Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-04
Continued From Page l..

for what he declares was his peTJurec
testimony.
The lad goes into great detail as t.
the manner in which his testimon!
was built up and asserts that he tolo
Black repeatedly that It was a lie, but
that the detectives invariable reply
was that ii would be "all right and
that he would give Epps some moneN
To get out of town after the trial u
he wished 10 go.
Black IL the witness who wilted uu-
der the trrlble fire Of Luther RoSser s
cross examinstion during the Fran"
trial and became so confused that tie
was compelled 90 leave the stand.
Here is the Epps' affidavit in full;
Epps Boys Affidavit.
state of Georgia--County Of Bald
win
'Now comes George Epps, who,
upon his solemn oath, deposes and
says: ] am 10 years Of age. ] reside
at No. 246 Fox street, In the city OF
Atlanta, but at present ] am the re-
formatorv ri Milledgeville, Georgia.
In August. 1913 / was a witness FOR
the State against Leo NJ. Frank, who
was at that time on trial for the muir
der Of Mary Phagan
II was also called as a witness by
the Solicitor General before the Cor
oners inquest over the death Of Mary
Phagan.
Il now state that At both the Cor
oner's inquest and the trial Of Leo NJ.
Frank ] swore falsely. I now state
that was persuaded to give the false
testimony in both OF the before men
toned hearings by Detective john
Black. I am glad OF the chance to
tell the truth and relieve my mind
and conscience and clear myself OF
The periured testimony given at boih
hearings ! have prayed 10 God FOR
forgiveness. ana / now want to eX-
main all Of the circumstances and In
1iuences that made me swear falsely
at both OF those hearings ! VIII say
that the only statements in my testi-
mony that is OF truth is that | knew
Mary Phagan and that ] rode on the
street car with her on Apri rs, 1913,
which was the last time ! ever saw
Mary Phsgan alive.
ITO explain all of the particulars as
TO how | become to be lead to give
false testimony in the Mary Phagan
case I will begin with my first meet
ing with Detective John Black. Of the
police force. NV home Is in the
neighborhood in which Mary Phagan
lived. and / knew her and most Of the
nelghborhood knew her and II was
known throughnut the neighborhood
that John Black was making in
ouiries there for boys and girls or
nelghbors that knew her.
Tells Of Black Seeing Him.
1T was known generally In the
neighborhood that | played with Mary
Phagan and talked with her around
the streets Of the neighborhood. In
MAY, 1918. | was employed at Hirsch-
Splits Bed Factory In the city Of At
lanta, and one day in May I was tod
bv my boss IN the factory there was
somebody out at the front who want
ed to see me. and ! went out and the
man who was there ana who wanted
TO see me was Detective John BLACK.
lie then told me that he understood
that / knew something about the
Mary Phagan case. | told MN /
didn't know anything about the Mary
Phaghan murder case, but in reply 10
his further questions, admitted mat !
knew Mary Phagan.
Il also told him that ] rode down
town on the same car with Mary Pha-
gan on April 20. 1913 He asked me
what time I boarded IN ecar, and l
told him 1t was between 10 and 10
minutes to IL. He asked me how
knew the time, and ] told him ! had
seen the time on a clock that is In
Mr.. Bryan's store. There Is In this
store a clock, and while standing In
the door Of this store ! noticed that
clock. The minute hand was then
between the hours of and 10 and
the hour hand was nearly to II
o'clock ] know that this clock Is not
reliable as to time sometimes It
doesn't run at all, but IL Is the only
clock that ! saw; that is how ! knew
the time that ! was boarding the car.
Il had been playing ball, and, being
Saturday. I aid not work at the FAC
tory, but went downtown and sold
newspa pcrs. and / generally left home
10 go downtown about II o'clock, but
/ was afraid ! would be late this day,
April 90. Black further questioned
me II ] saw Mary Phagan on the car.
and ! told him l did; that she sat In
the front seat on the left hand side,
facing forward, and | sat three seats
behind her
Spoke TO Her on Street.
Il did not speak TO Mary Phagan on
the car. but when we got off the car
az Marietta and Forsyth streets Mary
got off ahead of me, and ! said, Hell
10. Mary. Where are you going
Mary answered. and said, Pm going
20 get my money and 30 TO see the
parade, this day being Decoration
Day and q holiday This was all OF
the conversation that had with Mary
on that day ! last saw Mary as she
was going over the viaduct south on
FORSYTH street. and ! went under the
Viaduct to The Journal building,