Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-13
JUDGE ROAM
To DECIDE
CONLEY'S
JAIL FATE
Chief of Detectives LanfOrd Re-
CeiveS No Order to Take the
Negro Sweeper to Court.

A more explicit accusation of
murder against Jim Conley, negro
sweeper at the National Pencil Fac
tory, than has yet been made since
his name has been connected with
the Phagan mystery, was expected
Friday morning when Luther z. Ros-
ser, attorney for Leo Frank. was to
appear before Judge L. :. Roam to
combat Solicitor Dorsey's move to
keep Conley at the police station and
away from the tower
The probability that Conley, ac-
cuser, and Frank, accused, would be
brought face to face at the hearing
was lessened when it was learned
that Chief Of Detectives Lanford had
received no order to take the negro
into court and had made the state
ment that he would not bring the ne
gro out Of the station without an
order to that effect.
The hearing Friday morning was
understood To be largely the outcome
Of a persistent demand on the part
Of Franks attorneys that Conley. a
self-confessed accessory after the
/ fact Of Mary Phagan's murder, and
possibly the actual principal, should
be removed from the police station
and held in the tower.
His Rearrest Is Probable.
Judge Roam. following this agita-
ton, decided that he had possessed
no authority tn remand the negro to
the police station. rather than to the
Tower To checkmate the transfer
back to the Tower Solicitor Dorsey
petitioned that Conley be freed. rep
resentiug that the need for holding
him as a material witness no longer
existed. Judge Roam set Friday
morning for the hearing to show
cause why the Solicitors petition
should not be granted.
The effect OF the petitions success
merely will be that Conlay will be
technically liberated, but will be re-
arrested and held ION suspicion" or
as material witness at the police
station by the police officers. In the
event Of the failure OF the petition
Coniey will be returned to the Tower
unless tn, night is carried still fur
Their
Detectives Starnes and Campbell
had another long talk with Conley
before the hearing in Judge Roan's
court. When they had concluded it
was announced that the negro had
made no changes in his story and no
additions
He persisted I'm his declaration. IL
was said, that IL he only could meet
Frank face 10 face he was confident
he could make the factory superin-
tendent own up" to his alleged part
In the crime The detectives said
that Conley expressed an apparently
sincere Willingness 70 face Frank at
any time and that he also said he
was prepared to go before the Grand
Jury and repeat his story.
Denies Force in Affidavit.
Conley's attorney. William N.
smith was at the hearing before
Judge Roam and had in his posses
sion an affidavit signed by ConIey. IN
which the negro said that he was at
the station Of his own free will and
preferred 10 stay there. rather than at
the Jail He esaid that he has been
cOerCed in no way BY the detectives.
Attorney Smith obtained the re-
mOyaI Of his client from the Tower
on the representation that persons
had been allowed to visit the negro
and make threats and otherwise IN
timidate him on. Of the alterations
was that a pistol had been pointed at
the negro in his cell and that one Of
the visitors had acted in behalf Of
Frank as a between"
All of these charges were 10 be in
vestigated by Judge Roam in the
course of the hearing. Many wit
nesses We're called 10 prove that At
-orney Smith had been greatly misled
and that the Tower was the proper
and legal place for Conley. others
were summoned to testify TO the con-