Thursday, May 8th, 1913, Lee Repeats His Private Conversation With Frank

Night watchman testifies Frank warned him they would both suffer if he kept claiming innocence

Newt Lee followed Detective Black on the stand.

Asked to tell the jury about his private conversation with Frank, Lee gave the following account. He was sitting in the room when Frank came in. Lee told Frank it was hard to be sitting there in handcuffs. Frank replied that he believed Lee was innocent. Lee said he told Frank he knew nothing beyond finding the body.

"Yes," Lee testified Frank then said, "and you keep that up and we will both go to hell!"

Lee told Frank that if the girl had been killed in the basement, he would have known about it. Frank's response, according to Lee, was: "Don't let's talk about that. Let that go!"

Frank has stated that detectives instructed him precisely what to say to Lee in an effort to get him to talk, and that he said what he was told.

Never Met Him Before

Lee confirmed that the furnace had been fired up on Saturday night. He also described an unusual exchange when he arrived at the factory that evening. Frank came out to meet him at the door, rubbing his hands together, and told Lee he was sorry he had asked him to come in so early when he might have been sleeping. Lee replied that he could use the sleep.

Asked whether Frank had ever come out to meet him before, Lee said no. The usual routine, he explained, was that Lee would say "All right, Mr. Frank," and Frank would simply reply "All right."

Lee said the trap door was normally left open in the evenings when he arrived. He noticed nothing on the floor of the machinery room when he went in.

Sure He Punched Clock

Describing what happened when he arrived at 6 o'clock, Lee said Frank came out and asked him the time, then told him not to punch the clock because he wanted to put on a new tape. Lee held the lever while Frank installed it. Asked whether Frank had unlocked the clock door, Lee said no, Frank simply opened it.

Lee stated that he was certain he had punched the clock every half hour throughout the night.

Regarding the shirt found at his home, Lee said it looked like one of his and that he used to have one like it. As for the clothes found in the barrel, he said his were stored there and that the woman of the house may have kept some of hers there as well. Asked whether the shirt was store bought, Lee said it was not, stating that a Mrs. John Bowen had made it for him.