Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, August 04, 1913, Image 1
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The SUNDA Y
AMERICAN
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The Atlanta Georgian.
Read for Profit---GEORGIAN WANT ADS---Use for Results
VOL. Xli\ NO. 1.
ATLANTA, GA., MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 1913.
Copyright. 1906,
By The Georgian Co.
2 CENTS. r &££
STORY
FULL
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I
J
Witness Against Frank Gives New Details of Tragedy
TELLS GHASTLY TALE
During the long wait for Conley to appear, Frank, his loyal
wife and his no less loyal mother gave no sign of ftar. Accuser
and accused were about to face each other, a dramatic situation
which the authorities had sought to bring about since the negro
made his third affidavit charging Frank with the terrible crime.
If Frank at last were on the edge of a breakdown his calm,
untroubled features were most deceiving at this time. He seemed
no more concerned than when John Black, floundering and help
less on the stand, was making as good a witness for the defense |
as he was expected to make for the State.
When Solicitor Dorsey an
nounced that, Conley would be
the next witness the courtroom
■was electrified with a shock of
interest in which the only three
persons who seemed not affected
were this trio—Frank, his wife
and his mother.
Conley took the stand. He lifted
his hand to be sworn. Not a sound
but the Solicitor's words disturbed the
little courtroom.
"Do you know Deo Frank?" was the
first question shot at the negro.
"Yes, sar, I do,” Conley replied.
"Whore is he?”
Negro Points Out Frank.
“Right there he is," said the negro,
leveling his finger at the defendant
of Frank s office.
Frank still exhibited no sign of con
cern
Conley then related hearing the
footsteps going back to the metal
room and of being startled by the
shrieks of a young girl.
Mrs. Frank Bows Head.
Mrs. Frank bowed her head, but
gave no other sign. Frank still was
the personification of coolness and
composure.
His mother looked slightly down
ward and toward the judge's bench.
She seldom raised her eyes except
at times to look with an expression
of pathetic pleading at .the negro wit
ness.
Conley testified with dramatic ra
pidity the grewsome story he already
told the police, changing it in some
Not a quiver disturbed Frank’s fea- ; places and adding to It in others,
tures as the negro’s accusing finger j He repeated the thrilling incidents
pointed him out. It any one in the | of the day with absolute nonchalance,
crowded, breathless courtroom ex- j He told of them in such a torrent of
pected the cheeks of the young super- i rapid words that the Solicitor had to
intendent to blanch; if anyon ex- j caution him frequently to take his
pected him to quail and tremble un- i time.
der the damning, glib accusation of j He repeated the alleged eonversa-
Conley, that person was disappointed. J tions, with Frank verbatim. At no
Frank spoke a few words to his 1 time did he display any uncertainty.
wife. Whether they were words of
assurance, no one will know. At any
rate, Mrs. Frank replied with just
the ghost of a smile and the long
question of the negro was begun.
Probably everyone In the courtroom
was looking for some sign of collapse
from the prisoner as the negro un
folded his remarkable tale, more in
criminating. more elaborate, more in
detail, than ever before.
Jury Listens Breathlessly.
laamatic in its very glibness and
uncdScern, Conley’s story. If !t failed
to shake or disturb Leo Frank, at
least had a wonderful impression
upon each member of the jury.
Conley told of seeing Mary Phagan
enter the factory. This was the first
time he had admitted to this, so far as
the public had known.
Frank showed only a mild interest,
but the jurors strained forward in
their seats.
Conley told of hearing the toot
He made no slip while he was a!
lowed by the Solicitor to proceed with
his grim story.
Tells of Finding Body.
After hearing the shriek of the lit
tle girl, Conley impressively told that
he heard some one tiptoeing back
from the metal room and an Instant
later heard Frank signaling him
from the top of the stairs.
Then followed the tragic story of
how Frank had him go to the rear
of the building where he said he
fouqd the dead body of Mary Phagan.
One revolting and horrible detail
after another came from the negro’s
lips, and still the man in the prisoner’s
chair sat unmoved, unperturbed.
The negro told of carrying the body
from the metal room to the elevator
and of Frank picking up the girl’s
legs and helping him.
Some crocus bagging, heavily
stained with the blood of the child
victim, was dramatically displayed by
steps from his vantage point on the j the Solicitor. It had no effect on
first floor, of two persons coming oui ' Frank. Conley Identified It as the
r
bagrging in which he had carried the
body of the girl.
A Dwarf on a
Giant’s Shoulders
Sees Farther
of the Two
J
Comparatively speaking,
the ‘Want Ad’ is but a
dwarf in size; but, car
ried upon the shoulders
of a giant circulation, it
is certain to reach and
see more people than is
possible in any other
way. When you want
what you want when you
want it, use Georgian
WAND ADS to secure it.
Rome Man Accused
Of Deserting Bride
DURHAM, N. C. f Aug. 4.—Police
| Sergeant J. M. Cagle has returned
with H. A. Smith, of Rome, Ga., wh.i
! was arrested there several days ago
! at the request of the local authorities
on warrants charging him with leav-
j lng a hotel bill of nearly $200 unpaid
here and with wife desertion.
oeveral weeks ago Smith came to
Durham and began a courtship with
Miss Rosaline Wright, resulting in a
hasty marriage. For a few weeks the
couple remained together, but it is
now alleged by Mrs. Smith, that
desetred her.
Pony Winners To Be
AnnouncedTuesday
The winners in The Geor-
gian-American Shetland Pony
Contest will be announced in
Tuesday's Georgian.
MOTHER OF ACCUSED
IN THE PHAGAN CASE
“ - 7
HEARS NEW TRIAL MOTION.
VALDOSTA.—A motion for a new
trial for I. B. Hall, found guilty of
murder and tentenced to hang in Tift
County, was argued here before Judge
W. E. Thomas, of Superior court.
Judge Thomas reserved his decision
until next Saturday.
DO YOU
KNOW
9
THE DEEPEST WELL
IN THE WORLD
SEE PAGE 15
11 SAYS NEGRO,
PLANT
A,,B.& A,, Unable
To Pay Outstanding
Debts, Is Foreclosed
Failing to meet its outstanding ob
ligations Monday, the Atlanta, Bir
mingham and Atlantic Railroad un
der a recent order of the United
States Court of Appeals, which al
lowed one month In which to settle,
was declared foreclosed.
The property will now be adver
tised In Atlanta. Birmingham and
Boston papers once a week for sit
consecutive weeks. A date for actual
sale will then be fixed by Victor L.
Smith, special master.
The outstanding obligations of the
Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlanti •
are $90,947 per mile, while net earn
ings for the fiscal year totalled
$1,022.65 per mile.
As black and revolting a story as ever told to a
Georgia jury held a packed courtroom bound with hor
ror and irresistible interest Monday.
Leo M. Frank, brilliant young superintendent of
the National Pencil Factory, was pointed out as the bru
tal murderer of little Mary Phagan and a degenerate
of the worst type.
James Conley, an illiterate negro, levelled his fin
ger at Frank in the prisoner’s chair and said: That’s
the man!”
It was Conley’s story for which an eager public—a
morbidly curious public, perhaps—had been waiting.
The story came with an unexpected wealth of horrible
detail.
The negro forgot nothing, omitted nothing that he
had told before. If he was telling a black lie to save
his own neck from the gallows, it was still more wonder
ful. He had a remarkable retentive memory or an imag
ination far beyond the normal even for his notably im
aginative race.
Frank told him he had killed th girl accidentally.
That was the negro’s first and entirely new damning
accusation against the young factory superintendent
who sat eyeing him cooly and impassively. Conley fol
lowed this charge with a thrilling narrative of the grew
some events of that day at the factory in which he said
he had a part.
“lie said he had struck her too hard when she
fought back at him and that she had fallen back and hit
her head against something,’’ was the negro’s statement
in effect.
As every spectator in the crowded courtroom hung
on his words, Conley unfolded his dramatic story. He
related the details already familiar to the public and
added to them a story of revolting actions unprintable
in their nature which he ascribed to the youny superin-
tndent.
Glibly he rcited his tale of horror. So last the
words fell from his lips that the stenographers were
hard put to keep up with him and the jurors, straining
forward in their seats, found difficulty in following his
recital.
Gripped Audience With Story.
He sat there uncouth, thick-lipped, ignorant negro,
but he told a story that gripped his auditors with a com
pelling interest that an eloquent-tongued orator could
not have aroused.
Clad in a suit of clothes which the officers only re
cently got for him to take the place of those he had
worn ever since the time he was arrested.’ he entered
the courtroom with the shadow of a smile on his lips.
He was pleased with the interest he was attracting.
What did anything matter so long as he was the center
of the white folks’ interest now.
A blue shirt, newly laundered, but ill-fitting, was
unbuttoned at the throat. He carried his old cap in his
hands as he made his way half proudly to the witness
box.
He never was confused. While giving his sensa
tional testimony, he rested his elbows easily on the arms
of his chair. Now and then he arose to illustrate some
movement of Frank or himself. He turned his face to
JURORS STRAIN FORWARD
TO CATCH CONLEY STORY;
FRANK’S INTEREST MILD
Dramatic in its very glibness and unconcern, Conley's
story, if it failed to shake or disturb Leo Frank, at least had a
wonderful impression upon each member of the jury.
Conley told of seeing Mary Phagan enter the factory. This
was the first time he had admitted to this, so far as the public
had known.
Frank showed only a mild interest, but the jurors strained
forward in their seats.
Conley told of hearing the footsteps from his vantage point
on the first floor of two persons coming out of Frank’s office,
Frank still exhibited no sign of concern.
Conley then related hearing the footsteps going back to
the metal room and of being startled by the shrieks of a young
girl.
Mrs. Frank bowed her head, but gave no other sign. Frank
still was the personification of coolness and composure.
the jury and talked to them fearlessly and rapidly. He
never wavered.
Even when massive Luther Rosser began the grill
ing inquisition which was barely well started when the
noon recess came, the negro maintained the same poise.
He had a story to tell and he told it in his own way. He
refused to be led by Rosser. If the attorney made a
suggestion of what happened, Conley was very likely
to reply:
“No that ain’t so; it was this way—’’ and then go
on and relate the incident in his own way.
Details Tragic Day in Order.
Conley began his testimony from early in hte morn
ing of the fateful Saturday on which Mary Phagan
met her death. He told of goijig to the factory at 8:30
in hte morning because Frank told him Friday that he
wanted him there at that time. He testified that Frank
had said he wanted him to he there to watch at the
door, as he had been in the habit of doing on other oc
casions when Frank had women visitors in his ffice.
He detailed each move from that time until Frank went to
Montag’s and returned and carried his thrilling narrative along
to the moment when Frank, he said, called him from the top of
the stairs on the second floor and directed him to go back and get
a girl whom he had struck too hard and who had hit her head
against something.
From that point he related in minute detail a story of carry
ing the body, with Frank’s help, to the front of the building and
down the elevator.
Tells of Disposal of the Body.
An audience sat spellbound as he narrated the ghastly story
of bundling the limp body into some crocus bagging and starting
on his trip to the basement. Unconcernedly, as though it were
an every day matter, he told of the burden becoming too heavy
and of Frank coming with an oath on his lips to help him.
When he had finished this grisly portion of his testimony, he
was asked concerning Frank's actions at other times. He respond
ed with a revolting story on incidents which he said had occurred
in Frank's office and in the metal room.
There was nothing lacking of the dramatic.
The very cord that was found about the neck of the murdered
girl was given the negro and he threw it about his own black neck.
Hhe showed exactly where it made its deep impress in the ten
der skull of the little factory girl.
He drew the noose tighter and tighter. Frank lookde on quiet
ly with never a quiver of his features. As he slipped it taut about
his neck he demonstrated the exact position of the rope as it, ac
cording to the State’s contention, strangled the life of the girl.
Other Women Figure in D etails.
He told of other times when he said Frank had made appoint
ments with women at the factory. He told of alleged incidents
in Frank's office at which the young superintendent's wife hung
her head in momentary shame, her face bathed in crimson.
He recalled a Thanksgiving Day in particular when a tall,
heavily built woman entered the factory and he was instructed to
watch the door for inopportune visitors.
He declared it was this duty he was performing on the first
floor of the factory when Mary Phagan came to her death.
Only once during his narrative was there a lightening of the
tragic interest with which it was hedged. This was shortly after
the cross-examination had begun.
Frank and his wife both laughed heartily when Attorney Ros
ser facetiously referred to Frank A. Hooper, admittedly the Beau
Brummell of the trial lawyers, as “that old weazened-up fellow
with the gray hair. ’ ’
Conley was trying to describe the color of the hair of Daisy
Hpkins, one of the girls figuring in the testimony. He pointed out
--- - - - - Jtfrrir
that of Attorney Hooper as most like that of the girl.
Ipple