The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-20
DR.. Ridley Tells How
Public Clamored for
His Conviction.
GEORGIA CALLING
FOR FAIR VERDICT
Atlanta Evangelist Discusses
Case Which Has Attracted
Worldwide Attention, and
Expresses Belief That Pris-
oner Is Innocent-All
Rely on Burns.

The Rev. Caleb A Ridley, DAD.. pas
tor OF Central Baptist Church. Atlanta,
who Is conducting revival services at
Grace Street BAPTIST Church, expressed
the hope yesterday that the Supreme
Court OF Georgia would grant new
trial TO Leo NJ. Frank. whose case is
attracting world wide attention In an
Interview with reporter for The
Times Dispatch. DIR. Ridley said that
seventeen murders in Atlanta for
which no arrests were made. coupled
with the public horror over the find
ing Of little Mary phagan's body in
the basement of the National Pencil
factory, led 10 the conviction of Frank
withoE sufficiently reliable evidence
Frank tho factory superintendent. was
arrested for the murder, convicted ana
sentenced to die IN APRIL. after the
Supreme Court had refused to grant
u new trial.
Not Justified by Evidence.
Had there not been such intense
popular feeling. which was evidenced
by cheers in the courtroom whenever
the prosecution made q point DR. Rid
!cy said lie did not believe Il South crn
jury would have convicted q yellow
dog on the evidence Of a drunken ne
gro, who made three conflicting anida
Wits. ana who was himself strongly
suspected of the murder.
Or. Ridley said he did not believe
the jury had been Influenced by the
fact that Frank is 4 Jew. though that
had been used 10 incitc the prejudiccs
of the rabblc. Tie universal uprising
which followed The crime he said,
made IL impossible for any man TO
have received a fair hearing or 10 have
lad the evidence tor or against hin,
fairly weighed DR.. Ridley recently
visited FRANK in his cell. spending
more than an hour with him.
Instead of finding him the pcrverr
he had been pictured. he had found him
OF unusually bright and quick mind
asking and answering questions with
clear grasp OF the subjects under dis
cussion. Attorneys for the defense are
now preparing, with the aid of vii
liam j. Burns, 10 make an cXtraordi-
nary motion before the Georgia SUI
preme Court for Il new trial on the
ground OF aftcr-disCcvercd evidence.
How Sentiment IIns Changed.
Wh!ic the whole OF Atlanta was
shocked by the crime and cried out for
the immediate conviction and cXecu-
tion OF the man charged with the muir
der, pr. Ridley said that on sober sec
ond thought many OF the people. and
the more conservative newspapers, had
come to admit that the evidence on
when l'rani: was convicted was ol
more than doubtful reliability.
"tcfore this awful crime was com
mttcd," said Or. Ridley, II only knew
Frank as the head OF the National Pen
Gil factory. which is located near my
church. and only knew him then
through women of my congregation who
worked in the factory; but since thcr
have come to know him face 10 face
and have discussed with him person
ally the many phases of the mysterious
murder.
II do not consider Frank 10 he the
moral pcrvcrt he has been represented
10 he NIc is y young man. less than
thirty years old. having spent sixteen
years In school and seven years in busi
ness life. succeeding marvelously in
business from the very first, and leaving
no signs Of moral dcgcucracy behind
him. lived in Atlanta ut the time the
crime was committed. and was about
the streets during the thirty-onc days
OF the trial.
Presiding Judge In Doubt.
at would be difficult to answer Tn,
question whether believe Frank TO bt
guilty or not. without being misundcr-
stood.
Il would remind you that the Judge
who presided At tho trial, ana vino not
only heard the testimony, but saw the
witnesses as they testified, after the
jury had found Frank guilty, and be
fore passing sentence on linn, publicly
declared that hc was not convinced OF
the prisoners guilt. This was one OF
the grounds on which Franks attor-
ncys asked Il new trial.
Personally, | do not believe him
guilty Of the crime, nor do ! think he
knew anything at all about il at the
time il was committed. have my
oh, Lnl Of nd;
satisfactory to me. There arc physical
facts which | feel sure Mr.. Burns. who
is now working on the mystery, will
write into u new and reasonable theory
of the case. That tho negro, Jim Con
ley, killed Mary Phagan, | haven't the
slightest doubt, and that she was Killed
at the foot of the elevator shaft, and
not on the second floor, do not doubt.
Her iicsh had both sand and cindcrs
ground into it. and on the second floor,
where the States theory had her slain
there is neither sand nor cindcrs.
CInmOred for Conviction.
"I should say that Frank had as fair
n trial as any other man could have
had under similar circumstances and
surroundings. We had had IL number
of murders in Atlanta, and those com
hitting the crimes had escaped. Ten
sion was already high; then came the
announcement of the girls death, OF
Franks arrest, all sorts OF stories
theories, afiidavits. until the very at
mosphere was such that to breathe it
WAS to catch the contagion. which de-
manded that somebody be convicted,
and that at once.
''In such an atmosphere as this, Leo
Frank was tried. The jurors say they
were impartial, but they were also
human. 1 was impartial. but at that
time I wanted Frank convicted The
popuiace was presumably impartial,