0687 Slide – Georgia Supreme Court Leo Frank Appeals Documents, 1913, 1914

Visible Translated Text Is As Follows:

.on oath.

GEORGE GORDON. Sworn for the State, in rebuttal.

I am a practicing lawyer. I was at police station part of the time when Minola McKnight was making her statement. I was out-side of the door most of the time. I went down there with habeas corpus proceedings to have her sign the affidavit and when I got there the detectives informed me that she was in the room, and I sat down and waited outside for two hours, and people went and out of the door, and after I had waited there I saw the stenog- rapher of the Recorder's court going into the room and I decided I had better make a demand to go into the room, which I did, and I was then allowed to go into the room, and I found Mr. February read- ing over to her some stenographic statement he had taken. There were two other men from Beck & Gregg Hardware store and Pat Camp- bell and Mr. Starnes, and Albert McKnight. After that was read Mr. February went out to write it off on the typewriter and while he was out Mr.Starnes said, "Now this must be kept very quiet and nobody be told anything about this". I thought it was agreed that we would say nothing about it. I was surprised when I saw it in the newspapers two or three days afterwards. I said to Starnes "There is no reason why you should hold this woman, you should let her go." He said he would do nothing without consulting Mr. Dorsey and he suggested that I had better go to Mr.Dorsey's office. I went to his office and he called up Mr.Starnes and then I went back to the police station and told Starnes to call Mr.Dorsey and I presume that Mr.Dorsey told him to let her go. Anyway she said she could go. You (Mr.Dorsey) said you would let her go also. That morning you had said you would not unless I took out a habeas corpus. In the morning after Chief Beavers told me he would not let her go on bond and unless Mr.Dorsey would let her go. I went to your office and told you that she was being held illegally and you admitted it to me and I said we would give bond in any sum that you might ask. You said you would not let her go because you would get in bad with the detectives, and you advised me to take