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The Atlanta Journal,
Sunday, 17th August 1913,
PAGE 1, COLUMN 4.
THE trial of Leo M. Frank, charged with the murder of Mary Phagan, is believed to have broken at least three records in criminal prosecution in the south.
More witnesses have been called than in any other case on record, more actual time has been taken up in hearing testimony, and the transcript of evidence is the most voluminous, so far as known, ever taken in a criminal court south of the Mason and Dixon line.
When court adjourned Saturday afternoon thirty-four witnesses had been called by the state and 169 by the defense, a total of 203; for three weeks the jury had listened to testimony, having spent approximately 115 1-2 hours in court; and the evidence transcribed by the stenographers exceeded 875,000 words.
It is considered likely that before the end of the trial nearly 300 witnesses will have been called and the transcript will total considerably more than a million words.
One of the most remarkable features of the trial is the way in which the court stenographers have taken down the testimony. The defense, anticipating the need of having a copy of the official record in their possession as quickly as possible after a witness' testimony has been taken down, engaged two extra stenographers to work with the two regular court reporters of the county. The four work in relays. One will "take" for an hour. He will then be relieved, and while another is writing down the questions of the attorneys and the answers of the witnesses he is either typing from his notes or reading from them into a dictaphone. In the latter event an assistant takes the testimony as it is dictated by this device.
In this way the defense is able at any time to refer immediately to any part of the testimony which has already been given in the trial.