Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-04-30
HORRIBLE MURDER IN ATLANTA
Girl Lured to Death i'm Factory
Basement.
ATLANTA Constitution, 2sth.)


Lured, at the dead of night, into
the darkness of the National Pencil
factory, on South Forsyth street,
Mary Phagan. a beautiful girl OF IA,
was assaulted Saturday, choked to
death and her skull crushed.
Her body was lowered from the
first floor through a .cubby hole into
the basement. 1t a discovered at
a O'Clock Sunday morning, several
hours after the crime had been com
mitted. She lay unidentified until
daybreak, while her father and mo-
Their anxiously awaited her return.
She was finally identified by a girl
chum.
One suspect is under arrest. He
Is Newt Lee, negro night Waterman
of the factory building, who found
the body and notified police head
quarters. He stoutly maintains in
nocence. Detectives believe he was
implicated in the crime, A confess
sion fro him Is expected to lead to
the girls slayer, or slayers.
Mary Phagan was an employee in
the pencil factory, but had resigned
last Thursday. She was the daughter
of Mrs. ]. w. Coleman, Of lac Lind
say street. Her, mother was pros
trated with grief. Sunday morning,
and although physicians worked over
her throughout the day, her condi-
tion was precariOus last night.
Two notes were found. near the
body. Although they purport to have
been written by the dead girl, the
handwriting has not been recognized
as hers. 1t resembles that Of the i'm
prisoned night Waterman. The the
DRY OF detectives Is that both we're
written to mislead the police.
One note was penciled on an Or
der blank Of the factory, while the
second was written on ordinary tab
let paper. Neither note was signed.
The pretty victim was first choked
into insensibility, then beaten upon
the head with a blunt instrument,
presumably a lead pipe found neal
her body. Two strips of her torn
underclothing wer found knotted
around her throat. A 6-foot rope
was looped around the. neck. The.
slayers evidently used this to lower
her body into the basement. She
was horribly bruised and lacerated
upon the face. Both eyes were
'blackened and swollen. The hands
and fingers were distorted, showing
the agony in which she had died. She
was attired in a fresh summer frock
of pink, trimmed in lace, and wore
silk stockings and slippers. A big
bow of baby ribbon was caught in the
single strand OF her hair, arranged
in girlish fashion down the back.
The clothing was torn and bloody.
Her pink parasol was found near the
cubby hole through which the body
had been lowered. A missing shoe
and a bloody handkerchief were
found in a %trashpile near the boiler
in tho Iha cnn1nnt Enllnuinn on -
vestigation by members of Coroner
Donehoo's staff the body was re-
moved to the Bloomfield undertaking
establishment On South Pryor street.
An inquest will be held to-day.
Detectives are searching for a trio
OF men said to ave been seen with
Miss Phagan Saturday night about
10 o'clock.
Mystery Still Unrave1ed. 2
Atlanta, April 29.-Desperately
striving to force the confession that
he is the murderer of Mary Phagan,
third degree experts Of police head
quarters labored until midnight Mon
day with John NJ. Cant, the young
book-keeper arrested in Marietta
yesterday afternoon on the direct
charge of murder. He stoutly pro-
tests innocence. 81 was at home
Saturday night by 10 o'clock-in bed
and asleep"
His sister, Mrs. F. C. Terrell, with
whom he lived, told detectives Sun
day night: "Mr. Cant left here a
month ago for California. l haven't
seen him since. He has not been
here at n time within the past four
weeks.
Monday afternoon, however, she
told a reporter for the Constitution
that Cant had been at her home Sat-
urday and Sunday nights. She also
admitted having told the detectives
a story to the contrary. "T knew
they were detectives lied. John
was here Saturday night. He was
here Sunday night, too. l didn't
want the detectives to know 1t.
though"
Five Arrests Made Monday.
Developments in the horrible mys-
terry came thick and fast Monday. Ar
rest followed arrest. Five were
made In all, Three were made Mon