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The Atlanta Georgian,
Monday, 20th April 1914,
4th Edition,
PAGE 1, COLUMN 4.
Prospects of an early report by William J. Burns on the Phagan murder case were revived by the announcement of Dan Lehon, Burns' lieutenant, that his chief would arrive in Atlanta at 11:40 o'clock Monday morning. The assumption is that his report will be made either later Monday or early on Tuesday.
The Burns report now is regarded as the only important phase that can develop prior to the big legal fight next Wednesday, when the prosecution and the defense come to their clash before Judge Hill. Mr. Burns has stated repeatedly that his report will fasten the crime definitely on the guilty person.
Albert Mc Knight, the negro who is now said to deny his repudiation of his affidavit against Frank, was still at police headquarters Monday.
It also is stated that the Solicitor's office has a number of other affidavits contradictory to those obtained by the defense in their campaign for new evidence, and the prosecution appears confident of victory in the approaching legal tussle.
6th Edition, PAGE 1, COLUMN 1
STATE PLANS PERJURY CASES
Dorsey Will Prosecute Witnesses Who Repudiated Evidence They Gave at Frank's Trial.
Solicitor General Dorsey Monday for the first time since the ending of the trial of Leo M. Frank indicated his plans for fighting the campaign of affidavits that the defense is making by his admission to a Georgian reporter that he was about to start prosecutions against a number of persons in connection with the Frank case.
His sensational declaration came within a short time of the return to Atlanta of William J. Burns, the detective who has been working on the case, and whose findings to this time seem to have been favorable to Frank. Burns returned from a secret mission in Northern cities and would not disclose the results of his week's work.
The prosecutions undertaken by Solicitor Dorsey are supposed to be directed against the affidavit makers for the defense.
Steps Already Taken.
The Solicitor refused to name the persons against whom cases would be made, but he admitted that steps already had been taken toward the prosecution. With him in conference during the morning were Detectives Bass Rosser, John Black, John Starnes and Pat Campbell. It was reported that they had just completed an investigation.
Detective Burns said that his week's work out of Atlanta had been productive of gratifying results, and declared that he was prepared to submit his report within a day or two. He would not say with whom he had talked, but declared that the information he had obtained served only to confirm him in the certainty of the identity of the murderer of Mary Phagan.
He went immediately to his agency's offices in the Healey Building, where he was in consultation some time with Dan Lehon, who handled the Atlanta end of the case during his absence. Lehon reported to him that no one had appeared to claim the $1,000 reward that had been offered to the person or persons who would furnish definite and satisfactory proof that Frank was a degenerate, as charged on the witness stand by Conley. Burns was said to be contemplating raising the offer to $5,000.
Believed Negro Is Intimidated.
Counsel for Frank Monday expressed a doubt that the negro Albert Mc Knight, who was discovered at the police station Saturday night, where he repudiated his perjury affidavit made for the defense, had come under police protection voluntarily. They professed to be of the opinion that Mc Knight had been coerced or intimidated in some manner in order to make him return to the story he told against Frank on the witness stand.
Mc Knight, no later than last Wednesday, swore to an affidavit in the presence of Dan Mc Intyre, Notary Public, and Detective Lehon. It embodied the same statements that were contained in the original affidavit obtained by Captain C. W. Burke.
Told Reporters Same Story.
Mc Knight told the same story to reporters for two of the Atlanta papers. He also is said to have related it to Dr. T. H. Hancock, who treated him when he was injured by a train a few weeks ago, and nearly a score of other persons. To the reporters Mc Knight said that he had been on the point of breaking down and telling the truth when he was under cross-examination by Luther Rosser and would, in fact, have admitted that there was nothing to the story he was relating had the attorney asked him a few more questions.