Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-13

denied that he could write. and did
not admit that he could until longer
denial was useless
~ He was caught washing a shirt,
a thing he had never done before, and
when caught gave a foolish excuse.
Trapped Into Confession.
90 lie denied all participation in
or knowledge Of the crime until he
was driven by the charge that he
wrote the notes found near the BODY.
Ch) on May IS he made a signed
statement outlining his actions on
April 26 making no mention Of the
murder.
! % on May "A he made an afiida-
Wit. He said that on April Is, before
the murder on April 26, he wrote the
notes at the request OF Frank, for
which Frank gave him cigarettes and
Franks people In Brooklyn and an
inquiry by Frank as 10 why he should
hang.
90 on May IS Conley made a long
affidavit, full Of contradictions and
absurdities, beginning II as follows:
Il make this statement, my second
statement In regard to the murder Of
| Mary PhaRan at the National Pencil
/ factory In my first statement made
] I
pencil factory on Friday, April %, and
went into Franks Office at five min
utes 10 / o'clock. which is a mistake.
made this statement I'm regard 10
| Friday in order that I might not be
accused OF knowing anything of this
| murder, for | thought ~ / put myself
there Saturday they might accuse me
of having a hand in II, and | now
make my second and last statement
| regarding the matter freely and vol
UNFAIRLY. after thinking over the sit
uation, and | have made up my mind
| to tell the whole truth and ! make II
freely and voluntarily, without the
| promise Of any reward or from force
or fear or punishment in any way"
First Confession Rambling"
(b After this beginning he sets
out with variations the writing OF the
notes on Saturday instead Of on Fri
day. and in a long, rambling state
ment his movements at home and on
Peters Street on Saturday and on
! Monday at the factory, most OF which
liz wholly disconnected with the muir
der
| al on May 20. 1918, although he
had already sworn that he had made
his true. full and last statement" he
made another statement In which he
| purported TO aid Mr. Frank II con-
cealing the body Of Mary Phagnn.
This statement Is full Of cCntradic-
tions and wholly irreconcilable with
itself and with the known facts sur
rounding the murder.
(m) He closes this remarkable ait-
davit in the following words: The
reason l have not told this before is
that / thought Mr. Frank would get
out and help me out. but il seems that
he is not going 10 get out. and ! de-
cided 10 tell the whole truth about the
matter"
"Conley's Guilt Shown"
(n) These are some of the facts
well known to the public and TO the
detectives. showing Conley's guilt
There are other powerful facts which
could readily be brought before the
Grand Jury
s. These incoherent, gibbering state
ments viii It is believed. impress the
Grand Jury If the negro Conley's case
is submitted 10 IT,
. The Grand Jury can be trusted to
scan these queer statements in the
light OF all the surrounding facts and
circumstances, and, taken I'm connec-
ton with all the other facts impli-
eating Conley. they proclaim his guilt
beyond all reasonable doubt.
UOl The detectives, obscssed as
they are with the assumption that
ConIey is tool and not murderer.
are UNIT 20 keep him in their sole
and unlimited power Under their
protecting care Conley. instead of
being left TO tell the truth will at
length deceive himself into the be
lief that instead Of being a murderer
he is an unfortunate victim.
Detectives Protecting Negro"
UD That Conley and his counsel
I fsvH .
1 should be done. As long as he sticks
10 story pleasing TO the detectives
or builds upon that story as addi-
I tious may be needed. he is assured
that the detectives will save him as
; far as possible from the court and
Grand Jury, and viii so far "a s they
| can fix upon him no greater crime
than "a lnisdemeauor.
U2) Conley and his counsel are
! wise There is for them no other
'%nope than for the detectives 10 keep
9'onley and save him from "a comics
sion that he committed the crime.
giving him immunity. provided he
continues 70 put the guilt on Frank.
Sheriff Shows Up Smith.
/ Denial Of practically every aSSer-
I ton made by Conley or his attorney
( William NJ. smith. regarding lax Jail
/ regulations or the treatment OF the
3 negro while in the county prison. was
made BY Sheriff Mangum when in
/ formed Of the contents of the affidavit
and petitions submitted 90 Judge
+ Roam
Smiths statements are infamous
T lies" said the Sheriff. There is alb
sn.utely no foundation for belief los
. Coulev that he was being poisoned
when he was given the sandwiches.
/ The negro lied when he said he did
I not eat the food. He did eat the four
sandwiches. They were given 20 him
. by a reporter who told me all about
his interview The newspaper man
. said he wanted 10 get on Conley-s
good side and get information for his
paper. In the story he wrote he told
+ fransIy OF the tactics he had used ta
get information.
The regulations in tho Fulton
. County jail are as good as chose I'm
: any county prison anywhere. II Smith
I says that the Jail is not competently
] guardsaj he Is maiiciousiy classifying,