Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-26
SLOWER GIRL
WILL STAR
IN FRANK
TRIAL
State, However, Must Prove She
Entered Factory Before
Mary Phagan,

WIN the SeleCllOn OF the court room
made Thursday, all is virtually in
readiness for the trial of Leo NJ.
Frank accused of strangling Mary
Phagan. The venire of jurymen has
been selected and July 2s fixed as this
date and both sides have announced
they are ready to go into court.
A definite decision was reached by
Judge L. S. Roam to hold the trial
on the first floor Of the old City Hall
building. The decision was reached
after conference with Solicitor Cen
eral Dorsey, and 1t was represented
as impracticable to hold the trial in
the small and not well-ventilated
court room in the Thrower building.
The State is maintaining its deter
mined attitude toward the subpenas
duces tecum issued by the defense.
Frank A. Hooper, assisting in the
prosecution, has branded them as a
palpable trick to discredlt the testi-
mony of the States witnesses
Girl Star Witness.
The witnesses will be present with
the affidavits called for. but a hot
fight VIII be put up by Solicitor Dor
sey and Attorney Hooper to prevent
their use by the defense.
Monteen Slower, a timid little IA
year-oid girl. win be a star witness in
the trial, according to all indications
| Thursday.
The State, 10 II is able to establish
that Monteen Slower entered the fac
tory on the day Of the crime just
after Mary Phagan went inside, win
have scored most significant vic
tory. The evidence will still be cir
cumstantial. it is true, but II will be
Of greater weight even than the weird
stories of the negro sweeper, Jim Con-
ley, who has sworn that he aided
Frank in disposing of the body.
Adds to Mystery.
Her story, however, until It is sub
stantiated or disproved in court, only
adds to the mystery OF crime which
already abounds in battling and mys-
terious phases. Her appearance on
the witness stand may mean eyery-l
| thing or nothing-because there is the
startling fact that every indication
points to Monteen Slower having en-
.ered the factory BEFORE Mary
Phagan.
Monteen Slower is the daughter OF
Mrs. Homer Edmonson, OF III South
Forsyth Street. She formerly was
employed at the pencil factory, and
on the Saturday Of the murder went
to the BUILDING to get her money. She
| said that she arrived there at 1905
and remained about Ave minutes. She
said that Frank was not in his office
and that she was not able to And
him.
Pitted against the declaration of
the little girl is the statement Of
Frank that he was in his Office at the
time. One OF the two apparently has
| spoken falsely or mistakenly 1t is
the theory OF the State that Mary
Phagan had preceded Monteen Slower
into the factory; that Frank had at
tackled her probably in the metal
room. and that this is the reason the
Slower girl was unable to find Frank
in his Office when she was in the
building from 1906 to 1910.
The Phagan girl left her home al
1850. She lives in Bellwood and the
ride to town takes more than Is min
utes. The time that she left the car
in the city is fixed by William NJ.
Matthews, Motorman No. 1447, of the
Cooper and Hendricks Streets run,
who says that his car arrived at
Broad and Marietta Streets that day
between 1907 and 1910 o'clock
If Mary Phagan had hurried, she
barely could have got to the factory
by the time the Slower girl was leav-
ing. If this testimony can be relied
upon implicitly. The Slower girls
story falls down utterly, so far as its
value is concerned, therefore, II Mary
Phagan did not come into the factory
until after the Slower girl had left.