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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.
CONLEY'S STORY OF
SLAYING DIAGRAMED
‘10 WORSE THAN DEATH
By JAMES B. NEVIN.
Black and sinister, depressing in
its every aspect and horrible In its
gloom, the testimony of Jim Conley
in the Frank rase was given to the
court and the Jury under direct ex
amination Monday.
The shadow of the negro had
loomed like a frightful cloud over the
courtroom for days the negro him
self came into the case Monday.
And he came into it in an awful and
unspeakably sensational way!
Thf» public was prepared for most
that Conley said—it was not quite
prepared for all he said.
The State, in its direct examina
tion of Conley, climaxed its case
against Frank most thrillingly and
most abhorrently. If that climax is
not rendered impossible, ridiculous
and absurd by the defense, then, the
young factory superintendent is
doomed.
It is, indeed, now a battle to the
death—and to worse than the death!
Either it is Leo Frank's life, or Jim
Conley’s life that must pay the for
feit of Mary Phagan's untimely and
tragically miserable end!
Can the negro’s story be broken
down?
Either it is a pack of horrible and
monstrously grotesque lies, or it is a
horrible and monstrous recital of
truth.
Which is it?
That is the problem that MUST be
solved that is the puzzle that MUST
be unraveled, if it be so that “truth
is mighty and will prevail!”
Burden Falls on Rosser.
And into the hands of one man—
Luther Z. Rosser- has been intrust
ed the responsibility of breaking It
down so completely that Leo Frank
may go forth from that stuffy little
courtroom a free man, enjoying again
even a measure of the respect and
esteem of his fellow men.
Within the massive head of Rosser
alone is the mental machinery mov
ing now to free Frank. Rosser is
conducting the cross-examination of
Conley. He Is a pastmaster in the
art of examining witnesses.
True, the keen intelligence of that
other remarkable lawyer, Reuben
Arnold, is aiding and abetting the
big man but the result of the cross
ing of Conley, upon which this case
unquestionably will turn, will be
either Rosser’s victory or Rossers
defeat.
He must feel to the full the weight
of responsibility upon him.
Never before in *11 his long and
successful career at -the bar, perhaps,
has so much depended upon his skill
and knowledge of the law, and his re
markable ability at making witnesses
tell not only all they wish to tell, but
much more than that, if necessary!
Conley is NOT the same sort of
witness Newt I*ee was.
To begin with Conley is seeking to
save his own neck, the while he seeks
to place the noose about Frank’s.
Gives His Evidence Glibly.
He is far too sharp a negro not to
know, despite his seeming ignorance
in some directions, that failure to
convict Frank likely would mean
Conley’s subsequent conviction. He
knows that as a confessed accessory
after the fact, the worst he faces is a
few years in the penitentiary, where
as as the principal to the murder, he
would face the gallows.
He delivered his testimony as glib
ly as if he were a phonograph set
going for the purpose.
He rattled it off so rapidly at times
that it was difficult to follow. He
remembered minute details of this,
that, and the other—he seemed to
have an almost superhuman memory
under direct examination, unwinding
his tale with few and far between
suggestions from the Solicitor.
His Memory Was Marvelous!
It was only when he got to the
cross-examination by Mr. Rosser,
however, that he recalled possessing,
among his other mental assets, even a
little bit of a forgettery!
Before the cross-examination had
proceeded very far, nevertheless.
Conley recalled that he could forget.
Rosser already has mixed him bad
ly in many ways.
If Conley is telling the truth—
which many people believe—even in
the main. Mr. Rosser will never shake
him to pieces, however much he may
shake him in spots.
If he is lying—which many people
also believe—Mr Rosser will shake
him to pieces before he turns him
loose—It hardly can be doubted.
With Conley’s story sustained, de
spite the fire of Rosser's cross-exami
nation Frank is undone and lost for
ever, and every damning circum
stance cited against him will loom
large and conclusive in the matter of
shaping the verdict and public opin
ion thereafter
With Conley's story- crushed and
flattened out as a Tissue of lies re
led to save his own neck, all the
rcumstan/es cited against Frank
frill he raxed inconsequential and of
fio account—for without Conley to
hack them up they are worthless.
The purely circumstantial case
against Frank is not strong—the State
doubtless recognizes that It has wise
ly and consistently shaped its every
endeavor toward Uonley as the cli
max of its story.
A« the ugly story was falling from
Conley's thick lips, I w'atched Frank.
It will not do to say he was uncon
cerned. No person In all that crowd
ed court loom was more concerned
than he.
More than once he wet his lips with
his tongue and gripped the arms of
his chair tightly. lie kept his eye
glued to the negro moBt of the time,
moreover—and occasionally he reach
ed backward, gently and composedly
to grasp the 'hand of his wife—and
always her hand met his more than
halfway.
There he sat—flanked by the two
women in all the world most deeply
concerned in the outcome of this trial
—Lucile Frank, the wife, and the elder
woman, the mother. The one young
and beautiful, the ofter growing old,
hut still handsome after her type.
There is something infinitely be
wildering in ihe situation in that
courthouse to-day.
Is the awful story Jim Conley rat
tled off as unconcernedly as he might
recite the details of a “crap” gam*:
TRUE?
If It be true, who in all the wide,
wide world has been so outrageously
und so inhumanly wTonged as those
two women sitting there beside the
defendant ?
Better for Mary Pliagan that she
sleeps in her little grave, her mem
ory sweet and fragrant as the flow
ers blooming about her Inst resting
place, than Lucile Frank—and the
mother—if what Conley says Is true!
Others Face Hell on Earth.
At least, to the dead girl has come
forgetfulness—and if Frank is guilty,
never again to either of the other
two women shall peace come this side
of the grave.
If only little Mary Phngan might
speak; if only she might say just ONE
little word directing each and all of
us to the TRUTH of this amaring,
terrible and strange story!
She could say—and w'ho can doubt
that she, purifled of death and utterly
unafraid. wmuld say—the one Im
pregnable word of truth so neces
sary in the present moment?
It Is in crises of the present kind,
when -eason reels and staggers ho-
fore the sinister and deadly story
Jim Conley tells, that poor, w’eak
mortals grop* and seek to seize upon
the friendly hand of some unseen and
Infallible Power, to ask, like a child
in distress, for guidance and the
strength to see the light!
Is the word of this negro Conley—
many times a confessed liar, mnnv
times a "Jailbird,” many times a
loafer and a street vagabond—to
serve the purpose of crushing utterly
the young superintendent of the pen
cil factory, heretofore of unblemish
ed character and reputation?
Is it to serve the frightful purpose
of stabbing the wife and mother to
the heart forever and forever, to
blacken and make unthinkable the
memory of the husband.and son?
Story Is Not Impossible.
'Can it be the TRUTH that Jim
Conley speaks?
Yes, it can he ths truth.
It is seemingly far beyond the
range of the probable, perhaps, hut
It is not beyond the range of the
possible.
It is possible that Conley is telling
things as they actually happened,
even though lying in parts—It is pos
sihle, if not probable.
It must be remembered that the
defense as yet has introduced no
witnesses. Its case still Is to he made
out. Whatever damage It has sus
tained—and It has suffered heavily,
even at best, it must be admitted -
whatever damage it has sustained at
the hands of the State's witness
(and such advantages as It has gain
ed—and it has gained some advant
ages -It has gained at those same
hands.
Will Its own witnesses fare better
under cross-examination from the
other side than some of the States
witnesses have, and yet may, fare
under the pitless Are of Rosser?
When Conley's horrible story was
Enished under the direct examination,
the spectators had been shocked into
almost irresponsible indignation —
they were in no condition to Judge
with any approximate degree of fair
ness the truth or the falsity of it,
in any aspect of those things.
Rational men and women, honesl
men and women. ten and women
willing for the right to prevail, an i
praying that only the right MAY pre
vail, still are stru<*~’*n~ to keep their
minds open and free of prejudice
and immature conclusion.
Why not, then, resolve in ' tr
heart and jnlnd this: WHATEVER
THE JURY SHALL SAY, THAT
SHALL SPEAK THE TRUTH OF
THIS TRIAL!
1. Frank opened the door and showed me how to
lock it.
2. Frank went up to his office and I stayed on the
first floor.
over this proposition. Now’ the per
son w'ho is hurt by this poisonous evi
dence is this defendant here. In a
criminal case you can’t try a man
for but one crime. It is a simple
question of law’. I sympathize with
that poor little girl and think the man
W’ho throttled her life out should be
punished. We came here to try »
cane of murder and this miserable
wretch on the stand 0 comes here and
charges capital crime. Any w'hite
man should be ashamed to believe it
Now, we don’t want to come here and
try this other disgusting and vile
charge. It is absolutely irrelevant.
They put him on the stand and it is
up to them to holster up his tale.
Why, we would have to stay trying
this case and investigating other
cases.”
Judge Roan intervened:
“The first of your motion was to
rule out what he said about watch
ing. The second about his conduct ”
Arnold answered in the affirmative
Then he continued:
“If you don't call it a crime on
those other occasions it would be a
distinct transaction. How much harm
might it do? How much would it
confuse the Jury? It would be emi
nently unfair to this man. We could
cross-examine even to determining
the Illegality, if it is unfair to the
State to rule it out it is a thousand
times more harmful to permit this
creature to poison a jury’s mind
against this innocent man.”
Court Ruling Withheld.
Judge Roan: “Colonel Arnold, if the
evidence on the day he watched and
the murder occurred is admissible,
why isn't the watching on the other
days admissible?”
“Why isn’t any other murder ad
missible?” replied Arnold. “My friend,
Mr. Leonard Haas, has handed me
another authority.”
Attorney Arnold then read the au-
thirity. Judge Roan hesitated for a
moment, then said:
“There is no doubt in my mind
that it was inadmissible as an orig
inal proposition. I am inclined to
think it should all be ruled out, ex-
if he knows anything about it he has
not told.”
Negro Says He Told All.
3. Miss Mattie Smith came in with Mr. Darley and went out again.
“I rule that the idea of Mr. Dorsey
| is correct, and that your question can
! he put,” said Judge Roan. “Now 1
i think that I have satisfied you both.”
The negro answered: “I have told
l all I know.”
, Some members of the Jury request-
, ed a soft drink, and Mr. Rosser said
he would consent if he was brought
| one, too.
Q. Jim, when you called Mr. Frank
and told him the girl was dead, what
did he say?—A. He said, “S-sh,” and
told me to look back by the clock
box and get a cloth.
Q. He threw up the palm of his
hand, and said “Sh-h,” like shooir>g
chickens?—A.,Yes, sir, something like
that.
Q. And you went and did it?—A. No
j sir, I didn’t hear him at first, so 1
went closer to him.
Q. How close?—A. I don’t know, sir.
Q. Then you went and did what he
said?—A. Yes, sir.
Mr. Rosser took up a piece of bur-
j lap similar to the one Conley declared
! he had used to wrap the body up in.
He started to have Conley go through
the act of wrapping up the body,.but
i the drama was postponed for a mo
ment while the jury went out to get
their drink.
Negro Describes Cloth.
Q. It was kind of in the shape of
that, wasn’t it (Rosser held up a
thick cloth)?—A. No. it wasn't made
exactly like that.
Q. Did it have cotton in it?—A.
No, hut it was mighty dirty.
Q. Didn’t you tell Mr. Dorsey it was
this?—A. I said it was kind of like
that.
Q. Was it a finer grade of cloth?—
A. I don’t know about that.
Q. You don’t know whether it was
like that, or not?—A. No.
Q. Didn’t you say Mr. Frank told
you to look by the metal box and get
that cloth?—A. No. I said by the cot
ton box.
Q. Jim. what did you do with that
cloth when you got through with it?
—A. I threw It down in front of the
furnace.
Q. Where you put the slipper?—A.
Yes.
Q. The cloth didn’t come in con
tact with her head at all?—A. I don’t
know.
Q. You didn't get that cloth on her
shoulder?—A. Yes, I got it up there.
Denies Contradictions.
Q. Didn’t you say yesterday that
you didn’t get it up there?—A. No,
sir. I don't think so.
Q. Didn’t you say this: “I tried to
get it up there, and it dropped?”—A.
I might have said It.
Q. How much did the girl weigh?—
A. I don’t know^
Q. Can you carry 110 pounds with
out any trouble?—A. No.
Q. You say you can’t carry 110
M
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keg
YV-—— ^ [
4. Mary Phagan came in; then later I heard footsteps going back to the metal room.
Conley Admits Lying, but
Claims to Tell Truth Now
Continued From Page 3.
swer my question.—A. Well, I was
trying to explain.
Q. I don’t want you to go off on
an explaining excursion. You look
ed at the clock when you went to get
the cloth to move the body?—A. Yea,
sir.
Q. What time wai It?—A. Four
minutes to 1 o’clock.
Q Jim. when you talked to the de
tectives that time, you were telling
all that you knew. You didn’t say
anything about getting that cloth?—
A. I Intended to.
Q. What sort of a cloth was it?
Like that burlap you had up here the
other day?—A. No, sir. it wasn’t like
that. It w’ae striped.
Q. How wide was it?—A. I don’t
know’ exactlv.
Q. Was It two feet?—A. Yes. sir. I
guess it was two f 't.
Q. What is tw’O feet?—A. Like
these. (Conley pointed to his feet )
Q What then did you do with the
body?—A. I turned it on to the cloth
and wrapped it u
Q. Now, when you were talking to
Black and Scott, you didn’t say any
thing about coming up to Frank be
fore you went and got the cloth t>
wrap the little girl in?—A. No, sir.
1 don’t remember saying that.
At this time court adjourned until
2 o'clock.
Asks Ruling Out of Testimony.
When the court was resumed Reu
ben Arnold asked that the jury be
excluded w’hile he made a motion.
When the jurors had left, he asked
that all the testimony relating to
Frank’s alleged degenerancy be ruled
out.
“We move to exclude all evidence
about this negro watching for Frank
on other occasions.” said Arnold.
“We propose to withdraw all cross-
examination on this subject.
“Your Honor, the stuff is too vll*
to be read before these women. I’ll
show it to Your Honor and to the
attorneys for the prosecution.
“Our motion is to exclude this tes
timony on the gmund that it is ir
relevant.”
“Now, l want to bring to the at
tention of the court.” continued Ar
nold. “that this was not brought out
on cross-examination. It was put In
for nothing in the world but to preju
dice the Jury against this man. and we
propose to rule out our cross-exami
nation on those questions. We want
to rule out the fact that he watched
and what he claims he saw.”
Attorney Hooper said that when
the defense did not object when that i
question was put and answered it J
seemed to him they were too late.
“There is every reason why it
shmild be admitted.” he said. “They
have had the full benefit of the cross-
examination. I am almost positive
they forfeited the right to get this
ruled out when they didn’t ask for it
at the time they were admitted.”
Before ruling, the Judge called f*' r
authorities.
“We appeal to your honor.” con
tinued t*e Solicitor, “that such a mo.
tlon is unfair and we submit this
evidence as admissable as an original
proposition.”
“That’s the authority we want to
hear,” said Rosser.
“The. defense nas offered no au
thority and I daresay they won’t,” re
torted I>orsey.
“When one of the prosecution,”
said Rosser, "admits in the beginning
that it was inadmissible orgnally, I
thnk we at least are enttled to an
authorty from ha assocate.”
Dorsey proceeded to read author
ities. The argument was that the
evidence established a course of
conduct and established intent and
motive.
Le*» Frank kept his eyes fixed on
Dorsey during the argument. Hie
expression was the same enigma as
always.
Judge End# Argument.
Dorsey said:
“1 submit that ns an original prop
osition this evidence is admissible.’’
Judge Roan: “Well that end?* the
argument.”
Dorsey adde dthat there was also
the proposition of being too late. He
asked the defense to cite their author
ity.
Rosser said: “I have too much re
spect for the court to trot out the
authorities.”
Dorsey retorted: “Run them out.
anvway. Just so you get them out.”
Rosser replied: “No matter how
I brought them out you wouldn’t un
derstand them.”
“Your honor." eaid Dorsey, “as a
commonsense proposition, it is not
fnir for the defense to remain si
lent when this evidence was first sub
mitted. then cross-question this wit
ness for two days and get all the
benefit they esn possibly hope to get
and then to move to withdraw the
evidence.”
Fixed Trap for State.
“They would withdraw this evi
dence and make the impression on
the Jury that we are unable to sup
port this witness I’ll tell the court
that we expect to introduce witnesses
and back them up. WJien they see
how powerful it I* after a vain effort
to derive a benefit from it for two
days they would withdraw it all to
leave the State high and .dry “
Mrs FTank, the prisoner’s wife, wqs
absent for the first time since the j
trial opened She left the room when
Dorsey started his accusations in the
course of his argument. The mother
kept her seat by the side of her s**.»n
"The course of conduct sworn t) j
by this witness will he amply oorrob- ;
orated. It is a powerful thing to '
show that this* man killed little Mary
Phagan ns will be shown later on
Tour honor, we ask that you go slow
before deciding to rule out this evl
dence. The courts are to show Jus
tice and I defy the mto cite an au- j
thority from the textbooks written in
the last five years that sustains their
motion.” said Dorsey.
When Solicitor Dors’ey concluded •
and Reuben Arnold arose to speak j
Mrs. FVank returned to her seat b**- i
side her husband, her eyes wet with J
tears '/*
Arnold said:
“It is not any use to get excited
oept his watching on the day of the
crime.” m
Attorney Hooper interrupted: “Your
honor,” he said, “will you withhold
your ruling until in the morning, in
order that we may cite you more au
thorities?” v
“I w’ould reverse myself at any
time, if I found I was wrong,” Judge
Roan replied. "I will refrain from
saying anything to the jury until I
have received your authority.”
The jury was then recalled.
Examination Continues.
Rosser then resumed his examina
tion of Conley:
Q. Jim, you took that girl and
wrapper her up In that sheet?—A.
Yes.
Q. Did It cover her whole body?—
A. No.
Q. Which part?—A. T don’t know.
Q. Was her head out?—A. Yes.
Q. Her feet?—A. Yes.
Q. How much of her feet?—A. I
don’t know, Mr. Rosser.
Q. Did her head hang back?—A.
Yes.
Q. And her feet hang out?—A. Yes.
Q, You don’t know how much?—A.
No.
Q. And you put your arm through
it and lifted it up on your shoulder?—
A. Yes.
Q. You walked with her on your
hack?—A. Yes.
Q. Then you came on up to the
dressing room and dropped her be
cause she was so heavy?—A. No, I
just let her slip.
Q. Didn’t you tell the police you
told Frank she was too heavy for
you?—A. Yes.
Q. Why did you tell him that if she
was not heavy?—A. I wanted to make
him help me because I was scared.
Q. Well, was she heavy or was she
light?—A. She was both ways; she
wasn't heaw and she w’asn’t light.
A laugh rippled over the court room
at the negro's reply, and when it be
came ripe the negro showed his white
teeth and laughed audibly.
Rosser Upbraids Conley.
Attorney Rosser was visibly wor
ried. He frowned, and shaking a fin
ger at Conley, said:
“You are a both ways negro, ain’t
you? What are you laughing at? Do
yo" s°e anything funny?"
The negro said:
“I was Just laughing because the
others laughed."
"Didn’t you laugh first?” the law’-
yer shouted.
"No, sir, I just laughed because it
was funny for me to say she was
both wavs," the negro replied.
Q. How did she fall?—A. She fell
on her back.
Q. She Just fell from your hold on
her? How far down?—A. I don’t
know, sir.
Q. You were holding her about your
knees?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. How far was Mr. Frank when
you called him?—A. He. was at the
head of the stairs.
Q. How far was it?—A. I don’t
know.
Q. Can you tell me anything more
about this case, except that story you
told Mr. Dorsey?
"I object,” said Dorsey. “That is
argumentative. He can’t ask a ques
tion without specifying anything.”
“Why can’t I. your honor?” asked
Rosser.
"It Is a general question,” replied
Judge Roan.
Rosser: “Has it come to the pass
that I can’t ask a general question
cf this witness? 1 want to ask him
pounds?—A. I said I couldn’t without
any trouble.
Q. You are 27 year." old. How much
do you weigh?—A. 150 pounds.
Q. Mr. Frank backed up, didn’t he?
—A. Yes.
Q. You were both excited and ner
vous?—A. Yes.
Q. You * didn’t tell Scott hr Black
^bout Frank backing that body up on
you?—A. I told one of them.
Q. You didn't tell them about
Frank going for the key?—A. I think
I did.
Q. Did you tell that during that
heart-to-heart talk?—A. I don’t know.
Q. Did you tell it to Mr. Dorsey?—
A. Yes, I think so.
Q. When you got there to the ele
vator. you took that cloth off didn’t
you?—A. No.
Q. When did you take It off?—A
When I put her down.
How He Laid Girl Down.
Q. How did you leave the little
girl in the basement?—A. With her
head tow’ards Alabama street—her
feet tow’ards Hunter, and her face
towards Forsyth street.
Q. Didn’t you tell the detectives
that you left her w’ith her face to
wards the elevator?—A. I don’t think
so.
Q. Are you sure?—A. I disremem-
ber what I said.
Q. What did you say to Mr. Frank?
A. I asked him what he wanted me
to do with these things.
Q. Where w’ere you standing?—A.
At the furnace.
Q. Where was Mr. Frank?—At the
elevator
Q. That is 150 feet from .the fur
nace?—A. I don’t know
Q. Didn’t she have any dirt on her
face when you found her?—A. Yes.
she had dirt on both sides of her
face.
Girl's Eye Was Bruised.
Q. Did she have any bruises on her
face?- A. One on the eye.
Q. Did you see any others?—A. Yes.
Q. Was Mr. FTank in your sight
when you asked him what he wanted
yqu to do with those things?—A. No.
sir. he was not; that is. he was not
where I could see him.
Q. Well, he was on the first floor,
then?—A. I don’t know.
Q. You found a pice of ribbon down
there, didn't you?—A. Yes.
Q. But when you talked to Scott
and Black you didn’t say anything
about the «*hoes. hat and ribbon?—A.
I don’t know, sir, except I told him
I pitched them over there In front
of the boiler
Q. Who ran the elevator up?—A. I
did. for Mr. FTank told me. I ran
it up and he got on at the first floor
before it stopped and said: “Gee,
but that was a hot job,” and hit me
kind of playful like
Q. Isn't this the first time you have
ever told about Mr. Frank hitting
you when he ~ot on the elevator?—A.
I told somebody about it.
Elevator Was “Easy Like.”
Q. There Is a big wheel at the top
of the elevator, isn't there?—A. Yes.
Q. When the elevator runs it just
makes a little buzzing, like a June-
bug?—A. It goes down easy.
Q. Doesn’t it make much noise when
it stops at the bottom?—A. No, it
stops kind of easy like.
Q. That is a silent elevator, isn’t it?
—A. I don’t know. It don’t make
much noise.
Q. But don’t it just slide up and
down, easy like without making any-
noise?—A. Well, it makes some noise
when it moves.
HONS OFTHE SOUTH
BLIFE
By L. F. WOODRUFF.
Sinister as a cloud, as raven as a
night unaided by moon, planet or
satellite. Jim Conley is to-day the
most talked-of man in Georgia.
His black skin has not been whit
ened by the emancipation proclama
tion. The record of his race for re
garding an oath as it regards a drink
of gin, something to be swallowed,
remains unattacked.
But Georgia is to-day listening to
the words of Jim Conley with breath
less interest. His every syllable has
ten thousand of eager interpreters.
His facial expression is watched as
keenly as he answers the questions of
Luther Rosser as would be the physi
ognomy of the President of the United
States be watched as he signed a
declaration of war against Japan.
Jim Conley has upset traditions of
the South, even as the Phagan case
ha« upset traditions that have livell
for years through the length and
breadth of the country.
The South Listens.
A w’hite man is on trial. His life
hangs on the words of a negro. And
the South listens to the negro’s words.
Had Jim Conley happened to be
a negro of the new type, now’ so fre
quently seen in Dixie, a negro with
education enough to halt his racial
tendency to lying under fire; had he
happened to be a negro of the old
type, the type the South best loves
and venerates, the Id slave that is
faithful to the family he belonged to
as a dog is to his master, tradition
would still exist.
But Conley has w-recked tradition.
He is a negro of the type that the
South has been trying since recon
struction to destroy, the meagerly
educated, shiftless, gin-guzzling, half
anthropoid black that any nation
could w’ell be rid of.
But they are listening to Conley.
The South has not thus suddenly for
gotten the fact that negro evidence
is as slight as tissue paper. The
South has not forgotten that when
w’hite man’s word is brought in com
bat against negro's word, there is no
question as to the winner. .
Topsy Turvy Case.
Here’s the answer. The entire Pha
gan case has been as topsy turvy as
the greatest creation of a Coney
Island artist.
“White people believing a negro!”
you say and laugh.
Why shouldn’t they, when a little
factory girl can go into the innermost
circles of the life of Peachtree street
or Pace’s Ferry Road?
She’s there. Mary Phagan alive
could have approached these mansions
of Atlanta’s aristocracy an hundred
times in her plain little calico dress,
and each time she would have been
told to go to the back door.
But Mary Phagan, dead, is to-day
in every home in Atlanta where lares
et penates are set up, be those
household gods, simply a family Bible
or the gem-encrusted w’edding crown
which the wife of the household wore
w'hen society fought to witness her
wedding and hoi polloi struggled to
catch a glimpse of her beauty as sne
walked through the church chancel.
A Theme for a Sermon.
Mary Phagan in her lifetime never
made much more than $5 a week. The
laws of labor made that amount her
portion. Twenty-five cents taken
from her salary woul^ have probably
caused the absence from the family
table of the cabbage and biscuit that
are playing such an important part
in these cases.
Now' the State of Georgia is paying
out hundreds, yes, thousands of dol
lars to discover and punish her slay-
The FTank family is expendin
Harry Thaw accomplished in his en
tire life.
There are few people who can re
call to-day the name of Caesar Young,
but there are few’ that forget the
name of Nan Patterson.
Caleb Pow’ers was charged with
killing a Governor of Kentucky. The
average man would have to seek ref
erences to remember his name.
But Mary Phagan died, and the
case remains the Phagan case.
Frank’s* name will be carried with it
a few years, and then will be for
gotten.
The little factory girl will be re
membered as long as law exists in
Atlanta.
It is* an awful shaft to erect. But
it is more enduring than marble; it
means more than man’s words have
ever exoressed.
AUTO SKINS
RID AND ROUGH
Soothed by
The Use of
(MOIRA SOAP
AND OINTMENT
as much or more to prove to the
world that he is guiltless of the
crime.
A sermon could be w’ritten on the
subject.
Mary Phagan. alive, was a pro
toplasm in the life of Atlanta; dead,
she stands out in a bas relief that is
as striking as the great torch which
the Goddess of Liberty holds aloft in
New York Harbor.
Her name will always be remem
bered.
In noted criminal cases, it has al
ways* been the defendant for whom
the trial was named. The word
“Thaw” will be remembered when the
name of Stanford White has passed
into oblivion, and Stanford White did
more with one stroke of a pen than
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