Atlanta Georgian., 1914-02-26
F RANK HOPEFUL
Of CLEARING
HIS NAME


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. lie de-
clared he had information that con-
vinced him that Harry Latham, recent
ly arrested In gambling raid in
downtown office building, was the in
stigator OF the frame
He said that Harry Latham was pres
ent in the home Of the Formby woman
at the time she was interviewed by
himself and Chief Beavers as to the
information later contained in the affi-
dayit, and that Latham professed to be
a particular friend of the woman.
Threats Against Sieuths.
Latham, according to the chief. also
has made threats against Detectives
Nickery and Handy, who arrested La
than and several others in the gamollng
raid and whose names are mentioned IN
Tue VI liibS NOtlloii 80
Detective vickery. on behalf of him
self and his partner, Detective Handy,
branded the Formby story as AN m
famous and malicious lie from start to
finish" Detective Chewing, one of the
detectives mentioned rs having fur-
nished whisky to Mrs. Formby for three
weeks 10 induce her to make the atfi-
davit, was equally vehement in his de-
Mai.
The negro Albert Mcknight stil 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 II. Hill in the lower court soon,
following the Supreme Courts denial
Of a rehearing on the original evil
dence.
The published reports of Mrs.
Formby's confession in New York
come as news to me- said Luther
Rosser. 81 didn't know she was in
New York even. l haven't anything
to say at present on the possible
Learing of her admissions on our
case"
MIS-. \ OTHlDN- pitduiHS ltpthtdilNS {
over having given false evidence
against Leo NJ. Frank" Wednesday
called up a New York paper and ask
ed to be permitted to make a 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 delrium tremens;" that she was
taken before witnesses a detective
headquarters and forced to state that
she had made incriminating state
ments against Frank"
Here is Mrs. Formby's story:
81 remember quite we'll the day
that Mary Phagan was murdered 1t
was on April 20, and | remember it
because it was my birthday. | re-
member also quite well that day that
Mr.. Frank was arrested, and | re-
member, too. that it was only about
week afterward that Detectives
Norris and Chewing called me up
over the telephone and asked me if
| had any booze. I told them | 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
ulDIIS IOOHl- leN 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
might be able to tell them something
about Mr.. Frank. l 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 abont
the Frank case. | remember now
that when they went away each time
We had drunk up all the whisky.
II can't say how many days they
came to my apartment and talked
about the Frank case before they
asked me if Mr.. Frank wasn't a de-
generate.
"Of course, said didn't know:
but at that time | was under the in
hnence of liquor When Norris and
Chewing kept asking me if didn't
know that Mr. Frank was a degen-
crate, ! finally lost the power to dis
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 I said:
Yes, he is 1t was right there |
made a fatal mistake.