Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-01
MAY INDICT
CONLEY As
SLAYER
Grand Jury Reported as Seriously
Considering Connection of Ne
gro With the Crime.

A we'll founded rumor Tuesday was
to the effect that the Grand Jury had
Jim Conley's connection with the
Mary Phagan murder mystery under
serious consideration with a view Of
finding an indictment against the ne
gro on the charge of causing the
death of the little factory girl.
Announcement was made after the
close of Tuesdays session that the
present Grand Jury would hold its
last session Wednesday, and it was
reported that If action were not
taken on ConIey's case before ad-
jouTnment. recommendation would be
left with the next Grand Jury sug-
costing that the negro's connection
with the crime be rigidly investigated.
II the indictment is returned
against the negro it Will mean that
he viii be taken from the custody of
the detectives and placed in the
Tower He also viii bear a different
relation to the case in the future, be-
ing a defendant instead Of a material
witness. Attorneys interested in the
case said they had heard nothing of
the proposed action by the Grand
Jury.
Rumors that Newt Lee. negro night
Waterman at the National Pencil fac
tory, had made sensational disclosures
to his attorney, Bernard L. Chappell,
and would be one of the States most
important witnesses in the trial Of
Leo NJ. Frank, were set at rest Tues
day by Mr.. Chappell.
The negro's attorney said after the
inquest that he would make no effort
to procure the release of Lee, as he
believed his client was a vital wit
ness and 1t would be the wisest plan
for him to remain il. the protection Of
the State.
His statements at this time and up
to the date of the indictment found
against Frank led to the impression
that Lee had confded in his lawyer
significant circumstances which he
had told neither to the detectives nor
to the members of the Coroner's jury.
Denies Confession Reports.
Mr.. Chappell said Tuesday, how
ever, that Lee had told nothing which
had not already been published in the
newspapers and that he was abso-
lutely certain that the negro had been
holding back nothing. The attorney
said that until Conley had made his
string of aff1davits for the detectives
he had regarded Lee as one of the
most important witnesses the State
could produce.
Conley's entrance into the case, he
thought, changed the whole aspect Of
the mystery and largely eliminated
the Importance of Lees testimony for
the reason that its significance on the
assumption that Frank was the only
person having the opportunity TO
commit the crime was lost when il
became known that Conley also was
in the factory and acting suspiciously
near the time it is thought the girl
was murdered.
Lees testimony still remains val
liable in the eyes of the attorneys for
the prosecution. and the night watch
man will be called TO add to the long
string of circumstantial evidence that
viii be produced by the State. So
licitor Dorsey regards as highly sig
nificant the pegro's story OF what
happened the Saturday afternoon of
the murder
Two Sides of Phone Incident.
One Of the circumstances that the
State considers suspicious is that
Newt Lee found the door leading from
the second floor down to the first
closed and locked 1t had been his
experience, he has testified. that
Frank, when in the ebuildinE alone,
would lock the street door, but leave
the door between the two floors wide
open.
Lee said that he went to Franks
office and that the factory superin-
tendent was rubbing his hands in }
nervous manner. Another feature Of
his testimony was that Frank called
him up in the evening. something he
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