Compiled by Charles Pou
Biographical Notes
Leo Frank
was born April 17, 1884 in Cuero, Texas to Rudolph and Rae Frank. Within a few
months, the family moved to Brooklyn, where Leo grew up. He graduated from
Cornell University in 1906, earning a degree in mechanical engineering. In
December of 1907, Frank went to Europe for a nine-month apprenticeship in
pencil manufacturing. In August of 1908 he moved to Atlanta to assume the
supervision of the National Pencil Factory. Two years later, in October 1910,
Frank married Lucille Selig of Atlanta. The couple lived with Lucille's
parents. By the year 1913 the Jewish community in Atlanta was the largest in
the South; Leo Frank was serving as president of the Atlanta chapter of B'nai
B'rith, while maintaining his position as supervisor of the National Pencil Factory.
At the time of Mary Phagan's murder, he was twenty-nine years old and had
supervised the factory for almost five years.
Mary Phagan was born on June 1, 1900
to John and Frances Phagan in Marietta, Ga. Her father died when she was young;
her mother eventually re-married to J.W. Coleman. They resided briefly in
Alabama before moving back to Marietta. Mary Phagan was employed by the
National Pencil Factory to operate a machine which placed metal tips on
pencils. Mary had been temporarily laid off in April of 1913, because a
shipment of metal to make the tips was late in arriving. She was due $1.20 in
wages, which she went to collect on Confederate Memorial Day, April 26, 1913.
Chronology
Murder, Investigation, Arrest, Indictment -
April 26-May 25, 1913
Pre-Trial Reports - May 26-July 27, 1913
Trial, July 28-August 26, 1913
Appeals, Commutation, Lynching
Pardon
Links to other Leo Frank sites and Printed
Sources
Murder, Investigation, Arrest, Indictment
April 26, 1913
- Mary Phagan, an employee of the National Pencil Factory in Atlanta, was
murdered sometime after picking up her wages from the factory.
April 27, 1913
- Arthur Mullinax, an ex-street car driver, and Newt Lee, the night watchman at
the National Pencil factory, were both arrested on suspicion of being
implicated in the murder of Mary Phagan. Lee was African American and was the
man who discovered her body soaked with blood, with two scrawled notes lying
nearby. Mullinax had frequently driven Phagan to and from work; he was arrested
because a witness claimed to have seen the two together Saturday, with Phagan
appearing to be dazed or drugged. Both men declared their innocence.
April 28, 1913
- two more men were arrested on suspicion of being involved with the murder of
Mary Phagan. One was John Gantt, a former bookkeeper at the National Pencil
Factory, who had openly admired Phagan. He was arrested in Marietta with a
packed suitcase, waiting to board a train. The second man arrested was an
unnamed African American. The Atlanta Constitution published an appeal, along
with a reward of $1000, for anyone who had seen Mary Phagan after noon on April
26 to come forward. Meanwhile police had to disperse a white mob threatening to
lynch Newt Lee, the night watchman who had discovered Phagan's body and was
also under suspicion. In a side note to the investigation, the superintendent
of the National Pencil Factory was questioned perfunctorily in the case, then
expressed his unhappiness with the investigation's progress, so he personally
brought in a Pinkerton's detective to aid in the investigation. This was the
first mention of the superintendent, Leo Frank, in the information released to
the public.
April 29, 1913
- Mary Phagan was buried; her mother was overcome with grief several times
during the ceremonies. Most of the suspicion continued to fall on Newt Lee,
though Leo Frank was brought in again for more detailed questioning. After his
interrogation, Frank questioned Lee himself. A bloody shirt had been found in
Lee's home; he claimed it was his own blood from an injury. The reward for
information leading to the conviction of the murderer was raised to $2200 -
$1000 from the Atlanta Constitution, $1000 from the city of Atlanta, and $200
from the state. One of the detectives released the following statement:
"We have sufficient evidence to convict the murderers of Mary Phagan. More
arrests will be made before daybreak. The mystery is cleared." No names
were mentioned.
April 30, 1913
- at an inquest into the death of Mary Phagan, more suspicion began to fall on
Leo Frank. George Epps, a fifteen year old friend of Mary Phagan, testified
that Phagan was afraid of Frank because he had flirted and made advances toward
her. Newt Lee testified that Frank was nervous the day of the murder and had
telephoned to see if everything was OK at the factory - not his usual practice.
But two mechanics who had worked on the top floor of the factory that morning
disputed Lee's story, saying Frank had acted normally.
May 1, 1913
- Arthur Mullinax and John Gantt were released, no longer suspects in the
murder of Mary Phagan. Newt Lee and Leo Frank were still being held. Although
the local media did not know (or at least did not report) it, another employee
of the National Pencil Factory was arrested around 2:00 the afternoon of May 1.
Jim Conley, a sweeper at the factory, was discovered trying to rinse out a
soiled shirt in the basement. Upon further examination, the stains turned out
to be blood.
May 2, 1913
- In talks with an Atlanta Constitution reporter, both Newt Lee and Leo Frank
strongly insisted they were innocent of Mary Phagan's murder; Frank was
confident his name would be cleared in the process of the investigation.
May 3, 1913
- Detectives investigating Mary Phagan's murder had a new problem; two
impostors posing as Pinkerton detectives had interviewed George Epps (Phagan's
friend who had reported she was afraid of Leo Frank) and Phagan's mother.
May 5, 1913
- Lemmie Quinn, foreman of Mary Phagan's work area at the National Pencil
Factory, testified he saw Leo Frank the Saturday of the murder and that all was
perfectly normal. Furthermore he knew Frank well and was certain that he was not
guilty of the murder. But detectives accused him of accepting a bribe from
Frank to make those statements, an accusation Quinn firmly denied. Meanwhile
several witnesses had come forward to say they had seen a girl resembling
Phagan at the Confederate Memorial Day parade that Saturday afternoon; she
appeared to be drugged. So the decision was made to exhume Phagan's body and
search her stomach for signs of drugs.
May 6, 1913
- a second exhumation of Mary Phagan's body took place, this time to look for fingerprints;
a fingerprint expert had been called in to help with the case.
May 7, 1913
- the blood on Newt Lee's shirt was determined to be not more than a month old.
The wife of one of the mechanics who had testified on April 30 said she visited
her husband at the factory that day and saw a "strange Negro"
boarding the elevator as she left around 1:00 PM. Detectives on the case said
someone was planting false evidence and trying to block the investigation.
May 8, 1913
- a coroner's jury ordered Newt Lee and Leo Frank to be held under the charge
of murder of MaryPhagan. Several women and girls had come forward to say Frank
had made improper advances to them in the past. Whiledetectives still expressed
confidence in solving the case, they also admitted all the evidence they had up
to that point wascircumstantial.
May 9, 1913
- Fourteen year old Monteen Stover said she had arrived at the National Pencil
Factory around 12:05 PM (roughly the same time as Mary Phagan had arrived) and
that Leo Frank was not in his office. This contradicted Frank's testimony that
he had been in his office the entire time in which it was thought Phagan had
been murdered. Another woman reported that she was walking outside the factory
around 4:30 PM when she heard three piercing screams come from the basement of
the building.
May 10, 1913
- the Atlanta Constitution reported that Robert House, an ex-policeman, had
said he once caught Leo Frank and a young girl in the woods at Druid Hills park
engaging in immoral acts. According to House, Frank had pleaded with him not to
report the incident. This story was later proven to be false.
May 11, 1913
- officials of the National Pencil Factory told Pinkerton detectives to find
the murderer of Mary Phagan, no matter who it might be, this despite Leo Frank
having brought in the Pinkerton detective in the first place. A mysterious
"girl in red" was rumored to have said, in a Marietta grocery store,
that she was with Phagan on the day of the murder. After scouring the neighborhood
and not finding the girl, detectives concluded the story was a hoax.
May 12, 1913
- an Atlanta Constitution reporter in Brooklyn interviewed Mrs. Rudolph Frank,
Leo Frank's mother. She said "My son is entirely innocent, but it is a
terrible thing that even a shadow of suspicion should fall upon him. I am sure
of his innocence and am confident that he will be proven not guilty of this
terrible crime."
May 13, 1913
-detectives investigating the murder of Mary Phagan were reported to be on the
verge of making a new arrest "which would throw an entirely new light upon
the case." Meanwhile rumors were swirling about the notes found near the
body of Mary Phagan; samples of her handwriting had been collected and
handwriting experts brought in.
May 14, 1913
- an identification slip had been found in Mary Phagan's pocketbook. It read
"My name is Mary Phagan. I live at 146 Lindsey Street, near Bellwood and
Asby Streets." Hugh Dorsey, the solicitor working the case, theorized that
Phagan did this either because she had been threatened with violence previously
or that she had a premonition of her death.
May 15, 1913
- the Atlanta Constitution began a fund raising drive to bring William J.
Burns, America's most famous and successful detective, into the Mary Phagan
investigation. Burns was in Europe, but was rumored to interested in the case.
May 16, 1913
- investigators in the Mary Phagan murder case searched the National Pencil
Factory looking for scraps of rope or twine. Hugh Dorsey, solicitor in the
case, said the knot tied around Mary Phagan's neck was intricate and
inexplicable - it must have been tied by a professional. Over $1500 had already
been raised to bring William J. Burns into the case; Thomas Felder, the
attorney responsible for bring in the Burns Agency, said: "We will catch
the guilty man and we won't be long about it. I am confident of success. Mary
Phagan's murder will be cleared in less than a month."
May 17, 1913
- rumors continued to abound that more arrests were imminent in the Mary Phagan
murder case. Also, there were public breaches and conflicts forming between the
detectives on the case and the solicitor's staff. Atlanta's police chief said
he had documentary evidence which would convict Mary Phagan's murderer, but
refused to release it to the public.
May 18, 1913
- Thomas Felder claimed to have turned a new piece of evidence in the Mary
Phagan case, but it was not revealed to the public. The Atlanta Constitution
also reported that Atlanta police were questioning a new suspect in the case
and had asked him for handwriting samples. The new suspect was James Connolly (sic),
a sweeper at the factory, who had been arrested "several days
earlier" (actually on May 1) when he was discovered rinsing a soiled shirt
at the pencil factory. The stains on the shirt turned out to be blood. Jim
Conley would turn out to be the prosecution's lead witness in its case against
Leo Frank; Conley was also the man who had actually committed the murder,
according to Alonzo Mann, a thirteen year old employee of the factory. Mann, in
a story he did not tell until 1982, claimed he saw Conley carrying Phagan's
body at the factory that day; Conley threatened Mann with death if he ever was
to report what he had seen. Mann's mother advised him to keep quiet, which he
did for almost seventy years.
May 19, 1913
- an investigator from the William J. Burns agency arrived in Atlanta to assist
in the investigation of Mary Phagan's murder. New rumors stated up (as they did
almost daily), this one that a telephone operator had heard two men discussing
their involvement in the murder. Like most rumors surrounding this case, this
one turned out to be false.
May 20, 1913
- P.A. Flak, a fingerprint expert from New York, visited the Mary Phagan crime
scene with solicitor Hugh Dorsey. Later, Flak took fingerprints from both Newt
Lee and Leo Frank. C.W. Toble, the investigator from the Burns Detective
Agency, said he was convinced Newt Lee was innocent of the crime.
May 21, 1913
- Solicitor Hugh Dorsey announced that he would go before the grand jury on May
23rd and ask for indictments against both Newt Lee and Leo Frank, but that the
evidence presented would concentrate on Frank.
May 22, 1913
- a new controversy arose in the Mary Phagan murder investigation. Phagan's
step father signed an affidavit accusing Thomas Felder, the attorney
responsible for bringing the Burns Detective Agency into the case, of
approaching him about allowing Felder to prosecute the case. Detectives
presented transcripts of dictograph recordings in which Felder had offered them
$1000 for access to the case evidence.
May 23, 1913
- a grand jury took only ten minutes to hand down a murder indictment against
Leo Frank; no action wastaken or requested against Newt Lee.
May 25, 1913
- details of Hugh Dorsey's presentation to the grand jury in the Leo Frank case
were beginning to emerge. No bill of indictment had been handed down against
Newt Lee; all the evidence presented was aimed at Frank. Neither of the
statements given by Frank or Lee were mentioned. Jim Conley had not been called
to testify, nor had the notes found near Phagan's body been presented. The
undertaker who embalmed Phagan's body said there was evidence of sexual
assault, but the county physician said there was not sufficient evidence to
make such a claim. Meanwhile, Newt Lee's attorney requested that he be kept in
custody, for fear the murderer of Mary Phagan would try to influence his
testimony.
Pre-Trial Reports
May 26, 1913
- despite intense questioning by detectives, Jim Conley stuck to his story that
he wrote the notes found near the body of Mary Phagan, but at the order of Leo
Frank.There was little doubt that he did write the notes, but police continued
to investigate the circumstances under which they were written.
May 27, 1913
- the detective from the Burns Agency, called in to help the investigation into
Mary Phagan's murder, withdrew from the case, citing continued fighting among
the police, mayor's office, solicitor's office, and the attorney who had
brought him into the case. On another note, Mrs Arthur White, who had testified
on May 7 that she saw a "strange Negro" lurking near the elevator of
the National Pencil Factory around 1:00 PM after visiting her husband,
identified the man she saw as Jim Conley.
May 28, 1913
- Samples of the handwriting of Leo Frank, Newt Lee, and Jim Conley were released,
along with a portion of one of the notes found near Mary Phagan's body. Jim
Conley had admittedly written the notes, but on this day he changed his story
dramatically. Previously he had claimed Frank asked him to write the notes on
Friday, the day preceding the murder. Now he claimed he wrote them on Frank's
order after the murder. He added Frank had asked him to watch at the bottom of
the stairs
leading to Frank's office, but he
(Conley) had fallen asleep until he heard Frank whistle. When he went to
Frank's office Frankwas shaking so badly he had to hold onto Conley for
support. Then, according to Conley, Frank had asked him to write the notesand
muttered the ominous phrase "Why should I hang?"
May 29, 1913
- officials of the National Pencil Factory claimed they believed Jim Conley was
the true murderer of Mary Phagan. Atlanta detectives said they believed
Conley's story, though admitting it had changed several times and still had
many inconsistencies.
May 30, 1913
- police took Jim Conley to the National Pencil Factory, where he went over
every detail of his story of the day of the murder, including how he and Leo
Frank had together loaded Mary Phagan's body onto the elevator and brought it
to the basement. Though no one realized it at the time, there was a major flaw
in Conley's story.He had told detectives he had defecated into the elevator
shaft earlier that Saturday morning. But when police first investigating the
murder took the elevator down the pile of feces left by Conley had been "fresh,"
that is unmashed. If Conley and Frank had indeed taken the elevator down with
Phagan's body, the feces would already have been flattened. The police and
Frank'sattorneys failed to notice this glaring mistake in Conley's testimony.
May 31, 1913
- Jim Conley was interviewed for two hours by solicitor Hugh Dorsey, preparing
to prosecute Leo Frank for the murder of Mary Phagan. Conley was then returned
to police headquarters where he would be readily available for further
questioning; despite the police believing Frank was guilty of the murder, they
were still concerned over the "flaws and rough places" in Conley's
story.
June 2, 1913
- the Atlanta Journal reported that Leo Frank's defense would insist the
elevator in the National Pencil Factorywas not moved on the day of the murder
(April 26) and that the murder happened on the first floor, not the second as
surmised by detectives; the blood found on the second floor likely came from
workers who frequently cut themselves on the machinery there. Furthermore, the
defense would argue that Jim Conley alone committed the murder.This was what
actually happened, according to Alonzo Mann's story told in 1982. There was
evidence that the elevator had not been moved (see May 30 entry);though the
police and defense attorneys apparently overlooked it. Meanwhile, Minola
McKnight, the African-American cook for LeoFrank's family, was brought in for
questioning. At first she corroborated Frank's story concerning the times he
arrived home forlunch and then returned to the factory the day of the murder.
She was agitated, believing her estranged husband had been telling lies to the
police to get her in trouble. She said both she and Frank were innocent.
June 3, 1913
- Minola McKnight, after spending the night in jail and after intense
questioning, signed a statement saying Leo frank was very nervous and drinking
heavily the night after the murder of Mary Phagan. She said she overheard
Frank's wife say he made her sleep on the rug and kept asking for his pistol so
he could shoot himself. Frank had told her "It is mighty bad, Minola. I
might have to go to jail about this girl, and I don't know anything about
it." Finally she said her wages had been raised as a "tip to keep
quiet."
June 4, 1913
- Leo Frank's wife released a statement insisting her husband was innocent of
the murder of Mary Phagan, and accused solicitor Hugh Dorsey of
"torturing" witnesses to give false incriminating evidence against
Frank. She said, in part, "the action of the solicitor general in
arresting and imprisoning our family cook because she would not voluntarily
make a falsestatement against my innocent husband, brings a limit to
patience."
June 5, 1913
- responding to the statement of Lucille Frank the previous day, solicitor Hugh
Dorsey released his own statement denying any wrongdoing in arresting and
questioning witnesses in the Mary Phagan murder case.
June 7, 1913
- Lucille Frank renewed her charges that solicitor Hugh Dorsey was using third
degree questioning tactics to gain false evidence against her husband in the
murder of Mary Phagan. Frank said their cook, Minola McKnight, had been
arrested illegally because she was not a suspect in any crime. The Atlanta
Journal also reported that no indictment would be sought against Jim Conley
until Frank's trial was completed. If Frank was found guilty, then Conley might
escape prosecution (he eventually received a one-year sentence); if Frank were
acquitted, then first degree murder charges would be filed against Conley.
Investigators on the case had discovered several cases of violence in Conley's
background, including shooting at his wife and threatening a former employer
with a gun.
June 9, 1913
- the Atlanta Journal reported that the prosecution's case against Leo Frank in
the murder of Mary Phagan was complete and that no further questioning of Jim
Conley was anticipated before the trial. But R.P. Barrett, a foreman at the
National Pencil Factory, was quoted as saying he and "practically
all" the factory's employees believed Conley was the guilty party.
June 10, 1913 -
Luther Z. Rosser, Leo Frank's defense attorney in the Mary Phagan murder case,
publicly accused the police chief had "banked his sense and reputation as
both a man and politician on Frank's guilt." He added that if the police
had approached the investigation with an open mind, Jim Conley would have
already told the whole truth.
June 11, 1913
- Solicitor Hugh Dorsey requested that Jim Conley be released from custody, but
his petition was refused by Judge L.S Roan. Dorsey submitted the request
because Roan had indicated that Conley should be moved to the Fulton County
Jail (popularly known as The Tower) instead of being held at Atlanta police
headquarters. At headquarters both Dorsey and detectives on the case had ready
access to Conley, who had changed his story several times. At The Tower, access
to Conley would be much more difficult.
June 13, 1913
- after a brief hearing Judge L.S. Roan released Jim Conley from custody. He
was immediately re-arrested as a material witness to the Mary Phagan murder
case and would be kept at Atlanta police headquarters, where detectives and
solicitor Hugh Dorsey wanted him - so they could easily interview him whenever
needed.
June 21, 1913
- Prominent Atlanta attorney Reuben Arnold announced that he had joined Leo
Frank's defense team. In his statement Arnold said he had reviewed all the
evidence and was convinced of Frank's innocence, adding that he would not agree
to represent him otherwise. While Arnold did not directly accuse Jim Conley of
the murder of Mary Phagan, he did say Conley's story had no credence in regards
to Frank then added: "I do not believe that any white man committed this
crime."
June 22, 1913
- solicitor Hugh Dorsey announced that Leo Frank's trial would begin June 30.
The trial was later delayed until July 28.
June 24, 1913
- Georgia senator Hoke Smith denied rumors he had been approached about and was
considering aiding in Leo Frank's defense. The rumors spread after defense
attorney Luther Rosser and National Pencil Company president Ike Haas stopped
in Washington, D.C. en route to New York.
June 28, 1913
- John M. Slaton was inaugurated as governor of Georgia.
July 18, 1913
- Amidst persistent rumors that the Pinkerton detectives involved in the Mary
Phagan murder case had changed their minds and now believed Jim Conley was the
guilty party, a grand jury meeting was called to consider indicting Conley.
Harry Scott, the Pinkerton detective heading the investigation for his form,
was denied access to interview Conley. Hugh Dorsey, the solicitor general
prosecuting the case against Leo Frank, spoke out strongly against indicting
Conley.
July 19, 1913
- Leo Frank's attorneys publicly condemned Hugh Dorsey for his stand against
indicting Jim Conley for the murder of Mary Phagan.
July 21, 1913
- a grand jury postponed indicting Jim Conley for the murder of Mary Phagan -
at least until Leo Frank's trial was completed. This decision was reached after
a one and one-half hour presentation before the grand jury by prosecutor Hugh
Dorsey. Judge L.S. Roan, set to hear the case, said he would consider
postponing the trial if the weather remained so hot; the temperature had
reached 99 degrees the previous day.
July 23, 1913
- Jim Conley and Newt Lee were brought together by Hugh Dorsey and staff to go
over their testimonies for the Leo Frank trial, set to begin July 28.
July 24, 1913
- a group of 144 men were selected, from which the jury in the Leo Frank trial
would be drawn.
July 26, 1913
- both groups of attorneys were making their final preparations for the trial
of Leo Frank, set to begin July 28. Other attorneys questioned agreed this
would be the "greatest legal battle of Southern history."
July 27, 1913
- Judge L.S. Roan, would had been ill the previous week, announced he was fine
and would call the Leo Frank trial beginning at 9:00 the following morning.
Trial
July 28, 1913
- trial of Leo Frank began. A jury was quickly selected and seated. The first
witness called was Mrs. J.W. Coleman, mother of Mary Phagan. She managed to
stay collected during most of her testimony, but finally broke down in tears
when asked to identify the clothes her daughter had worn on the day she was
murdered. Next on the stand was George Epps, a thirteen year old boy who also
worked at the National Pencil Factory. He had ridden the streetcar with Phagan
the morning of April 26th, and the two had agreed to meet for an ice cream and
to watch the Confederate Memorial Day Parade at 1:00 that afternoon. When Mary
didn't show, Epps went to a baseball game. The final witness on this day was
Newt Lee, the night watchman who discovered Mary Phagan's body and telephoned
police. He testified for over two hours, telling the same story he had told
police, that he noticed the body when he went into the basement to the
restroom. He also told of Leo Frank being nervous because of the presence of
John Gantt, who had been recently dismissed from the factory. That night, Frank
called Lee to ask if everything was alright, an unusual practice for him.
July 29, 1913
- this was the second day of the trial of Leo Frank. Newt Lee, the night
watchman who discovered Mary Phagan's body, concluded his testimony by
repeating his story for the defense. Altogether Lee spent four hours and
forty-five minutes on the stand. The next witness was police Sgt. L.S. Dobbs,
who took Lee's phone call and rushed to the factory. He said he found the body
in the basement, face down, with a cord tied tightly around the neck, and a
pair of women's underpants tied loosely around the neck. The back of the head
was covered in blood. He also found two notes, her shoes, and a trail where the
body was dragged to its location. Detective John Starnes then took the stand.
He had called Leo Frank to inform him of the murder, and said Frank appeared
extremely nervous when he arrived at the factory. The highlight of the day was
strong verbal clashes between solicitor Hugh Dorsey (prosecuting the case) and
defense attorney Luther Rosser over Rosser's attempts to discredit the
testimony of Starnes.
July 30, 1913
- this was the third day of the Leo Frank trial, and a good day for the
defense. Detective John Black, who had obtained most of the evidence against
Leo Frank, seemed confused and openly admitted being "mixed-up" over
portions of his testimony. He contradicted himself numerous times and said he
could not remember significant details of the case. Finally, he even admitted
that he couldn't be sure of what he had testified to previously. The defense
was jubilant after his testimony. Others testified on this day as well; W.W.
(Boots) Rogers testified that Leo Frank never saw Mary Phagan's body at the
undertaker's; Frank had said he did. Grace Hicks, another factory employee,
recalled how she was called to identify the body. She also said she had worked
at the factory for five years and had only spoken to Leo Frank three times.
Finally John Gantt, whom Frank had discharged from the factory for a shortage
in a pay envelope, testified that he simply returned to the factory April 26th
to retrieve a pair of shoes he had left there. The first three days of the
trial were noted for standing room only crowds, with many gathered outside to
hear news, as well as sweltering heat, with temperatures in the upper 90s. The
temperature remained extremely hot throughout the trial.
July 31, 1913 -
this was the fourth day in the trial of Leo Frank. R.B. Barrett, a machinist at
the factory, provided new information when he said he had found Mary Phagan's
empty pay envelope and bloodstains near a machine on the factory's second
floor. Heretofore, no mention had been made of the missing pay envelope. The
main witness of the day was Harry Scott, Pinkerton detective in charge of their
investigation of the case. He angered both sides during his testimony. He said
Frank did not appear nervous on the Monday following the murder (it was Frank
who brought Scott into the case), but was uneasy after his arrest. This angered
solicitor Hugh Dorsey, who argued that Scott had told him previously Frank was
nervous at the factory on Monday. Scott then angered defense attorneys when he
asserted one of them had asked him to forward all police evidence to the
defense. Also testifying was former factory employee Monteen Stover, who said
she had arrived at the factory at 12:05 PM to receive her pay, had waited in
Frank's office for him for five minutes, then left. This contradicted Frank's
statement that he had been in his office the entire time in which the murder
took place.
August 1, 1913
- this was the fifth day of the trial of Leo Frank. Dr. Roy Harris, secretary
of the State Board of Health who had examined Mary Phagan's body, said she had
died within an hour of eating her last meal of cabbage and bread, meaning she
died sometime in the hour between twelve and one o'clock. He also said the head
wounds were caused by a human fist. After suffering a fainting spell, Dr.
Harris had to leave the stand before completing his testimony. Assistant
factory superintendent N.V. Darley said Frank was nervous the day of the
murder, but that this wasn't unusual for him (Frank). Darley said he had seen
Frank talking to Gantt and assumed this accounted for his nervousness. Darley's
testimony was marked by more bitter clashes between prosecutor Dorsey and
defense attorney Rosser. Maggie White, wife of one of the machinists working at
the factory April 26th, testified she went to the factory twice that day to
visit her husband. She had seen Leo Frank both times, the second time around
12:30 in his office. He had his back turned to her and was startled when she
walked in, but then told her it was fine to go see her husband. She left
shortly before 1:00 and saw a Negro hiding behind some boxes on the first
floor.
August 2, 1913
- this was the sixth day of the trial of Leo Frank, and it almost ended in a
mistrial on this day. Judge L.S. Roaninadvertently help up a newspaper with
lurid headline printed in red where the jury could see it. Defense attorneys
objected immediately and discussed calling for a mistrial, but agreed to
continue after Judge Roan instructed the jury to disregard anything they may
had seen in the newspaper. A few minor witnesses were then called. Dr. J.W.
Hurt, county physician who had also examined Mary Phagan's body, said there was
some evidence suggesting she may have been "outraged" (sexually
assaulted), there was not enough evidence to conclude this. Another factory
employee and friend of Mary Phagan, Helen Ferguson, testified she had gone to
the factory Friday night to get Mary's pay envelope, but Leo Frank had told her
Mary would pick it up herself on Saturday.
August 3, 1913
- this was a Sunday and a break in the trial of Leo Frank. Frank was visited by
numerous friends and relatives in prison. Prison officials said Frank was
showing little evidence of stress from the trial.
August 4, 1913
- this was the seventh, and pivotal, day in the trial of Leo Frank. Jim Conley,
a sweeper at the factory, was called to testify and presented a gruesome,
graphic, and sometimes revolting tale. In fact his testimony was so lurid that
Judge Roan ordered all women and children cleared from the courtroom.Conley
testified he had "watched out" for Frank on several occasions, while
he entertained young women in his office. Some of his descriptions of what he
saw intimated that Frank was a sexual deviant. On the morning of April 26th,
Conley said Frank had asked him to "watch out" for him while he
"chatted" with Mary Phagan. Later, Frank had whistled for Conley to
come to his office. Frank was so nervous he had to lean on Conley for support.
He then supposedly told Conley that Phagan had refused him and he had struck
her and left her in the machine room. When Conley was sent to get her, he said
he found her lying on the floor, dead, with arms outstretched. Conley said
Frank told him to wrap up the body and put it in the basement. Conley tried to
do so, but said he could not lift the body. So Frank had helped him get it on the
elevator, which they then took to the basement, where Conley dragged the body
into a corner. They then returned to Frank's office, where Frank indicated
there would be money waiting for Conley if he "kept his mouth shut."
Here Conley said Frank uttered the ominous phrase "Why should I
hang?" Frank then had Conley write the notes found near the body,
apparently in an attempt to incriminate Newt Lee. Upon severe cross
examination, Conley admitted he had lied to the police about this case previously;
he had given several different stories after his May 1 arrest when he was seen
washing out a bloody shirt in the factory. Conley also admitted he had been
arrested numerous times. The defense was able to confuse Conley on some details
of his story, but he held to the main points.
August 5, 1913
- this was the eighth day of the trial of Leo Frank. Jim Conley was
cross-examined mercilessly by Frank's defense attorneys for seven hours. While
Conley was confused on some minor details, and admitted lying to police originally,
and to having been arrested numerous times, he still held to his story of the
previous day. Defense attorney Luther Rosser was unable to break any of the
main points of Conley's story. When the day ended Conley was still on the
stand, while defense attorneys argued that his testimony of having been a
lookout for Frank on earlier occasions should be stricken from the record as
irrelevant to the case.
August 6, 1913
- this was the ninth day of the trial of Leo Frank. Judge L.S. Roan ruled that
testimony that Jim Conley had acted as a lookout for Leo Frank was admissible.
Applause broke out in the courtroom; Frank's attorneys immediately contended
that any further such actions would be cause for a mistrial; Judge roan
threatened to clear the courtroom if order was not maintained. Luther Rosser
again questioned Jim Conley, again failing to break his story. Conley spent 16
hours total on the witness stand. Dr. Roy Harris, secretary of the State Board
of Health who had had his testimony interrupted by illness, resumed his
testimony. He insisted Mary Phagan was killed shortly after eating her last
meal of cabbage and bread, and that she had died from strangulation, not from
the blows to her head.
August 7, 1913
- the tenth day of the Leo Frank trial. C.B. Dalton, a railroad carpenter,
testified he had met with several women in the basement of the National Pencil
Factory while Jim Conley watched out for him, and that he had seen numerous
women come to the factory to visit Frank. After stating that the financial
records of the National Pencil Factory showed there were two-hundred dollars
(the amount Jim Conley said Frank had showed him) on the premises the day of
the murder, solicitor Hugh Dorsey rested the state's case. The defense called
Dr. Roy Childs, who disputed the testimony of Dr. Roy Harris - saying cabbage
was a very slow food to digest, implying that the murder could have been
committed hours after Phagan had eaten. Pinkerton detective Harry Scott was
recalled to the stand to testify on how Jim Conley had lied several times to
investigators during the course of the murder investigation.
August 8, 1913
- the eleventh day in the Leo Frank trial. The defense had civil engineer T. H.
Willett draw a diagram of the National Pencil Factory, showing how the murder
could have been committed on the first floor without the knowledge of anyone
(including Leo Frank) working on the second floor. Daisy Hopkins, one of the
women C.B. Dalton had claimed he met for immoral purposes at the factory,
denied having ever met Dalton or Leo Frank. Two street car conductors testified
Mary Phagan had ridden alone the morning of her murder, contradicting the
testimony of George Epps. Assistant factory manager N.V. Darley said he
believed Conley and Dalton were lying about trysts in the basement; he worked
most Saturdays and would have known of such actions. Factory timekeeper E.F.
Holloway said he worked every Saturday and had never seen Conley and Frank
interact, and that he had never seen a woman other than Frank's wife in his
office.
August 9, 1913
- the twelfth day in the Leo Frank trial. Herbert Schiff, personal assistant to
Leo Frank, said he worked most Saturdays and had never seen any women in
Frank's office except his wife. He added that he had never seen C.B. Dalton
either. He firmly believed he would have seen more if the story Jim Conley told
were true. Schiff then identified a financial expenditure sheet on which Frank
had been working the day of the murder, asserting it would take two-three hours
to complete, leaving no time for the murder and movement of the body as
described by Conley. He then testified Conley had been extremely nervous the
Monday following the murder, and had said he would "give a million dollars
if he had a white man's skin."
August 11, 1913 - the thirteenth day in the trial of Leo Frank. The defense called
several medical experts to contradict the testimony of Dr. Roy Harris,
secretary of the State Board of Health who had examined Mary Phagan's corpse.
The defense witnesses said Harris was merely guessing at the time of death and
that Phagan had been sexually violated; there was insufficient evidence to
substantiate either claim. Herbert Schiff, an assistant to Frank, again
asserted that the financial work done by Frank on the day of the murder was
time consuming; it could have easily taken 31/2 hours to complete. Sciff also
testified that Jim Conley was a very unreliable worker and other employees had
complained about him numerous times.
August 12, 1913 - the fourteenth day in the trial of Leo Frank. The defense called
twenty-two character witnesses to the stand, including Frank's in-laws. They
all testified that he was a man of good character and was very busy the day of
the murder, showing no nervousness. When solicitor Hugh Dorsey asked one of the
witnesses, a boy who worked for Frank, if Frank had ever made improper advances
to him, a bitter argument ensued between the opposing attorneys. Another female
employee of the factory, Magnolia Kennedy, contradicted the earlier testimony
of Helen Ferguson - who had claimed she tried to pick up Mary Phagan's pay on
Friday (the day before the murder), but that Frank had told her Mary would pick
it up herself on the next day. Kennedy claimed she was behind Ferguson in the
line to receive her pay, and that Ferguson had neither asked about Phagan's pay
or talked to Frank. Other witnesses testified to the shady character of C.B.
Dalton, who had claimed to have used the basement of the factory as a meeting
place with women and of using Jim Conley as a lookout.
Lost among all this controversy was
the brief testimony of one of the office boys who worked for Leo Frank. He was
obviouslynervous and timid the few minutes he was on the stand; saying only
that he worked most Saturdays, including the day of the murder, and had never
seen strange women in Frank's office and had never seen Dalton at all. But this
inconspicuous boy, AlonzoMann, carried a terrible secret; one he would hold for
the next sixty-nine years. It was not until 1982, when he was on the verge of
death, that he unburdened his soul and told what he had seen that fateful day.
He had seen Jim Conley carrying the body of Mary Phagan over his shoulder, near
the elevator shaft on the first floor of the factory (Conley had testified that
he could not liftthe body). Conley had threatened Mann with death if he ever
repeated what he had seen. Mann had gone home and told hismother, who advised
him to keep quiet. So the trial went on, with no one realizing this shy, timid,
scared boy had carried the truthof the case both to and away from the witness
chair.
August 13, 1913 - the fifteenth day in the trial of Leo Frank. Another medical witness
was called by the defense. Dr. William Kendrick, head of the Atlanta Medical School,
said that Dr. Roy Harris's conclusions on the time of Phagan's death were mere
guesswork. Another witness testified to having worked the previous Thanksgiving
with Frank, and that nothing unusual had happened. Jim Conley had claimed he
watched while Frank entertained a woman in his office that day. More character
witnesses were called during the afternoon. In cross-examining one of these
witnesses, Hugh Dorsey asked if he had ever heard complaints about Frank
fondling young girls. At this point Mrs. Rae Frank, Leo Frank's mother, leapt
to her feet and shouted at Dorsey "No, nor you either, you dog." One
of the defense attorneys escorted Mrs. Frank out of the courtroom.
August 14, 1913 - the sixteenth day in the trial of Leo Frank. After an angry outburst
by Frank's mother the previous day, solicitor Hugh Dorsey requested that she
and Frank's wife be removed from the courtroom for the duration of the trial.
Judge L.S. Roan turned down this request, but did warn the women not to
interrupt the proceedings again. Many more character witnesses testified, some
having traveled all the way from New York for that purpose. Frank's
mother-in-law (with whom the Franks lived) testified Frank acted normally the
night after murder, even engaging in a friendly game of cards. This
contradicted earlier testimony that Frank had been nervous, drunk, and suicidal
the night following the murder. Finally, Rachel Carson, a female employee of
the factory, said she had talked to Jim Conley the Monday following the murder.
Conley told her he was so drunk on Saturday that he didn't remember anything he
did, but that he was sure Leo Frank was innocent. When Carson told Conley
someone had reported seeing a black man lurking behind some boxes on the first
floor soon after the time of the murder, Conley was so startled he dropped his
broom.
August 15, 1913 - the seventeenth day in the trial of Leo Frank. Many more character
witnesses were called by the defense, culminating in the testimony of Leo
Frank's mother.Having already expressed her complete confidence in Frank's
innocence, she identified a letter written by Frank to an uncle in New York the
afternoon of April 26th, soon after the murder was committed. The letter was
written in a precise, neat hand, dealing with various family matters. It did
not, the defense claimed, show any signs of a nervous, guilt-ridden man. After
the day's proceedings, the defense said they were prepared to call every female
employee of Frank, if necessary, to prove he did nothing improper with them at
the factory.
August 16, 1913 - the eighteenth day in the trial of Leo Frank. Many more female
employees of the National Pencil factory were called, all testifying to Frank's
good character and that he had never done anything improper to them. One did
say he opened the door to the girls' dressing room once, but the defense
claimed this was because some girls were flirting out the window and he wanted
to stop it. Residents of the area where the Franks lived testified that he had
walked around the neighborhood the evening after the murder, and seemed calm
and normal. Finally, the defense announced what most of the crowd had been
waiting to hear; Leo Frank himself would take the stand on Monday (this was a
Saturday).
August 18, 1913 - the nineteenth day in the trial of Leo Frank. After another group of
character witnesses in the morning, Leo Frank took the witness stand. He spoke
for four hours, calmly but firmly laying out his story. Frank said Jim Conley's
tale was all lies, and that the detectives tried to distort everything he
(Frank) said in order to incriminate him. He freely admitted to being nervous
after hearing of the murder, claiming any man in his position would be nervous,
and justifiably so, especially after seeing the body of Mary Phagan. He said Mary
came in for her pay soon after 12:00 noon on April 26th, returned a few minutes
later to ask if the shipment of metal had arrived (Phagan's job was putting
metal tips on pencils), then left his office and he never saw her alive again.
He worked on a financial report that afternoon, then went home. He never saw
Jim Conley that day. Frank concluded his statement thus: "Some newspaper
man has called me 'the silent man in the Tower.' (for his unwillingness to talk
to police or the press) Gentlemen, this is the time and here is the place! I
have told you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
August 19, 1913 - the twentieth day in the trial of Leo Frank. This day was rather
anti-climatic after Leo Frank's statement the previous day. The defense
continued its parade of character witnesses; solicitor Hugh Dorsey did get one
of them to admit he had once seen Mary Phagan talking with Leo Frank, and that
Phagan seemed to be backing away. There was another bitter disagreement between
the opposing attorneys over the defense team's attempts to discredit the
statement of Minola McKnight. McKnight was the housekeeper for the Selig family
(Frank's in-laws with whom he and his wife lived) who had signed a statement
saying Leo Frank was intoxicated and talked of suicide the night after Phagan's
murder. Though McKnight later repudiated the statement, which had been signed
after she spent a night in jail and undergoing hours of intensive questioning,
Dorsey still introduced it as evidence, leading to yet another vehement
argument between the opposing sides.
August 20, 1913 - the twenty-first day in the trial of Leo Frank. The evidence phase
ended on this day, as the defense rested its case. Solicitor Hugh Dorsey then
called several female ex-employees of the National Pencil Factory to the stand.
They all testified that they had a bad opinion of Leo Frank's character, but
could not give concrete examples of immoral behavior on his part. After their
testimony, Leo Frank again was called, by the defense, to repudiate their
statements. Shortly after 4:00, the evidence phase of the case was closed, with
final arguments set to begin the next day.
August 21, 1913 - the twenty-second day in the trial of Leo Frank. Final arguments
began this day, with aidesto the two main attorneys (Hugh Dorsey for the
prosecution and Luther Rosser for the defense) beginning. Leo Frank was
portrayed as a Jekyll and Hyde character who could mask his deviant tendencies
from his family and friends. The defense contended that Jim Conley was the
murderer and concocted his story to save his own neck.
August 22, 1913 - the twenty-third day in the trial of Leo Frank. Solicitor Hugh Dorsey
took up the argument on this day, blistering the character of Leo Frank and
portraying Mary Phagan as a symbol of lost innocence andvirtue. He tried to
deflect charges of anti-Semitism by recalling the great names in Jewish
history, arguing that Frank with his deviant behavior dishonored them as well
as the Southern girl he had so brutally murdered. Although Judge L.S. Roan kept
strict control of the courtroom, Dorsey's words were quickly relayed to the
large crowd waiting outside. When Dorsey emerged he was greeted with thunderous
applause.
August 23, 1913 - the twenty-fourth day in the trial of Leo Frank. Solicitor Hugh
Dorsey continued his eloquent, yet ferocious, final argument, scoring Leo Frank
for his abhorrent behavior and contending that he could not careless what
opposing attorneys or Frank's family thought of him; his duty was to Mary
Phagan and the people of Georgia.
August 25, 1913 - the twenty-fifth, and final, day in the trial of Leo Frank. Solicitor
Hugh Dorsey ended his finalargument, which took parts of three days. The
defense then argued that Frank was the latest in a long line of Jews who
werepersecuted for their religious beliefs, and again asserted that Jim Conley
was the true murderer. Conley, and many other prosecution witnesses, had shady
characters, while Leo Frank had been a pillar of the community who had many
well respected people, plus many of his employees, testifying on his behalf. If
the case came down to Leo Frank's word against Jim Conley's, then it was
obvious who should be believed. After hearing their instructions from Judge
L.S. Roan, the jury retired to ponder the verdict. At 4:55 they returned with
their decision; Leo Frank was declared guilty. Neither Frank nor his family or
lead attorneys were present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced.
Reportedly Judge Roan feared mob violence should Frank have been acquitted.
When told of the verdict, Frank re-asserted his complete innocence, saying the
jury had been influenced by mob law.
August 26, 1913 - Judge L.S. Roan sentenced Leo Frank to hang for the murder of Mary
Phagan. The execution date was set for October 10, but Frank's attorneys
immediately motioned for a new trial. The hearing on this motion was set for
October 4, thus assuring that there would be a delay in carrying out Frank's
sentence.
Appeals, Commutation, Lynching
October 31, 1913 - Judge L.S. Roan denied a motion for a new trial for Leo Frank. His
execution date was re-scheduled for April 17, 1914.
February 17, 1914 - the Georgia Supreme Court denied a motion for a new trial.
February 24, 1914 - Jim Conley was sentenced to a year on a chain gang for his role in
Mary Phagan's murder.
April 6, 1914
- just eleven days before Leo Frank was scheduled to hang, his attorneys filed
a motion to set aside the guilty verdict in the Fulton County Superior Court.
The execution was re-scheduled for January 22, 1915.
June 6, 1914
- the Fulton County Superior Court denied the motion to set aside the verdict.
Leo Frank's attorneys immediately appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court.
October 14, 1914 - the Georgia Supreme Court denied Leo Frank's request for a new trial.
[see text]
November 14, 1914 - the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed the trial and judgement in the Leo
Frank case. [see text] Leo Frank's attorneys then appealed to the United States
District Court of North Georgia.
December 21, 1914 - the United States District Court denied the motion to set aside the
guilty verdict. Leo frank's attorneys appeal to the United States Supreme
Court, meaning Frank's execution - set for January 22, 1915 - was again
delayed.
April 9, 1915 -
the United States Supreme Court rejected Leo Frank's last appeal. His
execution, already postponed three times, was re-set for June 22, 1915.
May 31, 1915
- Leo Frank's attorneys filed an appeal for clemency with the Georgia Prison
Commission, hoping to have his death sentence commuted. The appeal was denied.
June 20, 1915
- In his last day in office, Georgia governor John Slaton commuted the sentence
of Leo Frank, from death to life in prison. Slaton spent many hours pouring
over the files of the case, and was convinced that Frank was innocent. He had
several notable appeals to back this decision; Judge L.S. Roan (who had
presided over the case and originally sentenced Frank to the gallows) urged
commutation, saying he had serious doubts about Frank's guilt. Jim Conley's
girlfriend had made it known that Conley had confessed privately to her that he
indeed killed Mary Phagan, as had a cell mate of Conley's. Finally, Conley's
own attorney, William Smith, wrote to Slaton urging commutation; Smith had
become convinced of his own client's guilt in the matter. Knowing that his
decision would not be popular, he made plans to leave the state immediately
upon his successor being sworn in; he and his wife spent several months
traveling. Slaton also ordered that Frank be transferred from the Fulton County
Prison, for fear that a lynch mob would overpower the guards.
June 21, 1915
- Leo Frank, in the middle of the night, was transferred from the Fulton County
Prison to the Georgia State Penitentiary in Milledgeville
July-August 1915 - Georgia Populist politician and publisher Tom Watson, in his
magazines Watson's Magazine and The Jeffersonian, published scathing editorials
against Leo Frank and the commutation of his sentence. While charges of
anti-Semitism had certainly surrounded the trial of Leo Frank, Watson was
blatant in his sentiments. His inflammatory writings are generally credited
with pushing the already strong feelings regarding this case past the boiling
point. In what is now ominous phraseology, Watson called on the citizens of
Georgia to take justice into their own hands and inflict the death sentence
upon Leo Frank.
July 18, 1915
- Prisoner J. William Creen slashed Leo Frank's throat at the Georgia State
Prison Farm in Milledgeville. Only the quick actions of two other prisoners,
both doctors, who stopped the flow of blood and stitched the wound, saved
Frank's life.
August 16, 1915 - A caravan of eight vehicles bearing 25 armed men from the Atlanta
area arrived at the Georgia StatePrison at Milledgeville around 10 p.m. Calling
themselves the Knights of Mary Phagan, they cut the telephone lines, surprised
the guards and entered the barrack of Leo Frank, who two years earlier had been
convicted of the murder of 14-year-old Mary Phagan in one of the most infamous
trials of the century. The intruders seized Frank and departed into the night.
Seven of the cars then took back roads headed for Marietta, while one car acted
as a decoy in case of pursuit.
August 17, 1915 - Through the early morning hours, the lynch mob who had seized Leo
Frank from Georgia StatePrison in Milledgeville drove by back roads towards
Marietta. Sometime early on the morning of the 17th, they reached the outskirts
of Marietta. Here, at Frey's grove near Mary Phagan's girlhood home, the
mendecided to hang Frank, though there are conflicting reports on this. One
story is that some wanted to continue with the original plan - to hang Frank in
the Marietta town square, while others did not want to do this in broad
daylight. A second story says that there was disagreement among the men on
whether to hang Frank at all; the story being that those who had ridden in the
car with Frank on the three plus hour ride had become convinced of his
innocence. Whatever the truth may be, Frank was hanged there in Frey;s grove.
Asserting his innocence to the very end, Frank's only request was that his
wedding ring be returned to his wife (which it was several days later). When
word of the lynching spread, crowds gathered to see the body hanging from a
tree. Photographs were taken, one of which later became a souvenir postcard. A
few in the crowd threatened, and even began to inflict, violence to Frank's
body, before former judge Newt Morris convinced them to stop. Frank's body was
rushed to an undertaker in Atlanta, with a line of vehicles trailing behind.
Although the undertaker tried to keep the body concealed, a large crowd soon
gathered demanding to see it. After a rock was thrown through a window,
officials agreed to let the public view Frank's body. Under police supervision,
thousands ofcurious Atlanta-area residents filed by single file to view Frank's
body -- including the city detective whohad arrested Frank. That night Frank's
body was quickly embalmed and placed on a train for New York,where the burial
services were held in Brooklyn's Mount Carmel Cemetery. As a footnote to the
lynching, no one was ever prosecuted for the murder of Leo Frank. A website now
claims to identify the lynchers of Leo Frank - June 12, 2000
August 18, 1915 - Leo Frank's body, accompanied by his wife, departed Atlanta on a
train bound for Brooklyn, NY.
August 20, 1915 - Leo Frank was buried in Brooklyn, NY.
November 25, 1915 - the Knights of Mary Phagan met atop Stone Mountain, burned a cross,
and initiated the new invisible order of the Ku Klux Klan. Soon thereafter the
Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith was founded in New York; its founding
was based largely on the Leo Frank case and its aftermath. Ironically, Leo
Frank had been president of the Atlanta chapter of B'nai B'rith. It must be
noted here that the Phagan family has not condoned Klan activity, especially in
regards to Mary. In fact the family expressly forbade a Klan request to hold a
ceremony at Mary Phagan's grave site.
1916 - Hugh
Dorsey was elected governor of Georgia.
1918 - Hugh
Dorsey was re-elected governor of Georgia.
1920 - Tom
Watson elected senator from Georgia.
April 23, 1957 - Lucille Frank, Leo's widow, died in Atlanta.
1962 (exact
date unknown) - Jim Conley died. Rumors spread soon after his death that he had
made a death-bed confession to the murder of Mary Phagan, but no evidence has
been found to substantiate this rumor.
Pardon
March 4, 1982
- Alonzo Mann, in failing health, signed an affidavit asserting Leo Frank's
innocence and Jim Conley's guilt. He admitted he had seen Conley carrying the
limp body of Mary Phagan on his shoulder near the trapdoor leading to the
basement on April 26, 1913. Conley had threatened to kill him if he ever told
anyone what he had seen. He did go home and tell his mother, who advised him to
keep quiet. After Frank's conviction, his parents still kept him quiet, saying
it would do no good to come forth after the verdict. He was telling the story
now to unburden his soul. He had actually tried to tell the story several times
before, but no one had paid any attention. He had even gotten into a fight with
a fellow soldier in World War I when he tried to asset Frank's innocence.He
took several lie detector tests while telling his story to a group of reporters
for The Tennessean, a newspaper in Nashville, TN. The tests indicated Mann was
telling the truth.
March 7, 1982
- The Tennessean ran the story of Alonzo Mann's confession.
November 10, 1982 - Alonzo Mann repeated his story in a videotape statement in Atlanta.
January 4, 1983 - Based largely on Alonzo Mann's testimony, the Anti-Defamation League
submitted an application for a posthumous pardon for Leo Frank to the Georgia
Board of Pardons and Paroles.
December 22, 1983 - the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied the motion for a
pardon, the reason being that while Alonzo Mann's testimony might incriminate
Jim Conley, it did not conclusively prove the innocence of Leo Frank.
March 11, 1986
- the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles finally issued a posthumous pardon
to Leo Frank, based on the state's failure to protect him while in custody; it
did not officially absolve him of the crime.
(Chronology taken primarily from reports in The
Atlanta Constitution and The Atlanta Journal)
Links to other Leo
Frank sites:
Leo Frank Lynchers - site claiming to have
identifications of most involved in lynching
Printed Sources on the Leo Frank case:
The Atlanta Constitution and The Atlanta
Journal: Back issue available on microfilm at the University of Georgia
Libraries
Creative Loafing article on the lynching of Leo
Frank
Dinnerstein, Leonard, The Leo Frank Case, New
York, Columbia University Press, 1968
Frey, Robert Seitz and Frey, Nancy, The Silent
and the Damned: the Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank,
Lanham, MD, Madison Books, 1988
Garrett, Franklin M., Atlanta and Environs: A
Chronicle of Its People and Events. Volume II, Athens, GA:University of Georgia
Press, 1954, pp. 619-628
Golden, Harry, A Little Girl is Dead,
Cleveland, World Publishing Co., 1965
Phagan, Mary, The Murder of Little Mary Phagan,
Far Hills, NJ, New Horizon Press, 1987. Note: This book was written by Mary
Phagan's great niece and gives a unique family perspective on the case.
Rascoe, Burton, The Case of Leo Frank: A
Factual Review of One of the Most Sensational Murder Cases in Court Annals,
Girard, KS, Haldemann-Julius, 1947.
Samuels, Charles, Night Fell on Georgia, New
York, Dell Publishing Co., 1965.
Woodward, C. Vann, Tom Watson, Agrarian Rebel,
New York, The Macmillan
Company, 1938.
Send comments to Charles Pou
(c) Carl Vinson
Institute of Government, The University of Georgia
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