The Washington times., 1915-06-21
CASE LIKE DREYFUss ONE
No Other Criminal Trial In Re-
cent Years Has Caused So
Widespread a Furore.

| over the quit or Innocence OF an inui-
viduak
1t is doubtful that any murder in this
country within a generation has caused
the furore In the public mind which the
Frank trial and its developments pro-
duced. other famous murder cases
those centering about Harry Thaw,
Henry Beattie, Theodore Durant. Will
lam T. Patrick. and Roland Molineux--
have caused their fiurries Of speculation
Land comment. but not within recent
years has any case possessed the hui
man interest appeal possessed by that
Of Frank
The very setting Of the case brought
1t to the forefront In the nations his
tory Of unusual crimes. The alleged
peaceful race: Mary Phagan, a Defense
less little factory girl; Jim Conley, an
unlettered negro OF section which
! abounds In unlettered negroes; a press
i start: a mob Which howied without thou 'ne q
courtroom door: the importation OF
great detectives who assumed Franks
cause at the risk. OF personal hurt to
dead. who held until his dying hour
doubt as to the guilt of the accused.
Made Blood Sacrifice.
One of the great climaxes In the mur-
der drama came when Frank was ar
raigned to be sentenced to death the
second time. Using words with deepest
significance to one Of his race, he ex-
claimed at the Georgia bar os justice:
The State OF Georgia wills that my life
be taken as blood atonement for a
poor little girl who was ruthlessly kill
ed by another"
| b.
victed and sentenced to die on the gal
lows was committed on April 20, 1913.
1t was an ''off day. at the pencil fac
tory where Mary Phagan worked. and
that institution was practically desert
Mary. Phagan was fourteen years of
age. but advanced beyond her years in
physical attributes. The buxomness of
the little factory worker was empha-
sized at a trial which dealt largely
with sensual things.
Mary Phagan never left the pencil
factory alive that afternoon. Her body
was found the next morning In the
being that she had been strangled to
death. Jim Conley. negro watchman
at the factory. testified that Frank had
slain the girl and that he. Coniey, and
Frank. had moved the body to the
basement.
Fight Lasted Two Years.
The uneducated negro was on the
witness stand for three days, but the
main thread OF his story was never
broken under the most rigid cross.
, sxanin alton. 1t Is true that Conley
had told several conflicting stories
before his final version was laid be.
fore the court. but after once detail.
ing his story to a jury conIey stood
!; by It with a firmness which amazed
skilled cross-examiners who sought
to fasten the crime on Conley himself
. Conley told OF the alleged nervous
ness of Frank on the afternoon Of ths
murder; OF his confession that ht
had ,sn ssn the The gtr gndv and The
ported offer OF hush money" handet
to Conley and then taken back, anC
the preparation OF the decoy note II
throw investigators off the scent.
Frank maintained steadfastly that n
knew nothing whatever Of the crime an
the whole story Of the colored watch
man was q lie.
AS the hour approached for the verdic
of the thial jury the public clamor II
Atlanta had Increased to such an ex
tent that the court and the attorney
/ feared for the life of the defendant
, acquitted. The Atlanta newspapers sug
Monday instead Of Saturday that tn
mob spirit might be cooled meanwhile
This suggestion came on August % an
| on August Is the verdict was rendered.
. Not In Courtroom.
Judge Roam was so alarmed over tn
: state of public opinion that at nj
recommendation and with the consen
: of the attorneys Frank was not in tn
5 court room when the verdict was reac
{ The militia was in readiness. although
the public did not know 1t, in the even
, the mob spirit became uncomfortable.
i AS the jury pronounced Frank guilty
= a signal was flashed to waiting thou
, sands outside and the administratio
! Of the law was carried out in a bedlar
) Of noise from the streets. Hats. canes
handkerchiefs, and umbrellas wer
, thrown in the air by the frenzied one
: who waited beyond the court roor
! doors, and the scene which ensue
probably will remain without parable
Solicitor General Dorsey, chiefly In
strumental In the conviction Of the He
brew defendant. was shunted over tn
heads Of the excited ones as he left tn
courthouse, and was carried down tn
streets on the shoulders of frantic ad
/ mirers who at the moment would hav
given him the Presidency.
No hero OF a great military conquest
a naval victory or political or athleti
struggle was ever acclaimed so riot
| ously.
The absence OF Frank from the court
room and the prevalence of mob spirit
J alleged to be inimical to the justic
t | guaranteed under the Constitution o
e the United States, later were employe
. by Franks attorneys as reasons 70
bringing the case for review to the su
e preme Court,
Was to Hang In 1918.
e Frank was sentenced to hang Octobe
10. 19l3 but this sentence became In
operative because OF a motion for
new trial. The new trial was refuse
y by Judge Roam. who. however, eS
( pressed a doubt as to the guilt OF tn
accused man. but permitted the jury
: verdict TO stand.
: In February, 1914. the Georgia su
e preme court affirmed the convictio
and Frank was again sentenced I
: hang. this time bv Judge Ben II. Hill