Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, August 11, 1913, Image 3
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.
1ST UNABATED AS
L
ENTERS ON THIRD WEEK
DIAGRAM SHOWING DEFENSE’S THEORY OF THE KILLING
By JAMES
T ho third week of the most remark
able murder trial ever known in Geor
gia opened to-day with no apparent
lessening of the pcute interest and
grim appeal heretofore attaching to it.
The public has come to realize thor
oughly and completely that the issue
is a battle not only between the State
and the defendant, Leo Frank, but
between Leo Frank and the negro
Jim Conley.
Presumably, the defense will take
the entire week rrtunding out its case
and perfecting its undermining of
Conley’s story.
If it does get through wdthln the
week, it will have employed approxi
mately the same amount of time in
telling its story that the State em
ployed in telling the other aide.
The first powerful and bewildering
shock of Conley's tale, unanticipated
in its full sinister detail, has passed
away in a measure, it seems.
It is but the simply truth to say
that the day of and the day following
Conley’s awful charge, in addition to
the one of murder, marked the climax
of the State’s case and the zenith of
feeling against Frank.
Then it was that the outlook for the
defense seemed to be the most dis
mal. and then it was that even
Frank’s most loyal friends and sym
pathizers began to grow apprehen
sive and sore afraid.
Doubt Begins to Grow.
Since the defense began its plead
ing. however, there has been some-
; thing of a revulsion of feeling—-or, at
least, there appears to have been cre
ated a doubt in the minds of many
people as to the complete and con-
\ inc’lng probability of C onley s reve
lations..
Xo.t that the defense is out of the
woods yet. by any means—as a mat
in' of favt, the defense still is very
deep in the woods, and while there
may be those who ..think the. defens?
- . UloJ-y sees daylight and sunshine
~s me where through the darkness, .t
generajly is admitted that the dark-
-nee* s iU very much is there.
As frightful charge of perver
sion ms the most prejudicial thing
injci. il d. by - the State against Frank,
Hi t a natural consequence, is the
* min^ determination of the defense
u , ( ut his character frankly in issue
the thing seemingly most likely to re-
On.KP that prejudice, if possible.
To put Frank’s character in . issue,
in the face of the fact that the de
fense alone has that right, despite the,
dramatically delivered and certainly
impressive testimony of Conley
against it, will seem *in the mind of
.many to argue that the defense is in
no wav afraid to meet that issue fan-
ly and squarely—and it is not at all
illogical to conclude that the success-
• fuil.v tendering of his character as an
issue will have the effect, in large
measure anyway, c: removing from
the mind of the jury the horrib.e
• rharge of the negro.
Depends on Conley's Word.
■ As the matter stands now. the at-
taek on Frank's character rests en
tirely upon Conley's word Conley has
been corroborated not at all on the
direct charge, and he has been cor
roborated, even indirectly, in the most
doubtful way.
It may be, on the other hand,
that the State, once given the right
to go after Frank's character ham
mer and tongs, will be prepared to
attack it with heavy artillery, and
.perhaps demolish it entirely. Cer
tainly the necessity of doing this, in
the circumstances then, will be ap
parent enough.
The Supreme Court of Georgia
has held definitely that character
may be tendered as evidence of a
positive fact, and it asks signifi
cantly this question, through the
late Chief Justice Warner:
■ Qf u hal use is gnnd character,
which a man may have been years in
rstnblishimj. if it •* to "rail him
nothing in his hour of pwif?”
It is rather curious, in a way, that
practically every vitally effective
and controlling point in this case
should reduce itself eventually to a
question of truth between Frank
and Conley.
Nothing Fidgety About Frank.
The Leo Frank of this week of his
trial is not the Leo Frank of last
week and week before last.
if spectators were inclined for a
time to think the quiet, repressed,
spectacled young man sitting over
there beyond Luther Rosser and
Reuben Arnold, the slight person im
mediately between the only two
women in the entire 'courtroom, was
in any wise indifferent to or unmind
ful of the progress of the trial—his
own trial, and for a brutal murder,
at that—they have changed their
rrtinds now.
They have changed their minds
as completely as Leo Frank has
Changed his attitude.
If there is anything in external
appearances and surface indications,
X should say that F’rank is, in prac
tically any and all circumstances, a
man of very marked patience. I
doubt that he ordinarily hurries, or
frets unduly, or grows especially
restless, any way.
He is brisk enough in his move-
B, NEVIN.
ments v getting up now and then,
with a, quickness of action easily
enough to be seen, either to say a
word to one of his lawyers or to
leave the courtroom for a moment
—but there is nothing the least
“fidgety” about the man.
While the State was making out
its case—even when Conley was on
the stand, hurling his charge of im
morality against Frank—the defend
ant sat apparently unmoved.
Save for an occasional momentary
gripping of the arms of his chair, a
tightening of the lips, or a slight
wrinkling of the brows, the defend
ant gave no sign, either of the in
dignation he must have felt if inno
cent or the apprehension he must
have felt if guilty.
Apparent Stoic Under Fire.
While the State was making out its
case, Frank seemed the personifica
tion of patience—or whatever it is
one should call it, according to the
state of his mind in reject of the de
fendant.
He sat there—just sat there—to
some an apparent stoic, to others a—
what?
Immediately the defense got well
under way directly, however, the Leo
Frank thei 't of ore known to the pub
lic became another person—absolute
ly and entirely another person.
He seems to have realized that
now, at last, has come his day to
apeak.
No longer must he, restrained by
wise and far-seeing counsel, hold back
in word of mouth or effort at defense.
At last, a.fter all the long days of
waiting, of studying the charge lodged
against him, of repressing his emo
tions and standing aloof from a crit
ical and possibly hostile outside world.
Frank is saying the necessary word
to clear his good name, if it be suf
ficient to the undertaking.
Where once he sat unmoved and
calm, he now takes a noticeably di
recting part in his defense. Time
and again, he arises or leans over,
as the case may be. and whispers
words into his attorney’s ears.
On several occasions his whisper
ings have been responded to imme
diately by approving nods from his
counsel, and at once thereafter ha*
followed, particularly on the direct
examination, a line of questioning
evidently enough set in motion by
the defendant himself, and by other
persons.
Seems Sure of Himself.
Frank, I think, is rather sure of
himself—guilty or innocent* he is
there to do battle to the bitter end.
to meet his enemies in the gate, and
to vanquish them, if he find himself
powerful enough.
He ift a very small man physically,
but I think he has the courage requi
site to the undertaking he has in
hand. Whether it is the courage of
righteousness and a sense of his in
nocence, or the courage of despera
tion and guilt, it is not, perhaps, for
me to say.
It only seems that he is eager for
the fight, and confident of h1«i strength
to win. *
No spectator there can hope to read
his heart or read his mind. Great
reams of newspaper space and rep-
ortorial effort might he saved hence
forth if only one might do either of
those two things.
And whether all the rest of the
world be against him. it appears a
sure thing to say that, at least, his
wife there beside him and his moth
er constantly in attendance upon him.
believe him utterly and altogeth?r
innocent.
T suspect there is no question, more
over. that both Luther Z .Rosser and
Reuben Arnold believe in the Inno
cence of Frank.
Beyond thesp four and the jury and
the Judge, however. I doubt if Frank
concerns himself extensively nowa
days—unless, of course, he thinks
often of that sdout-hearted and un
afraid bald-headed man, Simon
Marks, and a hand of friends who
never vet have forsaken him. no
matter how dark the vloom that has
seemed to cln^e around him.
Picked Up State’s Gauntlet.
It may be that Frank in his de
fense of himself will disapnoint these
expectant ones, it mav he that he
never w ill come through the fire un-
scorched. it raav be that and it mav
be a lot of things, but it will not he
denied, when this ca‘te i.« over, that
Frank picked up. full and free the
ga-untlet the Slate threw at his feet.
The. State’s case was the State’s
business. Frank stood off and let it
go- Its limit. Of course, he hardly
could have kept It from going its
limit*—but the point is, he didn’t try
particularly.
The defense, however—the defense
is Frank’u bus’ness. strictly!
And he is right there, on the job,
as he would be. I take it. had this
frightful murder never been commit
ted. and were it with him merely a
question of catching up w ith a smash-
ifig and record-breaking order for the
product of the factory over on For
syth street, where a few weeks ago
he was the universally respected su
perintendent.
F*rank will make no half-way de
fence of himself—that much .may be
anticipated confidently. I suspect. Tie
will meet every Issue tendered—even
including thn attack othefr than the
charge of murder.
How will he fare eventually? Well,
that is another question—and it is
not yet has been approximately an
swered.
t Tho defense\h theory of tho killing of Mary Phagan is that the little girl, after leaving
Frank’s office unmolested, was seized by the negro Conley at the foot of the stairs, crowded back
into the rear room and there battered into insensibility, if not instant death, after which she was
dragged to the trapdoor in the extreme rear and thrown into the cellar below. Later the negro
went into the cellar, placed the cord around the girl’s neck, and drew it very tight, perhaps thus
Miffing out the last fluttering breath of life in the insensible body. The motive assigned to the
negro is robbery.
Concentrate
Attack on
Conley’s
Story
The defense planned to continue its
determined attack against the story
and accusations of Jim Conley after
Schiff left the stand. By some of the
State’s witnesses, as well as its own,
it had shown that the negro either
had withheld or lied about many of
the details even after he had made
his third affidavit, in w’hich he ac
cused Frank directly and made him
self an accessory after the fact.
A dozen other witnesses will be
called within the next two days to
throw the light even more strongly
on the probability-that the negro even
now is telling a story that is far from
the truth. Amnog the witnesses will
be newspaper men who talked with
Conley after he had made his third
and last affidavit.
Said He Didn't See Girl.
To them he lg said to have de
nied that he saw Mary Phagan enter
the factory the day of the crime or
that he heard a girl’s scream while
he was sitting at his post near the
stairs on the first floor.
When he was placed on the stand a
week ago he glibly told of seeing the
Phagan girl enter the factory, and
then of hearing the footsteps of two
persons going from Frank’s office to
the rear of the factory. He said that
a moment later he was startled by a
girl’s scream. This did not prevent
him, however, from dropping to sleep
on the box at the foot of the stairs
until he was aroused by Frank’s sig
nal, according to his tale.
He was asked particularly by the
reporters in regard to seeing the Pha
gan girl enter the factory and hearing
her scream. He denied them both.
"I couldn’t have heard her from
where I was sitting.” is the reply he
is reported to have made to one of
his Interviewers.
It is the purpose of the defense not
to leave one single statement of the
negro unchallenged in so far as it in
volves Leo Frank. The superintend
ent's lawyers realize that if they
permit any portion of Conley’s story
to go before the jury as the truth,
they may as well let It all go. Aside
from the character witnesses, several
score in number, practically all of the
persons who will be called to the
stand during the present week will
participate In the hammering that is
being given the negro’s testimony on
the witness stand.
More Experts to Be Called.
Evidence will be presented which,
used in connection with the negro’s
own story and the testimony of other
.witnesses who have been called by
the State, will form the basis for an
argument by Frank's lawyers that it
was absolutely impossible for the
events In the factory the day of the
crime to have been as Conley pictured
them.
Dr. L. W. Childs, the first witness of
the defense, was called early in the
trial because he was leaving town a’,
once. The fact that no other medical
experts have been called since he
boldly ridiculed the conclusions of Dr.
H. F. Harris and branded them a9
pure guesswork does not mean that
the defense is going to let Its battle
against the State's medical expert
rest with the testimony of Dr. Childs,
who is a young physician of only
seven years’ general practice since
graduation.
On the contrary, a number of other
physicians and bacteriologists will bf:
called to give their professional opin
ion bn the value of cabbage found in
the dead girl’s stomach as an accu
rate and infallible means of deter
mining the lengt hof time that elapsed
between teh time she ate her dinner
and the moment that death came to
her in the factory.
They also will combat Dr. Harris in
his deductions from an examination of
the girl's body, particularly,as to his
statement that the girl positively was
By TARLETON COLLIER.
That black-clad woman in the cor
ner of the courtroom—nobody has
noticed her much. Things have hap
pened mo swiftly in the Frank trial
that all eyes are on the rush of
events, waiting for a quiver on the
face of Leo Frank, watching with
morbid gaze the brave faces of
Frank’s wife and his mother, studying
the passing show that the numerous
witnesses present.
And the woman is so unobtrusive,
so plainly out of It all. The tears,
whose traces are evident on her face,
were not shed as a result of this trial.
The lines under h°r eyes are older
than two weeks. Her sorrow—and
it is plain that she has undergone
sorrow—came seme time ago. Now.
the first poignant pain of it has passed
and only a dull ache remains
All that is plain as she sits in the
courtroom in ah attitude which be
speaks much of listlessness and resig
nation. The thoughts that pass in
her mind are revealed In that atti
tude and in her placid face. And the
sum of them is this:
No matter what happens, the dull
ache will always be there at her
heart.
Mary Phagan’s Mother.
Because, you f’ee. it is her Ifttie
girl that all this is about. The black-
clad woman is Mrs- W. J. Coleman.
Mary Phagan’s mother, and Mary
Phagan is dead.
Mrs. Coleman has not been in the
courtroom during all the trial. Much
of the time she has been in the room
upstairs, kept there because she was
a witness. And witnesses must not
see nor hear what is going on in the
courtroom before they are called, even
if the names of their own little girls
are bandied back and forth.
But now Mrs. Coleman has testified.
She has looked upon the blood
stained, pitiful clothing of her daugh
ter, the clothing that was publicly
shown, the intimate garments that
were upheld before hundreds of eyes.
She haM announced for purposes of
court record that they were Mary’s.
She has explained how she last saw
her daughter alive. She has told how
Mary Phagan ate her last hurried
meal of cabbage and bread and then
went out to a horrible death. Now,
she may come out of the witness
room and listen to all that other per
sons have to say about Mary, alive
add dead.
Now she may sit in a corner of the
courtroom and hear that her daugh
ter was beaten and choked and killed.
She may listen. perhaps with a pang
of jealousy, to other persons tell that
they saw Mary Phagan alive, happy
and serene, long after she kissed the
little girl good-by for the last time.
It i» her Mary that they are talking
about, the little girl whom she held
In her arms as a baby, whom she
watched grow up to be a capable
worker, with a spirit unspoiled, with
a laugh as free as in the baby days,
with a hundred dreams and hopes
there on the edge of young woman
hood.
Testimony Bewilder*.
Mrs. Coleman wears a look of be
wilderment at times* as she tries hard
to follow the Intricacies of the testi
mony. Sometimes they are not talk
ing about Mary Phagan at all. but
about expense accounts and balance
sheets and clocks. What has all that
to do with her little girl?
It Is when the witnesses are talk
ing about these incidental bits in the
chain of circumstantial evidence that
the black-clad mother hn most the list
less and passive figure of resignation.
It is then that she looks around, with
her wide-open stare, as if in wonder
that her little girl could be the caus°
of It all.
But even when the name of Marv
Phagan is mentioned, the mother is
not noticeably attentive. Her eyes
cease their wandering, but her body
changes nothing of its posture of list-
le*«ness, loses none of Its air of being
detached from the courtroom and its
incidents.
She is there plainly without resent
ment toward any one in particular
There is no vengefulness in her soul
—you can read that in her face. I’
is almost as if she, having suffered
so much, is unwilling that any others
suffer. She sits . there apd looks,
curiously, wonderingly, a little dully.
And sometimes they mention Mary
Phagan’s last meal of cabbage. It is
remarkable that a dish of homely
cabbage should become a great thing
There is something grimly ludicrous
in the situation. And there are some,
the irreverent and the unfeeling, who
have made it a subject of jest.
Glprified in Love.
But to Mrs. Coleman there must
something appealingly intimate in the
subject. She cooked the cabbage. She
chopped it and prepared it as her
little daughter liked. The simple meal
was glorified by the love that must
have gone into its making—house
wife.love for those In her care, moth
er-love for the whims and desires of
her children. The cabhage subject
must be of tremendous interest to
Mr*. Coleman.
Whatever her Interest, though, it
is never keenly shown. Apathy seems
to be the chief characteristic of her
in the courtroom—no, not apathy but
just a dull wonder.
You read plainly from her worn
face and her figure that she Is not
seeking vengeance. Sometimes you
might wonder why she is there in the
courtroom. You establish curiosity as
the motive, curiosdty and the natural,
Jealous, mother-desire to hear dircctl}
from the mouths of others something
about her little girl as she last was
seen.
It must be almost like awaiting a
message that she is there, nursing her
dull grief.
DECLARES GEORGIA
WOULD M JESUS
Pastor Holderby Scores Legisla
ture for Not Requiring Bible
Reading in Schools.
Declaring the Legislature of Geor
gia would vote to have Jesus Christ
excluded from the State He
come again on earth, and LhaL the
City Council of Atlanta would not
permit Him here because He would
break up their political scheme*, the
Rev. Andrew R. Holderby, in his ser
mon at the Moore Memorial Church
Sunday morning, scathingly arraigned
the so-called Christian nations- of
the world-for .their rejection of Jesus
Christ
“It Is quite certain,” ^aid Dr. Hol
derby, “that the Georgia Legislature
would find no place for Christ and
would try to exclude Him from the
State, because they have ruled the
Word of Jesus out of the public
•schools. ... - -
"The Atlanta City Council w'ould
appoint no committees for the enter
tainment of Christ. They know that
His coming Would break up their po
litical rings and schemes, and they
would not want Him in Atlanta*
“It is doubtful if any,..church in
America really wants Christ to return
to earth. They know that His Com
ing would break up their curd play
ing, their pride and their fcusiiion and
Sabbath breaking, and they had rath
er have these things than the Son of
God.”
Young Macon Men
Start Miller Boom
the victim of criminal violence in ad
dition to the attack w hich caused her
death. The Slate’s own witnesses ar»
at variance on this point. Dr. Harris
declared that he found indications
that the girl had been criminally at
tacked.
Dr. J. W. Hurt said he found m
such indications. Dr. Childs /ave i
as his opinion that E *. Harris might
easily have been inl c ’ 1 because of the
fact that the girl’s bod^ had been nine
days buried before he made his ex
amination.
Reach Alibi Witnesses This Week.
Among the experts who likely wifi
be called during the week are Drs.
Willis Westmoreland, T. H. Hancock
and J. N. Ellis.
It is expected that the defense will
be able to reach this week the testi
mony' of its alibi witnesses. Among
these are members of Frank’s own
family who will testify as to the
times he left and arrived at home
during the day; employees who will
detail his movements at the factory,
and acquaintances who saw him go
ing to and from his home.
The testimony which will hold the
greatest interest undoubtedly will be
that of W. H. Mlncey, the teacher
and insurance solicitor, who Maid that
he talked with Conley on the after
noon of the tragedy and that Conlej
boasted to him of killing a girl.
Mlncey probably Is in for the se
verest grilling of any of fhe wit
nesses for the defense. His story is
doubted by the Solicitor who has
made the most thorough investigation
of every incident related in the af
fidavit sworn to by Mincey.
The introduction of the character
witne«?yes by the defense also will be
the signal for a sharp legal battle be
tween the opposing attorneys. Th**
Solicitor has more than a dofcen wit
nesses to put on the stand in rebut
tal who will assaid the character of
the young superintendent.
MACON, Aug. 11.—A movement
is under way to run Representative
Wallace Miller for Mayor of Macon
on a “Young Men’s Ticket.”
Several caucuses were held last
week by a number of leading citi
zens who are dissatisfied with the
administration and who ar© opposed
to Bridges Smith for Mayor. They
considered Senator W. D. McNeill,
Joe Hill Hall and Mr. Miller, finally
uniting on the latter as the most
desirable candidate at this time.
The proposition has already been
communicated to Mr. Miller and a
definite answer is expected from him
the latter part of the week
Big Crowds Attend
Holiness Meeting
JACKSON, Aug. 11.—The first Sun
day of the.ten-day session of the. In
dian Springs Holiness ''amp Meet
ing saw one of the largest crowds
that has ever attended on this occa
sion. It is estimated that from HOG
to 800 automobiles were in line dur
ing the day. By private conveyances
and by rail hundreds of others came.
Next Sunday, the closing day, an
even larger number of people is ex
pected.
Argentine Sends U.S,
9,000,000 Lbs. of Beef
WASHINGTON. Aug. 11.—The first I
blow' in the battle of South American
cattle raisers to war on the American
cattle industry was struck here with
the receipt of 9.000 pounds of Argen
tine beef.
The beeves were sent here to fa
miliarize American packers with the
Argentine product in anticipation of
the passage of the TTnderwood-Sim
mons tariff bill, when the American
market will be flooded with South
American cattle.
The consignment Will «-«ell for a cent
a pound less than' American beef.
Under the new tariff measure a dif
ference of four cents a pound is pre
dicted.
Abolish City Courts
In Butts County
JACKSON, Aug. 11.—No legislation
affecting Butts County has been fol
lowed with any greater interest than
the bills to abolish the City Courts jf
Flovilla and Jackson. From the time
the Grand Jury recommended that
these courts 'be abolished there has
been a fight' tfiad^ fiy the friends of
the courts. Both of these local meas
ures ha.'e now passed the House and
Senate and are up to Governor Sla
ton.
Butts is the only county in Georgia
with tv o city courts.
Given Up to Die at
29, He’s Hale at 101
NEWBURGH, N. Y. Aug. 11.—
William T. Osborne, of this city, Just
celebrated his 101st birthday. When
Osborne w r as 29 four doctors told him
he was a hopeless consumptive and
w'ould ngt live six months. The four
doctors are dead.
The centenarian never smoked or
drank and is enjoying perfect health.
BLEISE LAWYERS
HERE FOR ZACHRY
South Carolina Governor Sends
Attorneys to Argue Requisition
Before Governor Slaton.
With attorneys representing the
State of South Carolina and attor
neys representing the defendant pres
ent, Governor John M. Slaton Mon
day morning began hearing argument
on the requisition jxipers issued by
Governor Blea*e for J. J. Zaohry. of
Augusta, who is charged with kid
naping his own child.
Georg? Rembert, of Columbia, and
C. FI. Dunbar, of Augusta, represent-
: ng (Governor JHease, it is understood,
will hold that Judge Gary exceeded
his authority in granting to Zachry
the custody of the child, Frances,
whom he is charged with kidnaping,
and that Zachry violated the law by
taking the child out of South Caro
lina.
The warrant for non-support is
understood to be based on the fact
that the custody-of the Zachry chil
dren r^ted in Zachry, who, it is al
leged, deserted the younger child.
Zachry claims that he furnished or
tried to furnish funds to Mrs. Zachry
for the support of this t'hild.
Zachry is represented by C. H. Co
hen and Hamilton Phlnizy, of Augus
ta. and Jchn T. West, of Thompson.
The case has attracted widespread
interest, as it Involves the first official
communication between Governor
Slaton and Governor Blease.
CASTOR IA
Tor Infants and Children.
The Kind You Have Always Bought
ot
Bears the
Signature
Turner To Be Tried
For Life in Butts
JACKSON, Aug. 11.—On the charge
of being an accomplice in the mur
der of Jesse Singley at Indian Springs !
two years ago. A)onz<> Turner will be
tried in Butts Superior Court next
w~ek. Bill Turner, his father, was I
executed for this murder in 1911, and
his brother is now serving a life sen
tence for complicity in it.
PORCH SWINGS
SPECIAL PRICES
We have reduced the price on our $3.75 solid
oak porch swings to
TO REBUILD YARDS.
JESUP—Surveyors have Just made
a survey of the railroad yards here
and according to a rumor the yards
will soon be rebuilt. As to w hen th*
new' depot will be built ia uncer
tain.
$9 WRIGHTSVILLE
BEACH
Round-trip, August 16th. Good
15 days. Through sleepers. Sea
board,
An experienced man will be sent out to your home to
put up this swing for only 50c extra.
Special prices on all hot weather, outdoor and
sporting goods. .
King Hardware Co.
53 PEACHTREE 87 WHITEHALL