Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-03-19
TIE FRANK CASE.
detective Burns Believed to be About
to Make Startling Discovery.

~ :
that VIM. J. Burns is rapidly ap..
q climax in his investigation
of the murder of Mary Phagan are
seen in statements ,raae by the detect
i've. Burns declared that there is no
question that he will be able to clear
np the element of mystery that has
surrounded the case from the pcgin-
ming, and he plainly indicated that he
believes Leo NJ. Frank is innocent OF
the girls murder.
"The track of the murderer OF the
little girl is plain" the detective said.
EVERY criminal, especially murder
er. leaves q. track, some trace OF his
operation that point to him as uner-
ringly as would the blood-stained ting-
or of the victim. In the Phagan case
T have found that the murderer left
q plain trail. l have fouEii it and my
work now will be to follow it to its
conclusion. where we will find the
murderer"
Then he said: Notwithstanding the
various charges that have been made
7 think Solicitor General Dorsey has
been absolutely honest in this case
and that he never would have prose
cuted 9 man he did not thoroughly be-
lieve to be guilty. But, however keen
or smart a man he t1lay be, his vision
is liable to be distorted"
"I am glad 10 see the chief OF the
c;tv detectives say he will cooperate
with me-" sai;d Burns, cor rather, am
GLAD he will let me cooperate with
him."
Burns. however, will not be allow
ID free hand with the colored man,
Jim Con.ey, who accuses Frank. At
torney W. M. Smith has issued orders
to the jail officials not to allow Burns
to see the prisoner unless he tine
atorney) accompanies the detective
81 am willing to have Burns see Con-
lev" said Smith, "but must be pres
ent to protect my client in his legal
rights l shall not permit any th'rd
degree work on Conley Burns can
only see the man in my presence"
Counsel for Frank, in announclns
,srii.i, shc sS2. .si6rt.f ,E;1tic:. fo2 :
new trial virtually is completed, ans
viii be filed the latter part Of th.,
week or the first Of next, :ntlmated
that far more sensational grounds
than those already made public Wi.
ta cited
Among grounds yet to be mate pub
lie several are said to involve young
factory girls wto testified &gaiHsS
Frank at the trial.
Scores Of letters were made public
Yesterday demanding a new trial fcr
Frank. Prof. J. LuSctrat, OF the
University of Georgia, ssys:
"Puoiic feeling such as prevailed
in Atlanta at the time Of Frank S
trial has caused in France an :nno-
cent man to be sent to Devils Island,
where month after month he hau tc
suffer torments worse than DEATH
Speaker pro tempore Z. II. Nc
Michaels, of the Georgia house o. rep
resentatives says:
Tswas in the courthouse severa!
times curing the trial, and the spirit
the feeling, the thought OF the croWo
effected me. Without reason, l fou1a
myself prejudiced, not from facts ano
the testimony, but by popular hshel
and hostile feeling manifested by the
crowd. Certainly. Certainly Franf
has not had " fair trial. Let's give
him one"
Frank, since first he was lodged II
the tower, charged with Mary Pha'
ran's murder, has received dozens o1
letters from people that he never
! knew, and many Of them have ex
pressed admiration for his attit.!d;
toward his prosecution.
Yesterday he received letter from
q man in an AlabalTia town, who tie
E'clared he had just named his first
horn baby Leo Frank. Frank WouItn'
give the mans name.
The prisoner laughed with some Q
his friends to whcm he read the lei
ter.