Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-15
Woman Makes Affidavit She Was
Urged to Testify Falsely in At
tack on Character of Accusedj
Asked to Keep Plot Secret.
Girl Who Testified at Trial That
She Knew Nothing Wrong Of
Prisoner Declares Detectives
Tried to Get Her to Falsify

NEW YORK, March 14.-Public
sentiment in Atlanta, which was so
strongly against Leo NJ Frank dur
ing his trial on the charge of Staying
Mary Phagan, is gradually changing
in his favor as the result OF recent
revelations, according to John w.
Grant, prominent capitalist of At
lanta, who is staying at the Hotel
Vanderbilt Mr.. Grant, however, re-
fused to discuss the case in detail.
Charges Of an attempted 81 600
bribery by A. S. Colyar in an effort
to frame perversion testimony
against Leo NJ. Frank are contained
in the most sensational of four az
adavits made public Satufday BY
Franks counsel.
Mrs. Matte Miller. No 5S5 Ma
rietta street is the accuser of Col
var whose exact status and connec-
tions in the Phagan case have re-
manned as much of a mystery as
many other of its battling features.
The other atlantis were Miss Nell
lie Wood, Miss Nellie Pettis and Mrs.
Lille Mae Pettis, all States Wit
nesses at the trial.
Detective w. J. Burns is expected
in Atlanta Sunday to begin personal
work on the case. He has made quiet
investigations Of stveral angles Of the
mystery in the North, and a number
of operatives of his agency are said
to have been in Birmingham in the
last week.
Solicitor Dorsey is in valdosta.
where he went last fall to marshal
his objections against the granting OF
new trial to the defendant He is
supposed to be working this time on
his argument against the extraordl-
nary motion which will be filed
shortly
Aimed to Show Falsehoods.
All OF the affidavits are intended TO
CONFIRM Franks counsel in their con-
tention that the rumors of perver-
sion and immoral conduct on the part
OF the defendant were started mali
ciously and without foundation, and
that even the witnesses who went on
the stand to testify against his char
acter either were unduly influenced
or swore TO lies OF their own accord
Miss Wood declared that she had
worked at the National Pencil Fac
tory only two days, but that Detec-
tives Chewing and Norris and. later.
Bass Rosser had approached her and
sought to get her to say that Frank
had attempted acts Of familiarity
with her
Miss Wood said that in spite of her
denials the detectives evidently car
ried the report to Solicitor Dorsey
that she had admitted such occur
rences They had planned to have
her talk with the Solicitor before she
went On the stand, but for some rea-
son the plan mjscerried and she was
called as a witness without any in
terview with Dorsey. She was able
~ tr4A VI HbtAAAb NFiDkdAtAF ~
Frank. and was excused BY the So
licitor. who, she said, later remarked
that she was "a very Disappointing
witness" She explained to him. ac-
cording to her story. that it was i'm
possible for her to swear to any
thing against Frank as he had not
acted other than a gentleman in the
brief time she had known him.
Mrs. Miller's Story,
Mrs Miller. author OF the charges
OF attempted bribery against Colyar.
was interviewed at her homo satur-
day night by Sunday American re-
porter, She repeated all that she had
sworn to in the affidavit and added
details on the conversation.
She said that the suaNa. dicto-
grapher Of Colonel Fielder ~ aay&