Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-16

Much interest was manifest In Al
lanta Monday over the demands ma he
from ,hree Atlanta pulpits Sunday by
three OF the best known ministers ~
tue city for d new trial for Leo Frank.
The action Of the preachers In taking
40 the question after a long ana
careful study OF the conditions that
prevailed when Frank was convicted.
is taken as an indication that ;he
pendulum of public opinion has begun
10 swing from the belief that Frank s
trial was fair and impartial to ne
lief hat conditions when Frank was
tried were such that no man could
have been given a just hearing.
The three pastors who asserted thot
Frank should have a new trial were
Dr. A. r Holderby, Of the Moore
Memorial Presbyterian Church, Or.
l.. O. BriclIer, Of the First Christian
church. and DR.. Julian Rodgers, Of
The East Atlanta Baptist Church.
A fourth. Or Fred A. Line, Of the
First Universahst Church, announced
that on Lext Sunday he win discuss
the Frank case and attempt to show
that the condemned man did not have
4 fair trial
Public Mind Inflamed.
Neither Of the three preachers who
demanded q new trial made any as
sertions relating to the possible guilt
or innocence of Frank, which they
declared was not material TO che
question. They based their plea fer
q new trial on the grounds that the
public mind was bitterly iniiamed
gainst Frank at the time, and that
he jury and the judge necessarily
were Influenced BY this state Of af-
lairs, whether the mutterings Of TN"
mob reached their ears or not.
And all Of them stated that during
and Immediately after the trial their
minds were inhamed with the public s
gainst Frank, and that they won Il
have resented any insinuation thlt
Frank ala not have fair trial Their
present stand on the question they
declared they took only after careful
reasoning and a review OF the situa-
tion that showed them the utter inn
possibility of any man being given a
fair trial under the conditions which
prevailed
Each OF them made some reference
10 Jim COnIey and his testimony. Or
BriCker called attention TO the state
ments OF some Of Atlanta's bes.
known LAWYERS that the case Of the
state falls TO the ground without the
evidence OF toniey, nr HolderbN de
rlared that it would be unfair to
hang "sheep- killing dos" upon the
evidence that convicted Frank, and
Dr Rodgers declared that he would
not hang a yellow dog upon Jim con
leN S unsupported story
Under ordinary circumstance
declared DR. Bricker we Of the South
do not take the word OF negro
against the word OF a white man, bIt
5,e are willing TO believe the word wi
drunken worthless jailbird neer'.
even after he had sworn to three or
-four other afiida,its and had admitted
criminal knowledge and completely In
She erin &. and was a confessed
liar and peruiurer--in the face of a
Ihis we are ready to believe his last
story.
"Deady to Believe Anything.
The only ground upon which We
could have done thjs is that We felt
Frank Was guilty and were. therefore
ready 90 believe anything that seemed
20 confirm it,
DU. Bricker gave taree reasons up-
heidhby arguments why Frank sho.
have q new trial He said
The first reason rs that We Wer"
iu no frame OF mind To have granted
the prisoner new trial. The way in
10 the public mind lis through our
own. We live and move among our
human kind and taNe humanity
bath every time we walk the streets
We read what others read come TO
share the opinion and feel as others
feel. and n We stop 20 anay2e our
own mind We shall have pretty gooc