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The Atlanta Georgian,
Wednesday, 29th April 1914,
2nd Edition,
PAGE 2, COLUMN 6.
Solicitor Dorsey Gathers Evidence to Attack Story of Negroes
That Conley Confessed.
Solicitor Hugh Dorsey Wednesday declared that he had not yet decided whether he will ask Judge Ben Hill to reconvene the hearing of the extraordinary motion for a new trial for Leo Frank Thursday morning, instead of Friday. He stated that his course in this regard will depend upon developments of the day.
"If the Ragsdale evidence is eliminated," Mr. Dorsey said, "we may be ready to proceed with the case Thursday, but something might happen that will keep us from being ready with our counter showing until Friday."
Solicitor Dorsey has been working on the preparation of his counter showing, aided by several attorneys and half a dozen detectives, since the hearing was postponed by Judge Hill. Solicitor Dorsey asked a postponement after the defense introduced affidavits from the Rev. C. B. Ragsdale and R. L. Barber, who asserted that they heard Jim Conley confess to the murder of Mary Phagan.
Solicitor Plans Fight.
It is understood, although the Solicitor would not admit it, that he contemplated making a fight against Judge Hill's action in acceding to the request of attorneys for the defense that the affidavits of Ragsdale and Barber be expunged from the extraordinary motion, which was done Tuesday, after Ragsdale repudiated the affidavit and declared that it was a "frame-up." Barber also says his story was "molded."
Attorneys for Frank declare that they were deceived by Ragsdale and Barber, and that they accepted the affidavits of the two men in good faith. Both the preacher and Barber gave Frank's attorneys numerous affidavits from reputable citizens, vouching for them, among them being one from Dr. John E. White, pastor of the Second Baptist Church. Dr. White has issued a statement in which he says he did not know of the nature of Ragsdale's testimony, but made the affidavit at the request of a detective of the Burns agency, because Ragsdale was in good standing in the Baptist Church and he had always thought him to be of good character.
Neither Solicitor Dorsey nor any of his staff would give any inkling of what they are doing to combat the evidence of Anna Maud Carter, the negro woman who asserts Conley confessed to her. It was intimated, however, that the Solicitor is in possession of important evidence to contradict the woman's story.
An echo of the Ragsdale end of the case will be heard at the Plum Street Baptist Church Thursday night, when a committee from the membership of the church will make a full report of their investigation into the preacher's affidavit. The committee is composed of Frank A. Smith, W. R. Beattie, Charles G. Wheeler, J. E. Dobbs, T. B. Dobbs and Rev. J. W. Cartin.
The committee called on Rev. Mr. Ragsdale Monday night, and at that time the preacher tendered his resignation as pastor of the church. The committee refused to state whether it would be accepted. The church will take action on the matter Thursday night, following the report of the committee on the alleged "frame-up." Members of the committee stated Wednesday that Barber is not a member of the Plum Street Church.
4th Edition, PAGE 2, COLUMN 7
DORSEY NOT TO HASTEN FRANK PLEA HEARING
Argument of Extraordinary Motion
Will Be Resumed on Friday,
As Scheduled.
Solicitor Dorsey announced Wednesday that he would make no request of Judge Hill to resume the hearing on the extraordinary motion for a new trial for Leo Frank before Friday, the day to which adjournment was taken last week, when the defense closed its presentation of the motion with accompanying affidavits.
The Solicitor said that he probably would have been prepared to go ahead on Thursday morning, but that he saw no particular reason to hasten the hearing, inasmuch as it was to come on the next day.
Solicitor Dorsey, with the detectives who are working under his direction, paid particular attention in their work of Wednesday to the story told by the negress, Annie Maude Carter, who swore in an affidavit presented before Judge Hill last week that Jim Conley confessed explicitly to her that he was the slayer of Mary Phagan and that Frank had nothing to do with it. Several negroes who know the Carter woman were called before the Solicitor and the detectives and were questioned closely as to her record for truthfulness and as to statements she has made since her liberation from the county jail.
Dorsey Is Confident.
The prosecutor would make no comment Wednesday on the evidence he has procured to combat the defense's motion for a new trial, but appeared entirely confident that he would again succeed in balking Frank's lawyers in their latest move to save their client.
In addition to their completion of preparations for the hearing on Friday the city detectives have been instructed to accumulate evidence on which the Solicitor may base cases which he says he will prosecute as soon as the hearing is concluded. It is understood that several of the State's recanting witnesses will be made the defendants, as well as persons who were instrumental in obtaining their affidavits of repudiation.
Detective W. J. Burns said Wednesday that there was a great mystery in his recent trip to Chicago, as the prosecution had sought to represent, but that he had gone there merely to see Aaron Aarons, who had figured in the case as a "stool pigeon" for the police at the county jail.
"The Solicitor and the city detectives are welcome to investigate any of my acts in connection with the case," said Burns. "While I do not herald abroad every move that I make, there are none of them which I fear to have scrutinized."
Church Probes Affidavit.
An echo of the Ragsdale end of the case will be heard at the Plum Street Baptist Church Thursday night, when a committee from the membership of the church will make a full report of their investigation into the preacher's affidavit. The committee is composed of Frank A. Smith, W. R. Beattie, Charles G. Wheeler, J. E. Dobbs, T. B. Dobbs and Rev. J. W. Cartin.
The committee called on Rev. Mr. Ragsdale Monday night, and at that time the preacher tendered his resignation as pastor of the church. The committee refused to state whether it would be accepted. The church will take action on the matter Thursday night, following the report of the committee on the alleged "frame-up." Members of the committee stated Wednesday that Barber is not a member of the Plum Street Church.