- 2 days ago
On May 1, 1913, testimony at the ongoing inquest into the death of 13-year-old Mary Phagan centered on accusations of improper behavior by the factory’s superintendent, Leo Frank. George Epps, a 15-year-old acquaintance of the victim, testified that Mary had expressed fear of Frank’s persistent attempts to flirt with and pay attention to her. Epps stated that Mary had requested he meet her at the factory to escort her home, citing her discomfort with Frank’s behavior.
The inquest also featured testimony regarding the factory's atmosphere and potential use for illicit purposes. Mechanics Harry Denham and Arthur White, who were working in the building on the day of the murder, provided accounts of their interactions with Frank, noting they were locked in the factory by him for a period. Other witnesses, including Edgar L. Sentell, claimed to have seen Mary Phagan near the factory late Saturday night, contradicting timelines provided by others.
Furthermore, investigators discussed the discovery of bloody hair strands near Mary’s workstation, which fellow employees identified as hers. J. M. Gantt, a former paymaster recently fired by Frank, was also subjected to intense questioning about his relationship with the superintendent and his presence at the factory after he had left the company. Throughout the proceedings, Frank largely remained silent, having told reporters earlier that he did not wish to discuss the accusations being leveled against him.
The inquest also featured testimony regarding the factory's atmosphere and potential use for illicit purposes. Mechanics Harry Denham and Arthur White, who were working in the building on the day of the murder, provided accounts of their interactions with Frank, noting they were locked in the factory by him for a period. Other witnesses, including Edgar L. Sentell, claimed to have seen Mary Phagan near the factory late Saturday night, contradicting timelines provided by others.
Furthermore, investigators discussed the discovery of bloody hair strands near Mary’s workstation, which fellow employees identified as hers. J. M. Gantt, a former paymaster recently fired by Frank, was also subjected to intense questioning about his relationship with the superintendent and his presence at the factory after he had left the company. Throughout the proceedings, Frank largely remained silent, having told reporters earlier that he did not wish to discuss the accusations being leveled against him.
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00:00Frank tried to flirt with murdered girl, says her boy chum. Atlanta Constitution. Thursday, May 1st, 1913.
00:07Mary Fagan was growing afraid of advances made to her by superintendent of the factory,
00:12George W. Epps, 15 years old, tells the coroner's jury. Boy had engagement to meet her Saturday,
00:18but she did not come. Newt Lee, night watchman, on stand, declared. Frank was much excited on
00:23Saturday afternoon. Pearl Robinson testifies for Arthur Mullinax, two mechanics brought by
00:28detectives to the inquest. Leo Frank refuses to discuss evidence. When a Constitution reporter
00:35saw Leo M. Frank early this morning and told him of the testimony to the effect that he had annoyed
00:39Mary Fagan by an attempted flirtation, the prisoner said that he had not heard of this accusation
00:44before, but that he did not want to talk. He would neither affirm nor deny the Negro's accusation that
00:51never before the night of the tragedy had Frank phoned to inquire if all was well at the factory,
00:55as he did on the night of the killing. Evidence that Leo M. Frank, superintendent of the pencil
01:01factory in which the lifeless body of Mary Fagan was found, had tried to flirt with her,
01:06and that she was growing afraid of his advances, was submitted to the coroner's jury at the inquest
01:11yesterday afternoon, a short time before adjournment was taken until 4.30 o'clock today
01:16by George W. Epps, aged 15, a chum of the murdered victim. George rode with Mary to the city
01:23Saturday morning an hour before she disappeared at noon. He testified late Wednesday afternoon that
01:28the girl had told him of attempts Leo Frank had made to flirt with her, and of apparent advances
01:33in which he was daily growing bolder. She said she was getting afraid, he told at the inquest.
01:38She wanted me to come to the factory every afternoon in the future and escort her home.
01:43She didn't like the way Frank was acting toward her.
01:48Waited two hours for girl. George had an engagement to meet the girl Saturday afternoon
01:53at two o'clock, he said. They were scheduled to watch the memorial parade and tour the picture
01:57shows. He waited two hours for her. She had disappeared. The next known of her was when
02:02the lifeless form was found in the factory basement. Frank was not present during the investigation,
02:07but once. Detectives brought him before the jury for identification by E.S. Skipper,
02:12the man who saw the mysterious sextet of youths and girls Saturday night at Whitehall and Trinity.
02:18He remained but a moment. Sensational developments were predicted shortly after the inquest was
02:24resumed at 2.15 o'clock, when Coroner Donahue ordered detectives to bring to police headquarters
02:29the two mechanics who were in the factory building with Frank during the early part of Saturday afternoon.
02:35They are Harry Denham and Arthur White, two youths who have been connected with the plant for
02:39several years. Detective Scott found them at work in the factory and escorted them to the inquest.
02:44They left the police station immediately after being examined. A mystifying phase was added to
02:49the progress of the inquest when Edgar L. Sentell, a clerk in Camper's Grocery, declared positively
02:56that he had seen Mary Fagan with Arthur Mullinax at midnight Saturday as they crossed the corner of
03:01Hunter and Forsyth Streets a few yards distant from the pencil factory. Sentell had known the dead girl
03:06since early childhood. They were intimate friends, he said. Asserting that he had spoken to her,
03:12he stoutly maintained that she had answered his greeting. J. L. Watkins, a neighbor to the home
03:17to which Mary lived, also testified that he had seen her Saturday afternoon when she crossed Ashby
03:22Street at Bellwood. She presumably was on her way home, he stated. George Epps is a bright,
03:28quick-witted chap and proved an eager witness. He was brought before the inquest following the
03:33examination of Pearl Robinson, the sweetheart of Arthur Mullinax, who testified in that youth's
03:39behalf. How old are you, son? was the first question asked him. Fifteen, going on sixteen,
03:45he answered with alacrity. Do you work or go to school? I work at a furniture store. In the
03:51afternoon I sell papers. His answers were clear and brief. He made a pleasing impression. Lives
03:57near Fagan girl. How far do you live from 136 Lindsay Street, the home of Mary Fagan? Just around
04:03the block. Did you know Mary? Yes, sir, I certainly did. We were good friends. When did you last see
04:08her alive? Saturday morning, just before dinner when we came to town together on a street-car.
04:13Did you arrange to meet her that afternoon? Yes, sir. We were to have met at two o'clock in
04:18Elkin
04:18and Watson's drug store at Five Points. We were going to see the parade and go to the moving picture
04:23shows. How long did you wait for her when she failed to show up? Until four o'clock in the
04:28afternoon.
04:29I stuck around two hours waiting for her. Then I had to go and sell my papers. Did you inquire
04:34for
04:34her? Yes, I went to her house when I got through with my papers. She hadn't got back. The folks
04:39were
04:39looking for her. When you and Mary were riding to town, did you talk any? She wanted money mighty
04:44bad. We talked a whole lot. She said she was going to the pencil factory to draw the wages due
04:49her.
04:49She said she didn't have but one dollar sixty cents coming to her, but wanted that mighty bad.
04:54How was she dressed? She had on a blue dress and a dark blue hat. I remember that hat
04:59mighty well because I asked her why didn't she buy a stylish lid.
05:02Mmph, she said. I'm no stylish girl. I don't need one. Did you both get on the car at the
05:07same time?
05:08No. She was on first. When I got on, she motioned for me to come and sit beside her.
05:13While we were coming to town, she began talking about Mr. Frank. When she would leave the factory
05:18on some afternoons, she said Frank would rush out in front of her and try to flirt with her as
05:22she passed.
05:23She told me that he had often winked at her and tried to pay her attention.
05:26He would look hard and straight at her, she said, and then would smile.
05:30She called him Mr. Frank. It happened often, she said.
05:34How was the subject of Mr. Frank brought up?
05:37She told me she wanted me to come down to the factory when she got off as often as I
05:40could
05:41to escort her home and kinder protect her.
05:43When did you hear she was killed?
05:45Sunday.
05:47Positive that he had seen Mary Fagan at midnight Saturday, Edgar L. Centell offered to swear that
05:52it was the pretty victim whom he encountered with the suspected Mullinax at Forsyth and Hunter
05:56Streets. He was the first witness during the afternoon session.
05:59I met Mary Fagan and Mullinax at Hunter and South Forsyth Streets, either between eleven-thirty
06:04and twelve or a little later. I am not positive which, he stated.
06:08Were they standing together? He was questioned.
06:11No. They were walking along.
06:13Are you confident you knew both Mullinax and Mary?
06:16I knew Mullinax at the car barns. I had known Mary all my life. I was born and raised with
06:21her. When was the last time you saw her? One week previous to Saturday night. Did you speak
06:26to her?
06:26I did. I said, hello, Mary.
06:28Did she reply?
06:29She did. She said, hello, Edgar.
06:32Were her parents accustomed to letting her go with boys?
06:35Amazed to see her uptown?
06:36No. They were not. It amazed me when I saw her uptown at such an hour with a man.
06:41She looked like she was tired and fagged out.
06:43What did she wear? A light purple dress, black shoes, and a light blue ribbon tied in her
06:48hair. She didn't have a hat, an umbrella was in her hand. Can you swear that it was Mary
06:53Fagan you saw?
06:54I can and I will. I am swearing now that it was Mary Fagan I saw.
06:58Can you swear it was Mullinax? I am not so positive about him. If it wasn't, it was his
07:02spit and image. Did you know Mullinax's name?
07:05No, not at that time. I had seen him so much around the car barns, though. I learned his name
07:10later.
07:11When did you first hear of Mary's murder?
07:13Sunday morning on an English Avenue trolley car. Who did you first tell?
07:17Mrs. Coleman, her mother. Did the paper tell who was killed? Went to mother of girl.
07:23No, I heard men at the car barn say the girl's name was Fagan. I immediately remembered seeing
07:28Mary at midnight. I went straight to Mrs. Coleman and learned that it was her daughter.
07:32Where did you work before becoming connected with your present employers?
07:35I was in the Navy. When did you leave? April 18th, 1913. How long had you been there? Three months.
07:43Why did you leave? Because of eye affliction. I couldn't read the targets on the rifle range.
07:48Is your eyesight ordinarily affected? Not particularly so. Are you sure your eyes didn't
07:53fail you when you saw this girl Saturday at midnight? I am positive they did not. Do you drink?
07:59Occasionally, but I never get drunk. Were you drinking Saturday night? Not a drop.
08:03At this juncture, the clothing worn by the murdered girl was held to the questioned man's gaze.
08:08Is this the dress she wore when you saw her Saturday night? It is. Bloody hairs are found.
08:14The discovery of a dozen strands of bloody hair identified by her sister workers as that of the
08:19murdered girls was related by R. P. Barrett, a mechanic in the pencil plant who made the find.
08:24He was placed upon the stand directly after it had been vacated by policeman Lasseter.
08:29What is your employment? I am a machinist with the National Pencil Company.
08:34How long have you been with them? Seven weeks. Did you know Mary Fagan?
08:38Yes. She ran a knulling machine at the factory. When did you see her last?
08:43Tuesday, one week ago. She didn't work after that because of shortage of metal.
08:47How far is her machine from the dressing room she used? About six feet.
08:52Was anything unusual found around the machine at which she worked?
08:56Splotches of blood. The girls at the factory told me Monday that Mary had been murdered.
09:01They were dim and looked as the floor at the base of her machine. I found several dim and
09:05looked as though whitewash had been spread over them. It looked as though the floor had been swept
09:09carefully. Was anything else found on the floor? Yes. Monday morning I started to work upon a lathing
09:15machine nearby the knulling machine of Mary's. My hands became tangled with long hair. I picked out
09:21a dozen strands or more. They were bloody. A number of the girls came and identified them as having come
09:26from Mary's head. Was Mary a quiet girl? Exceptionally quiet and a very well-behaved one. Did anyone pay or
09:33attempt to pay attention to her? Not of my knowledge. No one did around the factory.
09:38How large was the spot of blood you found near the machine at which she worked? About six inches in
09:43diameter. There are several smaller spots. What floor? Second, how near the elevator? At the extreme
09:49end two hundred or more feet, I would judge from the lift. Girls afraid of Frank. Did you ever know
09:54a familiarity which Frank tried with Mary? No. Declaring that, in his opinion, both of the notes found
10:01beside the dead girl's body were written by the same person. F. M. Berry, assistant cashier of the
10:06Fourth National Bank and a handwriting expert, said that the script in The Mysterious Missives resembled
10:12only slightly that of the writing of the suspected watchman. He took the stand at 3.30 p.m.
10:19What experience have you in distinguishing handwriting? Only the experience that could be gained by my
10:24twenty-three years of service with the bank. The notes were shown him. He inspected them closely in the
10:29light of a window fronting Decatur Street. Were they written by the same person? He was asked.
10:35In my opinion, they were. Was factory used for assignation? Barry, the factory mechanic, was
10:41recalled to the stand at 4.10 o'clock. Sensational evidence was gained from him relative to the usage
10:47of the factory building as an alleged place of assignation for men and women. Did anybody work in
10:52the plant during a Saturday? Was the first question. No one of my direct knowledge. I heard,
10:57however, of two young employees who were at work on the top floor. Do you know them? Not their names.
11:03Could you point them out to the detectives? I could. Then, from Coroner Dunhu, I will send a man
11:09after them. You go with him. What is the usual pay hour of the factory? At twelve noon on Saturdays.
11:15Have you ever heard of the building used for immoral purposes? Yes, frequently. A Mr. Asbury Calloway,
11:22connected with the scabbard offices near the factory building, has told me that he has often
11:27seen men and women and girls going in and out of the building at night. Had you heard such rumors
11:32from
11:32the inside of the concern by that is meant from attachés to the plant? No. Don't you suspect that
11:38some of the girls of the factory have filled clandestine appointments in the building? I don't
11:43think so. I believe every girl in the place is straight, absolutely. Gant smiles during quiz.
11:49J. M. Gant, the Marietta youth who is held as a suspect in the Fagan case, was put through a
11:54grueling examination. He never flinched through the ordeal, answered the questions promptly and
11:59concisely, and smiled during the entire procedure. He was put on the rack the moment his sweetheart,
12:05Pearl Robinson Pearl Robinson, was actually the sweetheart of Arthur Mullinax, not Gant editor,
12:10had been excused. He remained under examination probably longer than any other witness except the
12:16Negro, Newt Lee. The time was an hour. Did you know Mary Fagan? I did. I had known her since
12:22she
12:22was a little taut. Were you ever employed with the pencil factory? I was up until three weeks ago.
12:28Why did you leave them? I was discharged. Why were you discharged? Alleged shortage, the trouble.
12:34Because of personal differences with Mr. Frank, the superintendent. What were the differences?
12:39Two dollars short in the payroll? Were you in charge of the payroll? I was paymaster. Did you
12:45ever see Frank with Mary Fagan? No. You always paid off the employees, did you not? I did. How were
12:51they paid? With the envelope method. Did you ever pay Mary Fagan? Yes. What did she make? Presumably
12:59four dollars five cents a week, judging by the wage scale of the plant. When did you see her last?
13:04The day I quit the pencil company. Had you seen her since? No. Where did you go on Saturday? Went
13:10to
13:10the factory. I went to the pencil factory about six-thirty o'clock that afternoon. Did you see
13:15Mr. Frank there? Yes. Did he appear excited? Agitated? Yes, he seemed nervous. Did you ever hear
13:22Mary Fagan say she couldn't trust Frank, that she feared him in any manner? No. How long were you in
13:28the building Saturday afternoon? No longer than ten minutes. What did you do? I got a pair of shoes I
13:34had left in the place when I quit. Also, I telephoned my sister, Mrs. F.C. Terrell, what
13:38time I intended coming home that night. I used the phone in Mr. Frank's office. Then what did
13:43you do? Went to the pool room, watched several games of pool, and went home. What time did you
13:49arrive home? Ten thirty p.m. Were you there when the police came? No. Did your sister tell of their
13:55visit? No. Shank takes stand. Other testimony relative to the rumored immoral reputation of
14:02the factory building was gained from V.F. Shank of Shank Brothers, whose establishment is on
14:06Forsyth Street, near the pencil plant. Shank was called immediately after Barrett had left the stand.
14:12Do you work at night? I do. Have you ever seen couples going into the pencil factory? I have seen
14:17no couples. I have witnessed girls and men going singly into the place after dark. How long has it
14:23been since you've seen this? Last summer sometime. Did you make a statement recently of having seen girls
14:28enter the building? I said a crowd of such sights I had seen. We were discussing the question of
14:33whether or not frolics were secretly held in the place. Thought girl was Mary. E.S. Skipper,
14:39of 22412 Peter Street, testified that he saw a sextet of men and women reeling drunkenly up Trinity
14:46Avenue from Whitehall Street Saturday night, shortly before eleven o'clock. One of the girls, he said,
14:51answered the description of Mary Fagan. What did you see at Trinity and Whitehall? Three men,
14:57two women and a girl dressed like and resembling the dead girl whom I saw at Bloomfields. The girl
15:02was weeping and trying to break away from the party. She was being led up the street. Did either
15:08man answer the description of Frank? I haven't seen Frank. At this juncture, the examination was
15:14stopped. Frank was brought down from the detective's quarters and put face to face with the witness.
15:19That's not the man, Skipper said. When you saw these drunken men and women leading a reluctant
15:24girl, didn't you think it your duty to call the police? I see scenes like that on the streets
15:29every Saturday night. Stepfather tells of grief. J.W. Coleman, stepfather of the murdered girl,
15:35told graphically of the grief in the little home on Lindsay Street over the death when he took the
15:40stand at dusk. How old was Mary Fagan? She would have been fourteen next June. When did you last see
15:47her alive? Friday night. She was at home early and was helping her mother with the housework.
15:52I left for work too early to see her Saturday morning. When you got home Saturday afternoon,
15:57was Mary there? No. My wife came and said Mary has not come home. What do you suppose is the
16:01trouble?
16:02I am scared to death. I couldn't eat supper. Her absence affected me. Mary was never known to be
16:07away from home at night. I came to town and visited all the picture shows, staying until they all had
16:12closed. When I returned, my wife and I speculated on what could have become of the child. We never slept
16:18any that night. At daybreak, Helen Ferguson, a girl chum of Mary's, came over. The moment she rang the
16:24doorbell, my wife jumped from her seat. Oh, Lord, that's bad news from Mary, she said. The Ferguson
16:30girl came in. Mary has been murdered, she told us. My wife fainted and she has been almost unable to
16:35walk since. The coroner then adjourned the inquest until 4 30 o'clock today.
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