The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-21
Conley's Statement Accented


 Conley's final statement was accepted by the Jury and Frank is under sentence of death. There was circumstantial evi- dence from the prosecution to support Conley's story of course. That will be analysed later, as will be Conley's final statement I think l can demonstrate that the circumstantial evidence is worthless. and that Conley's testimony on the stand will not hold water.
 My investigation makes me believe that the majority of the thinking peo- pie of Atlanta hold that Frank is in- nocent that the vast majority of these l thinking people hold that he is entitled to another trial. The presiding judge stated from the bench, when he over ruled the first motion for a new trial, that he did not know whether Frank was guilty or innocent.
 And that brings up one of the ugliest phases of the entire matter. There is no lack of responsible men in Atlanta men who weigh their words and who have no reason for being especially friendly to Frank-who say that he will never get fair treatment from the bench of the state. They say that the clamor from the lower and less informed classes as ainst Frank has intimidated the | judges, who are elected only for four years, who usually want to be re- elected and who are under the neces- Slty Ol DelHS pOpuldl.
 am unable to speak positively as to that. My investigation was into the case up to and including the trial and not into the legal contentious contained in the appeals to the higher courts. l can not offer judgment on the work of the judges. But this I can say: Evidence, argument and outside influences ob- tained in the trial of the case that arc utterly repugnant to any fair mans sense of justice and it does seem to me very strange that the law is so consistently against remedying those evils.
 So far as can be recalled. no murder trial has been held in any eastern city in generations under the circumstances that attended Franks. Crowds packed the courtroom during the 29 days 1t was under way. When the prosecution scored a point in the almost intermin- able legal jockeying. the crowd ap- plauded as if a political joint debate were under way.
 Absent When Verdict Was Given
 So strong was sentiment against Frank that the editors of the Atlanta papers united in asking the presiding judge to defer the verdict from Saturday, when many men were idle because of the half holiday. until Monday. And on Monday, with a crowd estimated at 5000 around the courthouse, the presiding judge was so fearful of violence, not only to Frank, but to his counsel, that he advised them to stay away from the courtroom during the | rendering of the verdict
 When the verdict guilty was an- nounced the masses who packed the court | house and it's environs cheered wildly, | and upon the appearance of the prose- | cutting attorney, Solicitor General Hugh l M. Dorsey. he was seized and passed to | his office over the shoulders of the crowd |
 Naturally, the question is asked: Why | the public clamor against Frank? The l answer is long The attitude of the police | and prosecuting authorities contributed; that will be taken up in articles to fol- low this. Racial prejudice contributed; and that, too, will be considered more fully later But the basic thing, the thing that whipped into a fury the depths of l