The Washington times., 1915-02-14

Coming from the man who ad.
mittsd he was "hand-in- glove"
with the police In seeking evidence
against Leo NJ. Frank. the testi.
r1ony Of Detective Harry Scott In
to.dAy's installment Of the Frank
trial evidence takes rank of su-
preme importance In pointing to.
ward the guilt OF the negro Jim
Conley and tho innocence Of Frank
In the Mary Phagan murder.
Not sven from the negro. him.
self was attorney Luther Rosser
able to obtain such valuable and
such striking examples Of Conley's
series Of lies ana perjuries. Only
An ignorant negro, hardly aware
OF the nature Of an oath and
more familiar with falsehood than
With truth, would have had the
brazenneSs and effrontery to sit
in fhs witness stand two and q
half days 0ersistently answering
the questions Of Franks lawyers
with II don't know" and II dis
remember" Scott knew and Scott
remembered, and when called upon
he told. though with what inner
reluctance one can only guess.
The reader already has In mind
that Conlsy made long series Of
statements and Afidavits, each
one different from all the others.
The murder Of Mary Phagan was
on April 20. 1918. Conley was ar
rested the following Thursday,
May ]. On his arrest ne made his
hrst statement. He Aaid he knew
nobhing OF the crime, ana had not
been around the factory on Satur-
day. the day the girl WAS mur-
dered. He denied he could write
when the detectives asked him.
Wanted Story Changed.
Scott here testines that It was
not until MaN 18 that Conley ad.
mitted he could write. Then ne
told the detectives he had written
the murder notes, but Frank had
dictated them. The most surpris-
Ing thing about his statement was
that be said Frank dictated the
notes on Friday. the day before
the crime. What the notes were
for he could not say.
Scott and the city det4ctives m
May "a, and again on May 25.
went to Conley and pointed out
the absurdity Of his story, but he
stuck to 1t each time they Erilled
him. They talked to him again
on May q. telling him his story
wouldn't fit, and ne would have
to change 1t in order to make it
hold. Frank did not premeditate
killing the girl. they told him,
so 1t was ridiculous to represent
him as debating the notes on Fri
day before the crime was com.
mitted.
Their coaching evidently had
Its effect, for on the next day,
May 20. he made another am
davit to Scott and the city de-
tectives. according to the testi-
mony OF Scott, in which he shifted
the day OF writing the notes from
Friday to Saturday. He still de-
MED knowing anything OF the
murder.
The next day he came out with
his sensational and preposterous
declaration that Frank had killed
tho girl and had ordered him to
60 back to the rear of the factory
and assist In carrying the body Of
the girl from the second floor to
the basement by way OF the ele-
vator. In THIS affidavit Conley
solemnly swore he was telling
Tho whole truth" that he had
thought the whole thing over and
had decided to tell everything and
hold nothing back. He made
Frank the murderer and freely
pictured himself as an accessory
in helping to dispose Of the body.
II he had decided to tell the truth
and take the consequences there
was no excuse ard no explanation
for him Withholding anything fur
ther at this time.
Right now we come to the sig
nificant and irresistibly convinc-
ing part of Scott's testimony. Re-
member. too. that this testimony
was not given by a pliable wit
ness for the defense. but by a
man who worked with the police
to convict Frank.
Let US see, In the light Of a
comparison Of his final affidavit
and his testimony on the stand,
II 1t IL possible that he was telling
the truth, in SO far as he pro-
fessed to be describing the main
circumstances OF that tragedy In
tho pencil factory.
Admitted Seeing Girl.
Scott testified. the reader will
observe. that Conlsy in this last
statement to the detectives, when
there was no further occasion to
conceal or hide or hold back the
slightest incident of that day, de-
MED positively and emphatioally