Thursday, May 8th, 1913, Didn't See Girl Late Saturday, He Admits

Man who said Mary Phagan passed his place testifies he was wrong

J. L. Watkins, who had previously testified that he saw Mary Phagan on Saturday afternoon, April 26th, between 4 and 5 o'clock, was called back to the witness stand.

He arrived at the inquest accompanied by a girl named Daisy Brown, whom he identified as the person he had actually mistaken for Mary Phagan.

Watkins said he became convinced of his error when detectives came to his place and had Daisy Brown dress exactly as she had been dressed that Saturday afternoon. It was then, he said, that he realized she was the girl he had seen, not Mary Phagan.

Daisy Brown was then placed on the stand and confirmed that she had passed along Bellwood Avenue during that same time on Saturday, April 26th. She said she was acquainted with Mary Phagan but could not understand how Watkins had mistaken her for Mary, noting that Mary was a little shorter and heavier than herself.