The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-11-25
CAMPAIG IN FRANK BEHALF
BLAME RACE PREJUDICE FOR
THE VERDICT OF CONVICTION.
Plan to Give Cause Publicity. Let
tiers Distributed on Board of a
transatlantic Steamer.

NJ Frank, convicted of the murder o
Mary Phagan, was recently picked III
on board the steamer Imperator, as i
was leaving New York for Europe
and forwarded to Solicitor Genera
Hugh NJ. Dorsey by a friend.
In his letter the friend stated these
letters about the Frank case were
being distributed on the steamer
and the natural presumption wa'
they had been circulated in othel
places.
The letter is signed by NJ. Lasker
and is addressed to DR., Henry Cohen
care of Mr.. Thalheimer, sc West
Eighty-second street, New York city
The letter, though apparently a per
sonaI one, is said to have been circu-
lated among those likely to feel a
friendship for the accused man.
The letter is in part an appeal fol-
publicity in connection with Frank s
case in the belief that this course
will assist the defendant. Among
other things it says:
Appeal Made for Publicity.
My idea is, dear doctor, that eV-
cry we'll thinking man that can have
an opportunity to learn the particu-
lars of this outrage will become in
terested in contributing his mite of
influence toward such means as are
necessary to produce proper public
ity for this case. If proper publicity
is obtained / am as convinced as l
can be that the case will fall OF its
own weight 1t is to my mini i'll
comprehensive bow twelve jurymeu
(and | am told it was a good average
jury could have ever rendered that
verdict of guilty unanimously, even
though the public mind was poison
ed about the case to the extent that
it was. [ have lived in the South for
over half a century, and | have new
er known, even in a case of lynching,
where a mob would pronounce a YER
dict of guilty on evidence so tiimsy,
or rather such lack of evidence of
the slightest responsibility to prove
guilt, against such an oVer-abund-
ance of evidence of good character,
ETC., of the accused party.
while l am writing l am just re-
ceiving your kind note of yesterday.
You will find after learning all the
particulars that Washington has no
connection with this matter whatev-
err. As l have indicated above, my
idea is, first and foremost, all the
parties who are interested in this
case should cooperate to give public
ity to every feature of it. Popular
excitement may create prejudice that
would mislead a whole community
for a time, but the general character
istics of the American tend toward
fair play. | suggest that there should
be printed in book form a history of
the case, containing an entire record
of this trial in full detail. The friends
of the defendant should see to it that
copy of this book reaches every
one of their respective friends with a
solicitation to read it carefully. |
believe that such a reading would
bring about sympathetic cooperation
of a great majority of the readers.
To Start Publicity Campaign.
"Of course, there would be the ne
cessary raising of funds. Mr.. Har-
ris tells me the relatives of the de-
PENDANT will accept no financial as
sistance towards paying attorneys
court proceedings, etc, and that he
feels certain that citizens of Atlanta
will literally contribute towards
financing a publicity campaign. am
sure our co-religionists everywhere,
when they are given the necessary
information about the case, Will DO
their share. AS to myself personally
I will not only contribute literally,
but will, if necessary, assist IN ob-
tanning contributions. | am sure that
most every city contains good, broad
minded Americans, not Jews, Who'
when these facts are brought nome
to them, would feel as outraged at
this miscarriage of justice that tn S
case represents, as any OF us do. My
idea is to enlist all such in this cause,
The press should be enlisted by full
lily acquainting them with evidence to
satisfy them about the correctness OF
the facts, and by an appeal to them
to help bring about justice on the
merits of the case"
The writer then goes on to suggest
that number of New York news
papers, which he names, be induced
to send special correspondents to At
lanta to investigate the case and
write about it. He concludes:
This case may prove a blessing
in disguise. and if properly handled
will show to the South, in fact to the
Americans at large and to the world
how far race prejudice, once arous-
ed and fostered, may blind entire
communities.