Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-26
SLOWER GIRL
PLAYS STAR
PART IN
TRIAL

Monteen Slower. a timid little 14S
year-old girl, will be a star witness in
the trial of Leo NJ. Frank July Is on
the charge of strangling Mary Pha-
gan in the National Pencil Factory.
according to all indications Thurs
day.
The frequency with which she has
been called upon to repeat her story
Of going to the factory on the day Of
the crime and finding Frank absent
from his Office is taken as an almost
certain indication that the prosecution
regards her statements of the utmost
importance.
The State, il It is able to establish
that Monteen Slower entered the fac
tory on the day of the crime just
after Mary Phagan went inside, will
have scored a most significant vic
tory. The evidence will still be cir
cumstantial it is true. but It 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 II is sub
stantiated or disproved in court only
adds to the mystery of a crime which
already abounds in battling and mys-
ferrous phases. Her appearance on
the witness stand may mean every
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 five minutes She
said that Frank was not in his office
and that she was not able to find
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. It 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.
Where the Case Is Hit.
Should the State be able to impress
the jury that this was the actual
sequence of events, the prosecution
will argue that Mary Phagan left the
office in company with Frank and
went to the metal room.
But the theory of the State is at
once assailed by what appears to be
practically certain evidence that as
a matter of fact, Monteen Slower was
at the factory before Mary Phagan
entered. If this is the case. Franks
absence from his Office could not have
had any significance, for Mary Pha-
gan was not yet there
The Phagan girl left her home at
1850. She lives in Bellwood and the
ride to town takes more than 10 min
utes. The time that she left the car
in the city is fixed by William NJ.
Matthews, Motorman No. I447, 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, il Mary
Phagan did not come into the factory
until after the Slower girl had left.