Atlanta Georgian., 1914-02-26
F RANK HOPEFUL
Of CLEARING
HIS NAME
Continued From Page 2.

weeks and coerced her into making the
affidavit was intensified Thursday by a
statement given out by Chief of De
tectives Lanford.
The chief charged that the attack on
the detectives is "a frame-up, pure and
simple" for the sole purpose of dis
crediting the detective department and
to even up for a fight made by de
tectives on certain gamblers He de-
clared he had information that con-
vinced him that Harry Latham, recent
ly arrested in a gambling raid in
downtown office building, was the in
stigator of the frame up"
He said that Harry Latham was pres
ent in the home of the Formby woman
at the time she was interviewed bv
himself and Chief Beavers as to the
Information later contained in the affl-
davit. and that Latham professed TO be
a particular friend of the woman.
Threats Against sleuths.
Latham, according TO the chief, also
has made threats against Detectives
Vickery and Handy, who arrested La
than and several others in the gambling
raid and whose names are mentioned in
the Formby woman's statement IN New
York.
Detective Vickery on behalf OF him
self and his partner Detective Handy,
branded the Formby story as "an in
famous and malicious lie from start to
finish" Detective Chewning one of the
detectives mentioned as having FUR
nished whisky to Mrs. Formhy for three
weeks to induce her to make the ami
davit, was equally vehement in his de-
nial
The negro Albert Mcknight still is
being sought by the detectives, and
his affidavit stating that he testified
falsely against Frank is being inVes-
tigated.
Meantime Attorneys Rosser and Ar
mold, for the defense, are going ahead
with the preparation of their detailed
reasons for a new trial, which they
will present for decision before Judge
Ben H Hill in the lower court soon,
following the Supreme Courts denial
of a rehearing on the original evil
dence.
The published reports of Mrs.
Formbys confession in New York
come as news to me-" said Luther
Rosser Il didn't know she was In
New York even. l haven't anything
to say at present on the possible
bearing of her admissions on our
case"
Mrs. Formby. pleading repentance
over having given false evidence
against Leo NJ. Frank" Wednesday
called up a New York paper and ask
ed to be permitted TO make public
denial of her affidavit.
Mrs. Formby said she was piled
with whisky" by detectives who want
ed her to make the statement against
Frank that she was ION the border
OF delirium tremens; that she was
taken before witnesses at detective
headquarters and forced to state that
she had made discriminating state
ments AGAINST Frank"
Here IS Mrs Formbys story
81 remember quite well the day
that Mary Phagan was murdered. It
was on April 26, and l remember it
because it was my birthday | re-
member also quite we'll that day that
Mr.. Frank was arrested, and l re-
member, too. that it was only about
q week afterward that Detectives
Norris and Chewing called me up
over the telephone and asked me If
had any booze. I told them l didn't
have any, and they said they would
bring some around to my house.
They called around that evening
and they brought the booze. We
drank booze and played cards in the
dining room. They mentioned the
arrest of Mr.. Frank only incidentally.
They told me that some woman had
called them up that day over the
telephone and suggested to them I
might be able to tell them something
about Mr.. Frank. | don't know who
their informant was. as they wouldn't
tell me
always Brought Booze
For three weeks Norris and Chew
ming came to my apartment. Thev
were there every night, and they al
ways brought booze. We played
cards as usual in the dining room, and
something was said each time abou'
the Frank case | remember now
that when they went away each time
we had drunk up all the whisky.
Il can't say how many days they
came to my apartment and talked
about the Frank case before hey
asked me if Mr. Frank wasn't de-
generate.
"Of course. I said | didn't know:
hut at that time | was under the in
fuenCe or liquor. When Norris and
Chewing kept asking me if I didn't
know that Mr. Frank was degen-
crate, | finally lost the power to dts
criminate about what ] was saying
THEY asked me the same question
so many times that at last | gave
them the answer they wanted me to
give them. | said
Yes, he is 1t was right there |
made a fatal mistake