basement be fore their eyes lighted on two bits of paper by the side of the body. These contained the mysterious inco herent notes which were to play such a large part in the progress of the Investigation. This is the manner in which one of the almost illegible scrawls was de ciphered: “He said he wood love me laid down like the night witch did it, but that long tall black negro did it by hisself.' The other read: “Mama that negro hired down here did this I went to get water and he pushed me down this hole a long tall negro black that has it woke long lean tall negro I write while play with me.” By daybreak the police and detec tive departments, were In a turmoil of excitement. Lee Put Under Arrest. Newt Lee. the only person at the time known to have been in the fac tory while the murdered girl was there, was placed under Immediate arrest, being taken directly from the' factory to the police station. The dragnet was spread for other sus pects. Leo Frank had been called from the factory by Policeman An derson, but no answer came to the telephone. Early in the morning an automobile was sent to his house and he was brought to the police station to tell all he knew in order to assist the officers in their search for the criminal. Soon after daybreak the news spread that a terrible murder had been committed; that a 14-year-old girl had been attacked and strangled in the National Pencil factory. Crowds of morbidly curious began to gather about the factory. They pressed their way into the front door and swarmed down into the cellar. Officers had difficulty in handling them. Who the victim of the tragedy was the officers had not yet succeeded in establishing. Someone had said he thought it was a girl by the name of “Fagan,” but no one was certain. Grace Hicks, of No. 100 McDonough road, one of the girl employees of the factory, was brought from her home by "Boots” Rogers to identify the body. Girl Identifies Victim. She looked at the swollen face and at the little gold bracelet imbedded in the flesh of the arm. “It’s Mary Phagan,” she cried, and fainted. She had been a warm friend of the rtiurdered girl and at one time had worked by her s*ide. One of the most pathetic scenes was enacted when 12-year-old Vera Epps, who had been a chum and playmate of the Phagan girl since Mary had moved to Atlanta, visited the morgue and looked upon the distorted fea tures of her little friend. She burst into hysterical weeping and would not be comforted. She probably did not comprehend the full tragedy, but she knew that her play mate had been taken from her in a terrible manner and that some man fiendishly and ruthlessly had strangled her to death. Her father and mother were with her. They tried to get her to leave the room wh^re the body lAv, but she stayed on for more than an hour. Cries Out for Vengeance, Childish rage was added to her sorrow and she cried for vengeance. “I’d help lynch the man that killed poor Mary,” she cried, clenching her little hands in fury. “If they’d just let me I’d like to hold the rope that choked him to death. That’s all he deserves. I was playing with Mary only a few days ago. She was my playmate nearly every day, but when 1 saw her dead body I hardly would have known her.” A grief-stricken home on Lindsay street received the news of Mary Phagan’s fate that morning. Mrs. Coleman, her mother, had been fran tic with anxiety when Mary had failed to return home the night before. Mary had said that she would return directly after the Memorial Day pa rade. She never had failed in any of her promises. But the mother remembered that Mary had remarked about wanting to go to the Bijou. Possibly she nad met some of her girl companions and they had gone to the entertainment in the evening. She sent Mr. Cole man to town to wait at the door of the theater. He waited until long after the crowd had filed out, but Mary did not come. Mrs. Phagan slept hardly at all that night. Mother Had Premonition. Mary probably had gone to the home of one of her Friends, she tried to assure herself, but a deadly weight of fear oppressed her in spite of all her efforts to shake it off. She w'ould doze into a troubled slumber only to awake with a premonition that harm had -come to her child. When a knock came at the door that morning she answered with a sinking heart. Helen Ferguson, a girl living near by, stood there with*the tragic mes sage on her lips. “Mary is ” she started to say. “Not dead?” shrieked Mrs. Cole man, knowing too well that it was so. Other members of the family rushed to the door and they were told the meager facts as they were known i.K n, omy that Mary’s dead body had been found in the basement of the factory and that she plainly had been murdered. Mrs. Coleman swooned and for days she was unable to do more than walk about the h juse and moan tor her little girl. Aroused by the shocking crime, practically the entire detective force was sent out to capture the murderer of the girl. It was only the matter of a few hours before the police sta tion was filled with persons who de clared that they had seen Mary Pha gan some time on the day that she was slain or that they had seen a girl of about her age with one or more men at various times of the night. Every Clew Run Down. The detectives were hampered as much as they were aided by these well meaning persons. They w'ere forced to investigate every story that had any semblance of furnishing a clew to the mystery. Hours that day were wasted in looking up tales of* suspicious nrcurn-nees on the streets of Atlanta that Saturday night. Newt Lee, already in custody, was kept under a running fire of ques tions, hut maintained, even when he broke down and wept, that he knew absolutely nothing about the crime except that he found the body in the basement. A traveling man told the detectives that he saw' a girl he was certain was Mary Phagan standing in front of the factory Saturday afternoon talk ing to a man. Another person told a story of seeing three men, intoxi cated and reeling, leading a little girl FOB THEFT OF. day. The girl, he said, appeared re luctant to go with them and w r as crying. Another story that had to he inves tigated was that a girl of Mary Pha gan’s age had been seen talking to a man on the sidewalk near the pencil factory at a late hour Saturday night, and that she seemed to be trying to get away from him. The police at this time w'ere ready to credit the story that the girl had been lured to the fac tory at night and there attacked and killed. Nothing as yet had developed to substantiate the theory that she never had left the building after she entered it Saturday noon to obtain her pay envelope. Startling Story Told. After scores of persons had relat ed suspicious incidents that they had observed came the most startling story of all. It was that Mary had been seen on the street at about 12:30 Saturday night by an acquaintance who actually had spoken to her and had received a reply. E. L. Sentell, an employee of Ham per's grocery, was the informant. He had known Mary Phagan for yeajrs, he said. He was walking on Forsyth street that night when he was at tracted by the sight of a man coming down the street walking with a little girl in short dresses. As a girl of this age was an uncommon sight on the street at this hour of night, he wait ed as they approached. He was star tled to recognize Mary Phagan in the little girl. He knew that her parents were not accustomed to let her go out at this late hour. He spoke to her as she and the man FOR POST RATE CUT Certain Members of Congress Also Oppose Increase in Maxi mum Size of Parcels. WASHINGTON, July 23.—Postmas ter General Burleson has been re quested by the Senate Committee on Postoffiees and Post Roads to appear before the committee Thursday and explain his order reducing parcel post rates and increasing the maximum size packages to be carried by that service from 11 to 20 pounds. This order is to become effective August 15. Certain members of Congress, in cluding members of-the Senate com mittee, are opposed to this new order of the Postmaster General. Senator Bryan said to-day: “I think that the order of the Post master General at this time was ill- advised. I intend to use every effort to get my bill repealing that section of the law which the Postmaster Gen eral claims gives him authority to change the rates' passed by Congress before his order can go into effect.” Sues Money Lenders For Loss of Position MACON, July 23.—W. R. Roberts, a railroad fireman, who lost his po sition because his salary was gar nished, has brought suit for $2,000 damages in Superior Court agains* King Bros., money lenders, of Atlanta and Macon, Roberts charges that he borrowed $20 and paid back $40. and that King Bros, then claimed he still owed $22. Refusing to pay this, his salary was attached, which entailed the loss of his position at a time when his wife was critically ill. Armistice Near in War in the Balkans Special Cable to The Atlanta Georgian. SOFIA, July 23.—It was stated of ficially to-day that Servia and Greece have agreed to Roumania's proposal to discuss an armistice with Bulga ria. The preliminary discussion will be held at Nish. In an official note to Sofia to-day Roumania insists that she be allowed to retain strategetic position on the frontier; that specified privileges shall be extended to the Roumanian population in Macedonia and that the peace negotiations shall be opened in Roumanian territory after an armi stice has been signed. Bill Creates State Printing Supervisor The creation of the office of Super intendent of Public Printing is pro vided in a bill introduced in the House Wednesday by Representative Smith, of Atlanta. A salary of $2,400 is provided. The duties of the office would be to handle the awarding of all contracts for State printing. The appointment of a practical printer by the Commissioner of Com merce and Labor, the appointment to be ratified by the Secretary of State, Comptroller General and Treasurer, also is provided. passed. “Hello, Mary,” he said. “Hello, Ed," she replied. This is the sensational story that he told. Unquestionably, the man she was w’ith must be the man who knew about her death. A clew to his sup posed Identity w’as obtained. Sentell tvas positive he could recognize the man when he faced him. The news spread like wfildfire that an arrest was to be made and that the man to be taken was without doubt the one who had lured Mary Phagan to the factory and killed her. Within an hour the waiting crowds at the police station saw' the officers arriving with their prisoner. (To Be Continued To-morrow.) Georgian Want Ad Reveals Dis appearance of Silver in Bank Rest Room. Loss of a package of old and ex tremely valuable silverware has re sulted In a search for two young women who are believed to have picked up the valuables. The package disappeared several days ago while the owner was in the rest room of the Third National Bank Building, and tt is believed that two young women who were In the room at the time and who are not employed In the building, walked away with it. The loss has been attracting at tention by the appearance of a unique advertisement in the loss column of The-Georgian, reading. "The lady who removed silverware from rest room In the Third National Bank Building will avoid trouble by returning Immediate ly to Room 1405, Third National Bank Building.” The silverware bears the monogTam of “C," engraved on It a century ago. The package contained a number of spoons, sugar shells and other pieces. They were heirlooms and highly prized. „ , It is probable that arrests will fol low unless the silverware Is returned, ns the owner Is sure she can Iden tify the young women who were In the rest room. FELIX WAS IN PAIN. JOLIET, ILL., July 23.—Because he shrieked so they could not sleep a gang of Mexicans tied Felix Manuelo to the top of a box ear. He was rescued ana taken to a hospital where an operation for appendicitis was performed to-day. SEABOARD N A M ES LOW BALTIMORE RATE. $20.85 round trip, on sale Ad- gust 1-2-3. Through electric light ed steel trains, excellent Dining Car service. Ticket Office, 88 Peachtree. L SUIT CASE THEFTS Miller, Caught Robbing Store, Confesses When Accused by Detective Who Posed as Pal. Davison-Paxon-Stokes Co. Hatpin Stab May Cause Man’s Death Fraud Suit Thrown Out of Macon Court MACON, July 23.—The suit for $100,000 damages brought by A. C. Felton, vice president of a lumber company, against R. J. Taylor and N. M. Block, Macon bank presidents, in which they were charged with con spiracy to defraud him out of stock worth $100,000 and W'ith cheating and swindling, has been thrown out of Superior Court by Judge H. A. Mathews. The court sustained the general de murrer offered by Taylor and Block. SAVANNAH, July 23.—As a result of what may have been a hatpin wound in the arm, a Greek named Ricardos is in the Oglethorpe Hospi tal in a critical condition. Double pneumonia has set in. and it is not expected that he will recover. The police are investigating a re port that the Greek was jabbed in the arm by a woman with a hatpin. R. W. Miller, held by the police on a charge of breaking into GobcTa store, at No. 30 Carroll street, con fessed to numerous thefts of s«uit cases from passenger stations when confronted with a member of the de tective force who had been masquer ading with him as a pal. according to the police. P. YV. Reeves, captured with Mil ler. grew Pullen during the grilling and would say nothing. Chibf Lin ford told of the new evidence Wed nesday. When Miller and Reeves were rapped Monday night a third man escaped through a window. At the police station the pair denied all guilt. Then the detective, whose name Chief Lanford refuses to disclose, confront ed them. Reeves branded the de tective a liar. For a moment violence was feared. Miller’s home, near Red Oak. was searched Tuesday afternoon. A suit cas«e and a pair of white canvas shoes, stolen from the Terminal station on July 4, were found. Miller and Reeves will be arraigned before Recorder Broyles Thursday. Accused Chief of Feudists on Trial WINCHESTER, KY, July 23 — Fletcher Deaton, alleged to be the arch conspirator in the assassination of for mer Sheriff Ed Callahan, was placed on trial after Andrew Johnson had been found guilty and sentenced to life Im prisonment. Mrs. Lillian Gross, daughter of Calla han. shouted and wept for joy when the jury pronounced Johnson guilty. She worked up the evidence on which the prosecution was conducted. PAY ME FOR CURES ONLY If you havo boon taklof treatment for weeks and months and pay ing out your hard aarnad money without being oured, don’t you think It le I" **- “ * “ “ high tlmo to aeoept DR. HUGHES’ GRAND OFFER? HE SAVED 89 LIVES. MIDDLETOWN, N. Y.. July 23.— Captain Patrick Grace, 76, who had a record of having saved *9 persons from drowning is dead at his homo in short dress, near midnight Satur- in Montgomery. li tatlon and Examination are Free for the next thirty days. If I decide that your condition will not yield readily to ray treat ment. I will 1* honeat with you and tall you so, and net accept your money under a premise of a cure. My treatment will positively ear* er I wHI make you no oharpe for tha following diseases: KIDNEY, BLADDER AND URINARY TROUBLE, STRICTURE, VARICOCELE, HYDROCELE, NERVOUS DEBILITY, RUPTURE, ULCERS AND SKIN DISEASES CONTAGIOUS BLOOD POISON Ec. ...... rthtw.iiAtu . Catarrhal Affections, Piles and Fistula and all Nerveue, Chronic and Private Diseases of Men and Women. Newly contracted and chronic Cases of Burning, Itching and Inflammation stopped In 24 hours. I am against high and extortionate feea charge-1 by some physicians and specialists My fere are reasonable and no more than you are willing to pay for a Cura. All medicines, the surret and best of drugs, are auppUd from my own private laboratory Ol*T-OF TOWN MEN VISITING THE CITY, consult me at once upon arrival, and maybe you can be cured before returning home. Mauy cases ran De cured In one or two visits CALL OR WRITE -No detention from business. Treatment anti advice confidential. Hours 9 a. in. to 7 p m. Sunday, 9 to 1. If you can’t call, writ*: and give me full description of your ■*.lng caae In your own words. A complete consultation costa you nothing and If I can help you I will. DR. J. D. HUGHES, „ t . Opposite Third National Bank 1-2 I North Broad Straat, Atlanta, Ga. Some of the Season 9 s Best Merchandise in a Clearaway Thursday in The Down-Stairs Section Wash Fabrics At Prices that Many Will Want to Share 10c yard For 25c Voiles in solid col ors. 15c yard For 25c Dolly Madison Crepes—a pretty dress fab- llc yard 10c yard nc. For 20c Plisse Crepe in small floral designs, very dainty; many shades to select from. For 15e Dress Swisses in dotted and striped effects; full range of desirable colors. 12V 2 C yard For 25c Shirting Madras neat stripe effects—all fast colors. For 25c and 35c Silk stripe Poplins and Ottoman cloth. For 35c White Ratine in short lengths. For figured Lawns for dresses—white ground with neat black figures. or Brassieres That Are ^DC Worthy of Your At tention. Well-made, perfect-fitting Bras sieres, embroidery-trimmed; a value that every woman will appreciate at 19c yard 19c yard 4c yard this price. 49c For Girls’ White Lawn Dresses Ordinarily they would be priced at 75o—for they are dresses of good value, made of good lawn, prettily trimmed with embroidery and small tucks. 1 A 17 1 For Children’s separate Body 1 UC L3.Cn Waists and Drawers; well made, of good quality mus lin. Women’s Parasols At Half Price---50c Instead of $1.00 We thought they were remarkable values when we marked them at $1.00—women thought so too, for they bought nearly all of them at that price. The few remaining to be disposed of to-morrow at just half. An opportunity you will want to share. Clearing Out Certain Groups of Gloves, Hose and Handkerchiefs 25c Pair for Long Lisle Gloves—16- button length. 35c Dozen for Men’s Hemstitched Handkerchiefs. Children’s Hemstitched Handker chiefs; plain white; six for 15c. 23c Pair for— Women’s black lace lisle Hose; regular 35c value. Timely Things at Prices to Make One Think 50c Garden Hoe, at 25c. 39c Brooms, at 25c. Patented Grass Shears, at 10c. 6 Dozen Agate Buttons, for 5c. 25c Patent Leather Belts (all colors), at 10c. For Women 9 s Blouses Up to 75c Pretty Blouses in many styles, lace or em broidery trimmed. Choose from all-white or some with dainty color touches. High-neck or low-neck styles. Some are made shirt style, with either soft or laundered cellar. i ' ■ » » 29c