Reading Time: 3 minutes, [480 words]
The Atlanta Constitution,
Wednesday, 13th August 1913,
PAGE 3, COLUMN 1.
Minola Mc Knight repudiated the affidavit which she made at police station during the early stages of the Phagan investigation, and in which she tells of alleged conversations and incidents which occurred in the Frank home on the night and morning following the murder.
She followed the Chambers boy to the stand, and was questioned by Mr. Arnold.
"Where do you work?"
"With Mrs. Emil Selig?"
"Were you there on April 26th?"
"Yes."
"Where is Mr. and Mrs. Frank's room?"
"Upstairs."
"Did you see Frank on the morning of the 26th?"
"Yes."
"At what time?"
"About 6:30 o'clock."
"Did you see him leave?"
"Yes."
"When did you next see him?"
"About 2 o'clock."
"What time did he have dinner?"
"It was ready when he came in."
"What time did he get home?"
"About 1:20 o'clock."
She Knew Her Husband.
"Is Albert Mc Knight your husband?"
"Yes, I know him."
"Was he at the Selig home during dinner?"
"No."
"Was he there at any time of the day?"
"No."
"What time did Frank leave?"
"About 2 o'clock."
"When did you see him next?"
"At 6:30 o'clock."
"Did he eat supper?"
"Yes."
"Did you see him the next day?"
"Yes, somewhere about 10 o'clock."
"Did the detectives arrest you?"
"Yes. They took me first to Mr. Dorsey's office and then to the police station."
"Was Albert, your husband, there?"
"Yes."
"What did they try to get you to say?"
"One thing, that Miss Lucile wouldn't sleep with Mr. Frank because Mr. Frank wouldn't let her."
"What was Albert claiming?"
"That I told him Miss Lucile had come down and said Mr. Frank had come home drunk and had made her sleep on the rug on the floor."
"What did the detectives do?"
"They said they'd put me in jail until I told a better lie."
"Did they make you sign anything?"
"Yes; in order to get out of jail I signed something I didn't know a thing about."
Solicitor Takes Witness.
Mr. Dorsey began the cross-examination.
"When you were at my office on May 3, you made this statement, didn't you?"
The solicitor read the first of the Mc Knight woman's statements.
"Yes, but some parts of it I didn't."
"On June 2, Albert confronted you with certain things you had told him, didn't he?"
"Yes."
"And you denied them?"
"They wanted me to tell a lie."
"What kind of a lie?"
"They wanted me to stand sponsor for what that nigger said."
"Didn't Albert put his arm around you and say you were telling a lie, and that he wanted you tell the truth?"
"Yes; but he was telling the lie."
"Didn't you sign that statement at police station in presence of your attorney, George Gordon?"
"Yes."
Dorsey then read the startling affidavit made by the woman at police headquarters.
"I signed my name to it," said the negress, "but they made me sign it."
"How did they make you?"
"They said that if I didn't, they'd put me in jail and keep me there."
"Isn't it true that they've been giving you more money here lately at the Selig home?"
"No."