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3
SECOND CHAPTER
PHAGAN MYSTERY
t
The Discovery of the Body of
Slain Factory Girl and Start
of Hunt for Slayer.
the
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
fude 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 disdosed
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 Us 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 the public ex
cept by the possibility that I-.ee, 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 w r hite 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 p&jiic.
He scuttled up the ladder and
dropped the trap door over it. He
felt a bit relieved away from the
blackness of the basemeht 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. The 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 it girl had been killed
and that her body was lying in the
basemen: of the National Pencil Fac
tory on Forsyth street.
Police Rush to Scene.
“T’-°.i e’s been a murder, fellow's,” he
exclrlmed, slamming the receiver on
the hook. •Boots” Rogers was in the
station. His automobile stood in
front The two men rushed out and
jumped Into the car. In the still
morning hours, they flashed toward
the scene of the tragedy. Sergeants
Dobbs and Brow n 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 w'as 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 dow’n 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 in ‘he
tortured form that lay cold In the fac-
‘ tory basement could hardly he recog
nised 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,
finders anti black dirt were ground
into the tender face so that at first
4 it w'as 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. tbrn 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 tne 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
MATTIE PHAGAtf.
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 w-ater 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 md.”
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 s’ent to' his house and
he was brought to the police station
to tell all he knew in ordet* 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
murdered girl and at one time had
worked by heb 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 nad
moved to Atlanta, visited the morgue
and looked upon the distorted fea
tures of her little friend.*
She burst into hysterical w’eeping
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
where the body lay, but she stayed
cm" for more than an hour.
Cries Out for Vengeance.
rhffflish rage was added to her
sorrow and .she.Cried for vengeance.
“I’d help lynch the man that killed
poor Mary,’ 1 - 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
I 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
would 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 smarted 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 farts as they were known
UK-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 house and moan for her
little girl.
Aroused by the shocking crimp,
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 were
forced to investigate every story that
had any semblance of furnishing a
clew to the mystery. Hours that
day w r ere wasted in looking up tales
of suspicious occurrences on the
streets of Atlanta that Saturday
night.
Newt Lee, already in custody, was
kept under a running fire of ques
tions, but maintained, even when he
broke down and wejpt, tb.it 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
in short dress, near midnight Satur-
FIB THEFT OF
Georgian Want Ad Reveals Dis
appearance of Silver in Bank
Rest Room.
day. The girl, he said, appeared re
luctant to go with them and was
crying.
Another story that had to be inves
tigated was that a giri 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 were ready
to credit the story that the girl had
been lured to the factory 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 Kam-
per’s grocery, was the Informant. He
had known Mary Phagan for years,
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-^
tied 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
Postoffices 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.”
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 allow'ed
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.
Sues Money Lenders
For Loss of Position
MACON. July 23.—W. R. Robert?,
a railroad fireman, w’ho lost his po
sition because his salary was gar
nished, has brought suit for $2,000
damages in Superior Court against
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.
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 I
worth $100,000 and with 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.
HE SAVED 89 LIVES.
MIDDLETOWN, N. Y„ July 23.—
Captain Patrick Grace, 76, who had a
record of having saved 89 persons
from drowning, is dead at his home
in Montgomery.
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.
Hatpin Stab May
Cause Man's Death
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. Doilble
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.
passed.
“Hello, Mary,” he said.
“Hello, Ed,“ she replied.
This L the sensational stofy that
he told. Unquestionably, the man she
was with must be the man who knew
about her death. A clew to his sup
posed. identity w’as obtained. Sentall
was positive he cou’d recognize the
man w’hen he faced him. The news
spread like wildfire 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 #aiting crowds
at the police station saw the officers
arriving with their prisoner.
• .
(To Be Continued To-morrow.)
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 It is believed that
tw r o 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 trt 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 monogram
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,
as 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
nf Mexicans tied Felix Manuelo to the
top of a box car. He was rescued and
taKeii to a hospital where an operation
for appendicitis was performed to-day.
SEABOARD NAMES
LOW BALTIMORE
RATE.
*20 85 round trip, on sale Au
gust 1-2-3. Through electric light
ed steel trains, excellent Dining
Car service. Ticket Office, 88
Peachtree.
L
SUITCflSETHEFTS
I
Miller, Caught Robbing Store,'
Confesses When Accused by :
Detective Who Posed as Pal.
R. W. Miller, held by the police on
a charge of breaking into Gober's
store, at No. 39 Carroll street, con
fessed to numerous thefts of yuit
eases from passenger stations when
confronted w ith a member of the de
tective force who had been masquer
ading with him as a pal. according
to the police.
P. W. Reeves, captured with Mil
ler. grew pullen during the grilling
and would say nothing. Chief Lan-
ford told of the new evidence Wed
nesday.
When Miller and Reeves w'ere
trapped Monday night a third man
escaped through a window. At thd
police station the pair denied all guilt.
Then the detective, whose name Chief
l^anford 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
ca.«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 jr*R b»«« taking treatment for week* and montha and pay-
Inq out your hard oarnod money wtthout being oured. don't yau
think It b hlfh time to aooept DR. HUGHES’ GRAND OFFER?
You will certainly not be out any more money If not cured C«# <1-
tatloa and Examination are Free for the next thirty day*.
If 1 decide that your condition will not yield readily to my treat
ment, I will be honeet with you and toll you »o. and not accept
your money under a promise of • cure.
My treatment will pMltlvaly aare ar I wHI make yau ne charge
for the following disease*
KIDNEY, BLADDER AND URINARY
TROUBLE, STRICTURE, VARICOCELE,
HYDROCELE, NERVOUS DEBILITY,
RUPTURE, ULCERS AND SKIN DISEASES
CONTAGIOUS BLOOD POISON
kci.i..-, Catarrhal Affeotlana, Pilot and Fistula and all Nenraua, Chronlo and
Private Diseases of Men and Women.
Newly contracted and chronic Caeee of Burning, Itching and Inflammation Mopped t n 24
hours 1 am agalnnt high and extortionate feta ahnrged by aome physicians and specialists
My fees are reasonable and no more fhan you are willing to pay for a cure. All medidries,
the surest and beet of drugs, are supplld from my own private laboratory OH nr TOWN
MEN VISITING THE CITY, ccusult me at once upon arrival, and maybe you can be cured
before returning home Marty case* esn be cured In one or two visits
('AM. OR WRITlt No detention from business. Treatment and advice confidential Hours 9
a nt. to 7 p m Sunday, 9 to 1. If you cAn’t call, write and give me full description of your
case In your own words. A complete consultation costs you nothing and If I can help you I will,
J n Ullf^ucrc Opposite Third National Bank
0 J. nuuntj, 16 J.f North Broad Street. Atlanta. Ga.
DR
Davison-Paxon-Stokes Co.
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
15c yard
11c yard
10c yard
19c yard
19c yard
4c yard
For 25c Voiles in solid col
ors.
For 25c Dolly Madison
Crepes—a pretty dress fab
ric.
For 20c Plisse Crepe in small
floral designs, very dainty;
many shades to select from.
For 15c Dress Swisses in
dotted Und striped effects;
full range of desirable eolorR.
12^0 vard 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
Worthy of Your At
tention.
Well-made, perfeet-fitting Bras
sieres, embroidery-trimmed; a value
that every woman will appreciate at
this price.
For Girls’ White
Lawn Dresses
Ordinarily they would he priced at
75c—for they are dresses of good
value, made of good lawn, prettily
trimmed with embroidery and small
tucks.
1 A IT I For Children’s separate Body
i UC LclCn Waists and Drawers; well
made, of good quality mus
lin.
49c
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 yon 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’s
Blouses Up to 75c
Pretty Blouses in many styles, lace or em
broidery trimmed. Choose from all-white or
some with dainty eoler touches. High-neck
or low-neck styles. Some are made shirt
style, with either soft or laundered collar.
29c