Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-04-27
are First Lieutenant A. B. Drum,
Fort Myer; Second Lieut.. CharlesSD.
Barrett, Alexandra.
THE FRANK CASE.
Conley Alleged to Have Confessed
80 Murder of Mary Phagan.

Murder Of Mary Phagan.
Atlanta, Ca, April 27.-The
strongest evidence presented yet
tending to show that Jim Conley,
and not Leo Frank, murdered Mary
Phagan, has been offered by! lawyers
for Leo NJ. Frank before Judge, Hill
in two affidavits, one from a white
preacher and the other fromsa negro,
woman, both Of whom swore to hav-i
ing heard a positive confession Of
the murder from the lips of the ne
gro.
The Rev. C. Bragsdale, of Kirk
wood was the signer of one affidavit
and Annie Maude Carter, the ne
gress, of the other.
To make their case the stronger,
the defense introduced affidavits by
Mrs. Maude Bailey, who swore to-
seeing a girl answering the descrlp-
ton of Mary Phagan leave Franks
office and descend the steps toward
the first floor on the afternoon OF
the murder.
Mr.. Bragsdale was corroborated
by r. l. Barner, an acquaintance
who identified the negro from whom ,
the minister had heard the comics
sion as Jim Conley. Mrs. Bailey
was supported in her statements by
her mother, Mrs. May Barrett. Both
of them were employed in the pencil
factory at the time of the crime.
The Carter woman declared that
Conley not only admitted to having
killed Mary Phagan but that he went
into minute details as to the manner
in which he had committed the
Staying. She was arresed last Octo-
Der and met Conley at the jail. She
said that Conley at first sought to I
make her believe that Frank also
had been intimate with the girl,
but that he afterward confessed
that Frank had nothing to do with 1t,
and that he alone was responsible
MIR. Ragsdale swore that, stop
ping for few minutes near the rear
of the Terminal Hotel on the We'd
nesday night following april rs me-
heard two negroes talking. Here Is
an account of the conversation as 1t
appeared in his affidavit:
zone of the men said to the
other: 81 am in trouble and want
YOU to. help me out. killed gl!
At the National Pencil Factory" and
the other man said, well, who all
was there?' and the first speaker
said, Nobody there but Mr.. Frank;
T am not certain whether ne was
there or not That Immediately
ending the part CT conversation ne
started out of the alley, when de-
nonant discovered they were DARK
less; that when dependent comes out
of the alley he met near the mouth
of the alley one r. I. Barber, .
friend and acquaintance of his, that
deponent then told the said Barber
the conversation he had heard, and
Parker then reminded him that he
was q minister ard comparative
stranger III The city OF Atlanta, ana
that if he were deponent he Woula
net mention what he had heard; that
oreat excitment was in existence
about the murder of a little girl ana
that it would be unwise for MIN 10
get mixed up in the situation"
The affidavit of Barber bore out
! Mc, Ragsdale in all particulars, ana
affirmed that the signer had known
jim Conley for three or four NOUNS
ard recognized him when he So"
him coming out Of the alley near
the hotel.
After these affidavits were ldenti-
fed the hearing was Temporarily
postponed, on the request OF the 50,
Tlicitor genral who said ne desirea
time to make az investigation OF the
new evidence.