The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-20
NOT CONVINCED OF
Leo FRANKS GUILT
ATLANTA BAPTIST MINISTER NOW
HERE TALKS OF MURDER
MYSTERY.
CONVICTION DEMANDED
OR. CALEB RIDLEY BELIEVES DE-
TECTTNE BURNS WILL PRE-
SENT NEW, TRUE STORY
OF CRIME.

Or Caleb A Ridley. who Is pastor
~ a leading Baptist church in Atlanta.
snd who is Ia Richmond assisting Dr.
lloyd T. Wilson in q series Of meet
gnRs at Grace church. WAS free to
speak his convictions regarding Leo
vi. Frank, the young jew of Atlanta
now condemned TO the gallows for the
murder Of Mary Pagan, fourteen
gear old girl
When asked Il he knew Frank. per
sonaliy. Or. Ridley said; Before this
awful crime was committed. / only
knew Frank SIS the head Of the Ma
ti0nal Pencil factory. which is To-
Gated near nay church. and only knew
him then through women Of my con-
gregation who worked in the factory:
but since then | have come TO know
aim face to face, and have discussed
"a ith him personally the many phases
IL the mysterious murder"
do you consider Frank n moral
pervert. as ne has been represented
to be" was asked pr Ridley. mo,
DO not" was his emphatic reply. In
tny Judgment Frank is no pervert"
lie is 81 young man less than thirty
years old. having spent sixteen years
In school and seven years I'm business
life. succeeding maryelously in bust
ness from the very first. and leaving
no signs OF moral degeneracy behind
him,
After stating that he lived in Al
tanta at the time the crime was com
tnitted, and that he was on the streets
during much of the time the long trial
was being held. Or Ridley was asked
II he believed Frank guilty.
Not Guilty. Belief.
THAT is difficult question TO an
swer without being misunderstood, I"
said the minister. / would remind
sou that the Judge who presided at
the trial for thirty days and not only
heard the testimony, but saw the wit
Hesses, AS they testified, he, after the
jury had found Frank guilty. and be-
fore passing sentence on him. publicly
declared that he was not convinced
OF the prisoners guilt. This was one
nj the grounds upon which Franks at
torneys asked for "A new trial.
Personally, do not believe him gull
~ of the crime, nor ao think he
knew ANYTHING at all about II at the
time X was committed, / have my
reasons for such belief. and they are
satisfactory to me. They are physical
facts, which / feel sure Mr. Burns
who is now working on the mystery
win write into a new and reasonable
theory of the case. That the negro
Jim Conlcy. killed Mary Pagan.
haven't the slightest doubt. and thai
she was Killed at the foot Of the ele.
vator shaft. and not on the secont
floor. l do not doubt Her flesh has
both sand and cinders ground into IL
and on the second floor where tht
States theory had her slain. there i:
neither sand nor cfnders.
DO you consider that Frank had
fair trial, "the minister was ked i"
Well. / should say that he had. as
fair trial as any other man coult
have had under similar circumstances
and surroundings" II was like this
we had had several murders in Atlanta
and those committing the crimes hat
escaped. Tension was already high
then came the announcement OF lfttI,
4 Mary Fagans death. Franks arrest
all sorts of stories, theories, affidavitt
OF all sorts, until the very atmospher,
WAS such that TO breath II was Il
catch tho contaglon. which demanded
that somebody be convicted. and tina
ut once
In such an atmosphere as this, Lee
Frank WAS tried. The Jurors say the,
were impartial. but they were ais,
human I was impartial. but / w-autet
Frank convicted. The populaee wa
presumably impartial. but 1t clamoret
for Franks conviction, and on tn,
evidence OF Jim Conley, a mongrel ne
gro OF scandalous habits and black
est character. Frank was convicted
and this after Eonley had made tw,
other affidavits. both OF which contra
dicted the one on which hts conviction
was had"