Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-12
KEPT
ON GRILL
4HOURS
After GrueIIing Third Degree,
Officials Refuse to Deny or
Affirm Negro Confessed.

Jim Conley underwent a racking
third degree late Friday afternoon at
the hands of Solicitor General Hugh
NJ. Dorsey and Attorney Frank A.
Hooper in an effort to verify or dis
credit the w. H. Mincey affidavit, in
which the negro was charged with
confessing to the murder Of a girl on
the afternoon that Mary Phagan met
her death.
The grilling of nearly four hours
followed The Georgians publication
of the details of Mincey's accuse
tions and was undertaken with the
utmost secrecy, an attempt being
made to avoid knowledge OF the
sweating" becoming public by TAX
ing Conley to the Commissioners
room on the second floor of the pO-
lice station by circuitous route.
Neare's Most Sewers Ordeal.
1t was the most severe ordeal
through which the negro has passed.
It's result was kept a profound secret
both by the Solicitor and Attorney
Hooper. Neither would deny the ru-
NOR that Conley had made a COM
plete confession admitting that II was
he that killed the little factory girl,
nor would they confirm the report.
which arose when 1t was learned that
Solicitor Dorsey apparently was max.
ing ready to take an entirely new
statement from the negro.
Dorsey, Hooper and Chief I.anford
were present in the Commissioners
room when the inquisition began.
After a few minutes Chief Lanford
departed and did not return while
the questioning was in progress. He
was inclined to deny at first that
Conley even was behind the closed
doors. But ocular proof had been
afforded and the newspaper men how
cred about the hallway in the hope
that some scrap OF information might
come to them.
Policeman Guards Door.
Their lowering tactics received a
bad setback when Chief Lanford de-
tailed policeman to guard the door
and keep all inquisitive persons away.
For an hour Dorsey and Hooper
alternated in shooting questions at
the negro, apparently without getting
anything from him that he had not
already told. Then they removed their
coats and renewed the grilling. At
one point it seemed Conley must
have wavered in some of his state
ments or changed some of the teSti-
mony he previously had given. Dor
sey emerged from the room and got
a blotter from Chief Beavers ONCE.
1t was taken to mean that a new
statement was being obtained from
the negro.
The questioning was resumed and
the Solicitor from distant vantage
point could be seen turning sheet aft
er sheet of the testimony already
given by Conley and comparing IL
with the statements then being made.
Attorneys Keep Silence.
A)OioUSs tOdl4CDe anu pEfEDlTlnR,
leaned far over the table and asked
the negro question after question. his
finger following the answers which
had been given when the negro was
interrosated before.
Not until after dark did the sweat
ing process cease. Conley was taken
back to his cell and Dorsey and Hoop
er went to their homes. Not a word
could be obtained from either.
Another scene in the murder my s.
terry was to be staged Saturday in the
court of Judge Ellis. Here Attorney
Bernard L. Chappell summoned half
a hundred witnesses to testify in the
habeas corpus proceedings he was
bringing to free Newt Lee from the
Tower. Leo NJ. Frank, under indict-
ment charged with the murder If
Mary Phagan, and Jim Conley self
confessed accessory after the fact,
we're two OF the witnesses called.
They were expected to testify that 50
far as they knew Newt Lee couli
have had nothing to DO with the crime
and could have had no material
knowledge of It,