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Detectives Not Centering All Their Efforts on Frank and Lee Now

Investigators working the Mary Phagan murder case are no longer directing all of their attention toward Leo M. Frank and Newt Lee. New theories have been put forward, fresh leads are being examined, and every plausible line of inquiry is receiving consideration.

Street rumors circulating Tuesday held that Solicitor Dorsey had picked up an entirely new lead, one that could potentially clear both Frank and Lee of suspicion. Dorsey himself paid the reports little mind.

"There are no developments so far which would tend to swerve the prosecution from its present course," he said. "The cases of the two men held will be placed before the Grand Jury as soon as the evidence against them can be properly shaped, unless other developments justify a change."

New Theory Investigated

The new theory drawing attention was brought forward by a private detective working for the Solicitor's office. The man's identity has not been disclosed, and he has been pursuing lines of inquiry entirely independent of those followed by the prosecutor's main team. Dorsey acknowledged that no evidence has yet emerged to support the proposed solution, but said his investigators have taken it up and intend to follow it to its conclusion. Every available means will be employed to either confirm or dismiss the theory.

Two affidavits of potential significance were added Tuesday to the already substantial body of evidence in Dorsey's possession. One was submitted by Miss Maggit Wyatt of 44 Pickett Street, a former employee of the pencil factory. The other came from Miss Willie M. Ross of 259 Crew Street, said to have heard screams from the direction of the pencil factory at 4:30 in the afternoon on the day of the murder. Miss Ross appeared at Dorsey's office Tuesday morning and provided an exhaustive signed statement. When approached afterward by reporters and asked what she knew of the case, she said she had absolutely no knowledge of it.

Dorsey Would Welcome Burns

Asked about the report that the celebrated detective William J. Burns is headed to Atlanta to take charge of the investigation, Dorsey said he would welcome Burns without reservation.

Colonel Thomas B. Felder, whose correspondence with Burns gave rise to those reports, said Tuesday morning that he expected to know definitively by Wednesday whether Burns would agree to take on the case. Burns is due to arrive in New York from Europe sometime Tuesday.

Grand Jury May Hold Extra Session

The Grand Jury is likely to convene an extra session this week to clear its routine docket, ensuring nothing stands in the way when the Phagan case is eventually brought before it by Solicitor General Dorsey. Dorsey and his assistant, F. A. Stephens, discussed Monday whether to call the jurors together for a single extra day before.
Transcript
00:00New theory is offered in Fagan Mystery, Atlanta, Georgian, Tuesday, May 13, 1913.
00:05Detectives not centering all their efforts on Frank and Lee now.
00:09Detectives in Fagan Mystery are not centering all their efforts upon Frank and Lee.
00:14New theories have been advanced, new clues examined, and every possible theory is being
00:18investigated. It was because of these rumors on the streets today that a report was spread that
00:23an entirely new lead was being followed by Solicitor Dorsey that might eliminate both Frank
00:27and Lee. Solicitor Dorsey paid very little attention to the reports.
00:32There are no developments so far, he said, which would tend to swerve the prosecution from its
00:37present course. The cases of the two men held will be placed before the grand jury as soon
00:41as the evidence against them can be properly shaped, unless other developments justify a change.
00:48New theory investigated. The new theory alluded to has been submitted by a private detective
00:53employed by the Solicitor's office. The man, whose identity has not been revealed,
00:58has been working along lines entirely at variance to those pursued by the prosecutor.
01:03Mr. Dorsey stated that while as yet no evidence has been produced to substantiate the proposed solution,
01:09that his investigators have taken the matter up and will go to the bottom of it.
01:13Every available means will be used to prove or disprove the detective's theory.
01:17An important affidavit was added Tuesday to the great mass of evidence already collected by
01:22solicitor Dorsey. Another affidavit considered of importance was that made by Miss Maggot Wyatt,
01:2744 Pickett Street, who formerly was employed at the pencil factory. Miss Willie M. Ross,
01:33259 Crew Street, who is said to have heard screams in the pencil factory at 4.30 on the afternoon
01:39of
01:39the tragedy, appeared at Mr. Dorsey's office in the morning and made an exhaustive statement which
01:44she signed, Dorsey will welcome Burns. When asked later what she knew of the case, Miss Ross declared
01:50she had absolutely no knowledge of it. Solicitor Dorsey, when asked about the report that Detective
01:55Burns was coming to Atlanta to take charge of the investigation, declared that he would welcome
02:00Mr. Burns. Colonel Felder, whose correspondence with the great detective gave rise to the report
02:06that he would enter the investigation, stated Tuesday morning that he would know positively by
02:11Wednesday whether Burns would comply with his request. Mr. Burns is due to arrive in New York from
02:17Europe sometime Tuesday. The grand jury probably will hold an extra session this week to clean up the
02:22routine docket, in order that there will be nothing to interfere with the Fagan case when it is presented
02:27by Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey. Consider extra session. The solicitor and his assistant, F.A.
02:34Stevens, discussed Monday the advisability of an extra session for one day before Friday, the regular
02:40meeting day, and may issue a call to the jurors to assemble Wednesday. The solicitor explained, however,
02:45that it probably would take the two sessions this week to dispose of the routine, and the Fagan case might
02:50not reach
02:51the jury until Friday of next week, or an extra session to be called the first part of the week.
02:56Mrs. Rudolph Frank, mother of Leo Frank, was seen for the first time at her home in Brooklyn Monday by
03:01the
03:02newspaper reporters. Sheida Burns, called in Fagan case, is nearing U.S. New arrest is expected Tuesday in the
03:08baffling factory crime mystery, continued from page one, cleared her belief in her son's entire
03:14innocence. She has been greatly affected by the shadow which is hovering over her son's life,
03:19but had said nothing of his plight to her neighbors until Monday, as she had been hoping against hope
03:23that he would be liberated by the coroner's jury. Mother thinks he is innocent.
03:28My son is entirely innocent, she is quoted as saying, but it is a terrible thing that even the
03:34suspicion should fall on him. I have every confidence that he will be proved guiltless of
03:38the terrible crime. He is suspected merely because he was the last one who is known to have seen her
03:43on the day she was killed. I know it will be shown that he had no knowledge of who put
03:47the girl to
03:47death. Mrs. Frank has not seen her son since nearly three years ago, when she and her husband came to
03:53Atlanta to attend the marriage of young Frank to the daughter of Emile Selig. It is understood that
03:59she is planning to return to Atlanta to be with Frank in the event that he is indicted by the
04:03grand jury. She always has been proud of her son and happy at his rapid rise in the business world.
04:10Although only 29 years old, he has been the superintendent in charge of the National Pencil
04:15Company's plant for several years. Before coming to Atlanta about five years ago, he was with the
04:20National Meter Company of Brooklyn. He is a Cornell graduate. Burns leaves New York. The arrival of
04:26William J. Burns is expected in New York Tuesday afternoon. As announced in the Georgian Monday,
04:31the great detective has been engaged to work personally upon the Fagan mystery. He is expected
04:36to come here at the solicitation of Colonel Thomas B. Felder, who is representing the friends and
04:41relatives of the slain girl. Colonel Felder interviewed Raymond Burns, son of the famous
04:46detective, in New York, and a cable was at once dispatched to England, where Burns had been looking
04:52for J. Wilberforce Martin, the wealthy Memphian whose mysterious disappearance stirred two continents.
04:58Burns quickly found that Martin was safe and unharmed and withdrew from the case. The detective will be
05:03in Atlanta Thursday on his way to Macon, where he has been invited to speak before the Georgia State
05:08Bankers Association. Chief of Detectives Lanford just smiles when Solicitor Dorsey's mysterious sleuth is
05:14mentioned. Mr. Dorsey announced several days ago that he had the best detective in the world on the job.
05:20Who is mysterious sleuth? The sleuth is either Detective John Starnes or Patrick Campbell,
05:26said Chief Lanford. Both of these men are attached to the local staff and are working under the
05:31solicitor. The solicitor continued to deny that the man was a local detective. I intend to withhold his
05:37name until the proper time, he said. He is out of the city at present, working on several new phases
05:43of the Fagan case. Upon his return I may be able to give out some startling information.
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