The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-05-02
NEGRO CHARGED
WITH CRIME.
Body of Mary Phagan, a
Young Girl Is Years Old,
Found in the Basement
of Pencil Factory in the
Heart of City With Hor-
rible Wound in Back of
Head.

I1edu.
Atlanta, Ga, April 27.-With cloth
ing torn in shreds and other indica-
tions of violence conspicuous, the body
of Mary Phagan, 15-year-old daugh-
ter of Mrs. j. w. Coleman, of Atlanta
was found early today in the base
ment of the National Pencil Com
pany's plant at 81 Forsyth street.
Newt Lee, negro night watchman
at the building, who discovered the
body, was arrested shortly after he
notified the police. A young man,
giving his name as A. Mullanox, al
so has been taken in custody. The
police assert that the latter is alleg-
I'd to have been seen with the Phagan
girl at 1890 this morning. Both
prisoners are being detained under
the blanket charge of suspicion" and
both deny any knowledge of the al
legged killing.
Notes Tied About Throat.
The body was found, according to
he was making a round" of the
building. In addition to a gaping
wound in the back of the head, bruis-
es and decorations on the body,
handkerchief was found knotted
about the throat. Tied to this was
short piece of rope, with which, the
police believe, the body was lowered
into the basement through small
hole in the floor above.
Physicians who were summoned
from local hospital Immediately af-
ter the body was found expressed the
belief that death was due to strangu.>
lation.
Besides the body were found two
almost indecipherable notes scraw-
led upon scrap paper. According to
the police the contents of one of these
noes was as follows.
THAT negro hired down here did
this. He pushed me down that hole.
\ long, tall negro, black, that did it
worked. Long, lean tall negro.
write to people with me-"
Not Her Handwriting.
Despite the fact that the basement
floor was Uttered with pencils from
the factory above, J. w. Coleman, a
local carpenter, and the girls step
father, is quoted as saying that the
handwriting in the notes is not that
OF Mary Phagan.
The girl was employed at the plant
where the body was found The po-
lice have the names of several people
who claim to have seen her in the vi
clnity of the building, which is in the
business district of Atlanta, between
1890 o'clock last night and 1890 this
this morning. Adam Woodward,
negro watchman employed in an ad-
joining building told the police today
that he heard woman scream sho1t-
ly after midnight, but thinking that
the noise came from party of braw-
lers, he did not investigate.
Detectives Say Lee is Guilty.
Wednesdays Atlanta Georgian)
eve now have enough evidence to
convict Newt Lee," was the state
ment tonight of detectives working
en- the Mary Phagan strangling mys-
terry.
The statement came at the end of
a second long conference between
John Black, city detective; Harry
Scott, Pinkerton detective, and Leo
Frank, superintendent of the Nation
al Pencil Company factory.
Additional clews furnished by the
head of the pencil factory were re-
sponsible for the closing net around
the negro watchman.
With the solution of the mystery
at nd came the further information
that what suspicion had rested on
Frank was being rapidly swept away
by the damaging evidence against the
black man. 1t was announced that
he would be liberated tonight or in
the morning.
1T looks great deal better for
Frank, who has been detained only
for his own protection and to furnish
further information to the depart
ment," said the detectives.
Two more arrests are likely in con-
nection with the case. The detectives
say that they have clews which make
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