338 Slide – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

306 X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

good character. It is presumed—had he not put his character
in issue, it would have been presumed—and the State would
have been absolutely helpless—that this man was as good a
man as lived in the City of Atlanta. It’s a mighty easy thing,
if a man is worth anything, if a man attains to any degree of
respectability, it’s a mighty easy thing to get some one to sus-
tain his character but it’s the hardest thing known to a law-
yer to get people to impeach the character of another. In the
Durant case, his character was unimpeached. The defendant
here put his character in issne and we accepted the challenge,
and we met it, I submit to you. Now, if we concede that this
defendant in this case was a man of good character—a thing
we don’t concede—still, under your oath and under the law
that His Honor will give you in charge, as is laid down in the
88 Georgia, page 92, ‘‘Proof of good character will not hinder
conviction, if the guilt of the defendant is plainly proved to
the satisfaction of the jury.’’

First, you have got to heve the good character, before it
weighs a feather in the balance, and remember, that the
hardest burden, so far as proof is concerned, that ever rests
on anybody, is to break down the character of a man who
really has character and I ask you if this defendant stands
before you a man of good character?

Mr, Arnold, as though he had not realized the foree of the
evidence here against the man who, on April 26th, snuffed out
the life of little Mary Phagan, in his desperation stood up in
this presence and called nineteen or twenty of these reputable,
high-toned girls, though they be working girls, ‘‘crack-brain
fanatics and liars,’’ and they have hurled that word around
here a good deal, too, they have hurled that word around here
a good deal. If that’s an attribute of great men and great
lawyers, I here and now proclaim to you I have no aspirations
to attain them. Not once will I say that anybody has lied,
bat I'M put it up to you as twelve honest, conscientions men
by your verdict to say where the truth lies and who has lied.
I’m going to be satisfled with your verdict, too—I know this