Sunday, 18th May 1913 Three Arrests Expected Soon in Phagan Case

Sunday, May 18th, 1913

Members of the Staff of the Solicitor General Are Now Keeping Trio Under Strict Surveillance.

LANFORD HAS EVIDENCE TO CONVICT, HE SAYS

Will Not Divulge Its Nature to Anyone, He Declares. Court Postponed to Allow More Time to Probe Case.

SATURDAY'S DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PHAGAN MYSTERY

Rumors from office of solicitor general say that three arrests will be made of attaches to pencil plant before case goes to grand jury. Trio will be jailed, it is said, within next few days.

Chief Lanford, of police headquarters, announces he possesses documentary evidence which will convict slayer of pencil factory girl. Will not divulge its nature to even Solicitor Dorsey.

Open breach apparent between detective chief and solicitor's staff. Lanford refuses to reveal additional disclosures to Dorsey because tri-cornered investigation into mystery still unadjusted.

Dorsey announces that solicitor's office will co-operate fully with Burns' forces.

Dorsey postpones first session of May term of criminal court so as to devote entire time to Phagan investigation. Rumored that grand jury will not take action this week, as predicted.

Burns' agent, now in city, follows new trail to Marietta in search for girl who accompanied Mary Phagan to pencil plant. His movements secret, and his identity unknown.

Three new arrests, all of whom are said to be attaches of the National Pencil factory, will be made, it was reported yesterday around the office of Solicitor General Dorsey, before action is taken by the Grand jury in the Mary Phagan mystery.

The report has set court officials and police headquarters in a furor of excitement. Only a few are acquainted with the names of the men who have already been put under surveillance. A Constitution reporter was furnished with them Saturday afternoon. For obvious reasons, they are being withheld from print at the present time.

Whether or not these men will be arrested, as suspects, or held as material witnesses is not known outside the members of Mr. Dorsey's staff. They will be jailed according to report, within the next few days.

Has Document That Will Convict.

Detective Chief N. A. Lanford declares he is holding a document that is sufficient to convict the murderer of the pencil factory girl. He told of it to a reporter for The Constitution Saturday afternoon.

Outside of the chief, no one knows the nature of the evidence. It will not be submitted to the grand jury, it is said, but will be held until the trial. Not even Solicitor Dorsey, declares the detective, will be informed.

"Certain persons working on the case," Lanford said, "have been giving out altogether too much information. We can never hope to do anything if our movements are constantly heralded in the press.