The Leo Frank Case: The Lynching of a Guilty Man, part 1
by Philip St. Raymond for The American Mercury THE AMERICAN MERCURY is proud of its decades-long reputation for seeking the truth without fear or favor. As such, we do not flinch when a part of that truth can best be discovered in…
Tuesday, 28th April 1914: Bar Ragsdale-barber Evidence For New Trial, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal, Tuesday, 28th April 1914, PAGE 1, COLUMN 3. Defense Strikes Amendment, Dorsey Promises Sensation, Frank Makes Statement Judge Ben H. Hill has signed an order allowing the defense of Leo M. Frank to strike from his…
Sunday, 26th April 1914: Says Love Letters Written By Conley Prove Him Guilty, The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Constitution,Sunday, 26th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 2.Detective Burns Declares They Are Conclusive Evidence That He Was Author of the Murder Notes."I have just come into possession of evidence that is proof conclusive that the murder notes found by…
Monday, 27th April 1914: Dorsey And Juror Hold Conference, The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Constitution,Monday, 27th April 1914,PAGE 3, COLUMN 1.Marcellus Johenning and the Solicitor Refuse to Discuss What Passed at Their Meeting.The news which leaked from the office of Solicitor Dorsey yesterday that Dorsey had held a secret conference with Marcellus…
Tuesday, 28th April 1914: Frank’s Lawyers Hear Confession Witnesses Now Repudiate Stories, The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Constitution,Tuesday, 28th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 1.Attorneys issued a statement declaring their belief that Ragsdale and Barber were telling the truth. They explained how affidavits were secured from these individuals. In their statement, they said, "If these rumors…
Wednesday, 29th April 1914: Dorsey May Ask For Earlier Date, The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Constitution,Wednesday, 29th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 3.Solicitor Will Insist That the Ragsdale and Barber Affidavits Remain a Part of the Record. Having announced that he is amply prepared to combat the amendments to the motion for a new…
Thursday, 30th April 1914: $200 Bribe Induced Him To Swear To Confession Of Conley, Says Pastor, The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Constitution,Thursday, 30th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 1.Rev. C. B. Ragsdale declared that necessity caused him to make a false affidavit in the Frank case, and he did not fully realize what he was doing. The committee of six…
Thursday, 23rd April 1914: Hearing Begins On New Trial Motion For Leo M. Frank, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Thursday, 23rd April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 5.Progress was made in the Frank case on Thursday as Judge Ben H. Hill heard the extraordinary motion for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence. The court convened in one…
Friday, 24th April 1914: Jim Conley Charged With Confessing He Slew Mary Phagan, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Friday, 24th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 5.Attorneys for Leo M. Frank, at a hearing for a new trial, read an affidavit from a Black woman in which she asserted that Jim Conley, on her promise to marry him,…
Saturday, 25th April 1914: Conley Denies He Confessed Murder, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Saturday, 25th April 1914,PAGE 14, COLUMN 5.Negro Says He Will Disprove Charge Made by Negress in AffidavitThe negro Jim Conley, through Attorney William M. Smith, has issued a statement denying the charge that he confessed to the murder…
Sunday, 26th April 1914: Leo Frank Pleads For A Fair Trial In Signed Card, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Sunday, 26th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 4.Leo M. Frank's Plea for a Fair TrialLeo M. Frank issued a signed statement on Saturday night commenting on the interview of Chief Newport A. Lanford of the city detective's department with…
Monday, 27th April 1914: Say Burns Has Twenty Agents On Frank Case, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Monday, 27th April 1914,PAGE 18, COLUMN 3.Several women are among the agents working in Atlanta, including those who previously assisted William J. Burns in his famous San Francisco cases, according to city detectives. Solicitor General Dorsey, with the…
Wednesday, 29th April 1914: Frank Hearing Will Be Resumed Friday, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Wednesday, 29th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 5.The hearing of an extraordinary motion for a new trial for Leo M. Frank will be resumed before Judge Ben H. Hill, of the criminal division of the superior court, on Friday.…
Thursday, 30th April 1914: Tale Of $200 Bribe Is Branded As A Lie By Detective Burns, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Thursday, 30th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 1.Sleuth Leaves Train Going West and Returns to Atlanta to Refute Rev. C. B. Ragsdale's StoryFrank Trial Motion to Be Heard FridayA resolution to revoke the license of Burns' Detective Agency in…
Friday, 10th April 1914: Burns Probes Stories Of Frank’s Character, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Friday, 10th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 4.Detective William J. Burns indicated on Friday that his investigation has failed to substantiate the charges of bad character brought against Leo M. Frank by the state. The detective expressed his willingness…
Saturday, 11th April 1914: Burns To Delay His Report For Ten Days, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Saturday, 11th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 7.Detective's Agents Unable to Corroborate Statements Against Frank's CharacterIndications were on Saturday that the report of Detective William J. Burns on the Mary Phagan murder case will not be made public for…
Sunday, 12th April 1914: Offers Big Reward For Evidence Against Frank, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Sunday, 12th April 1914,PAGE 3, COLUMN 1.Burns to Give $1,000 for Proof of Perversion; Detective DisappearsIn a signed statement Saturday afternoon, William J. Burns offered a reward of $1,000 to any person who will furnish him with definite…
Monday, 13th April 1914: Lanford Evidence Not Convincing, Says Lehon, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Monday, 13th April 1914,PAGE 3, COLUMN 1.Dan S. Lehon, Burns' lieutenant in the investigation of the Mary Phagan murder case, declares that the character evidence against Frank, held by Chief of Detectives Newport Lanford, is "not satisfactory." When…
Tuesday, 14th April 1914: May Amend Motion For New Trial Of Leo Frank, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Tuesday, 14th April 1914,PAGE 2, COLUMN 1.Solicitor Dorsey has intimated that he will contest any effort by the defense to amend the motion as served on him, and as a result, a court fight Thursday over the point…
Wednesday, 15th April 1914: Summon Physician In Hearing For New Trial, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Wednesday, 15th April 1914,PAGE 20, COLUMN 3.Counsel for Leo M. Frank has subpoenaed Dr. H. F. Harris, secretary of the state board of health, to appear in the criminal division of the superior court on Thursday morning at…
Thursday, 16th April 1914: Says Frank Verdict Violates U.s. Law Surprise Is Sprung By New Attorneys In Court Thursday, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Thursday, 16th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 4.Tye, Peeples & Jordan have asked Judge Hill to set aside the verdict against Leo M. Frank because he was not present when it was read. Judge Hill has scheduled a hearing…
Friday, 17th April 1914: Many Lawyers Believe Frank Motion Is Sound, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Friday, 17th April 1914,PAGE 5, COLUMN 1.Dorsey Not Disturbed by Dr. Harris' Testimony Favorable to StateThe move of the defense of Leo M. Frank in asking that the verdict of guilty be set aside and declared null and…
Saturday, 18th April 1914: Dorsey To Fight Motion For A New Frank Trial, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Saturday, 18th April 1914,PAGE 10, COLUMN 1.Interest in the case of Leo M. Frank now centers on the unexpected move to set aside the verdict of guilty on the ground that Frank was absent from the courtroom when…
Sunday, 19th April 1914: Albert M’knight Now Repudiates His Recent Story, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Sunday, 19th April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 6.Captain Burke of the Frank Defense promised Albert Mc Knight a $100 a month job to say he swore falsely. Mc Knight, a vacillating witness in the case against Leo M. Frank,…
Monday, 20th April 1914: Burns Now Ready To Present Frank Evidence, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Monday, 20th April 1914,PAGE 16, COLUMN 5.William J. Burns returned to the city on Monday and announced that he is ready to make his report on the Leo M. Frank case whenever the attorneys for the defense want…
Tuesday, 21st April 1914: Frank’s Lawyers Score Methods Of The Police, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Tuesday, 21st April 1914,PAGE 21, COLUMN 1.Rosser and Arnold Condemn Custody of Witnesses as Outrage on DecencyEditor of The Journal:So many things foreign to fair play have happened heretofore in the Frank case that nothing now seems to…
Wednesday, 22nd April 1914: Frank Hearings Postponed; Burns Says Conley Guilty, The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal,Wednesday, 22nd April 1914,PAGE 1, COLUMN 3.The argument on the motion to set aside the verdict in the Leo M. Frank case, originally scheduled for a hearing before Judge Ben H. Hill, has been postponed. The motion to…
Sunday, 19th April 1914: Testimony He Gave At Trial Was True, Declares M’knight, The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Constitution, Sunday, 19th April 1914, PAGE 1, COLUMN 6. Negro Witness for Prosecution Now Repudiates Affidavit He Gave to Leo M. Frank's Attorneys Albert Mc Knight, a state witness in the Frank case, now repudiates his repudiation.…
Wednesday, 22nd April 1914: Lanford Declines To Show Affidavits, The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Constitution,Wednesday, 22nd April 1914,PAGE 9, COLUMN 1.William J. Burns left the city without seeing the documents he sought, charging perversion. Detective William J. Burns visited the police station late Tuesday afternoon to meet Chief of Detectives Newport Lanford,…
Thursday, 23rd April 1914: Conley Is Guilty, Asserts W. J. Burns, The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Constitution,Thursday, 23rd April 1914,PAGE 7, COLUMN 2.Detective Files Preliminary Report on Investigation. Dorsey Prepares Answer to Extraordinary Motion.Solicitor Dorsey shut himself in his office in the Kiser Building Wednesday, locked the door, gave instructions that he be not…