- 1 week ago
Friday, June 6th 1913
Report of a Confession, Different From One Given to the Detectives, Is Ridiculed by Chief Lanford
DORSEY MAKES REPLY TO MRS. L. M. FRANK
No More News of Phagan Case to Be Given to Newspapers Except Through Head of Detectives
Chief of Detectives Newport A. Lanford gave out a statement Friday morning in which he characterized as absurd the rumor that James Conley, the negro pencil factory sweeper, had ever made any confessions other than those contained in the affidavits given the detectives.
The chief stated that he had questioned Conley on this subject both Thursday evening and Friday morning and that the negro had positively denied that he had made any other confessions.
This rumor is said to have originated at the court house Thursday following certain questions which the members of the grand jury are said to have put to A. S. Colyar, a witness. Colyar is said to have been asked if he had at any time drafted or had in his possession an affidavit of confession from Conley.
Colyar emphatically denied that he had ever discussed such an affidavit with any one. The only information he had of Conley's confessions, said Colyar, he had obtained from the newspapers.
Chief Lanford says that he talked with Colyar over the telephone Friday morning and that he denied ever having or claiming to have such an affidavit, much less offering one for sale. "He also told me," said the chief, "that he had never talked with Conley in his life and stated that he had only seen the negro once and that was when he happened to glance in the door of my office when we were questioning Conley.
"Last night Conley was brought up to my office and I asked him if he had ever intimated to anybody that he knew anything about the murder of Mary Phagan before he confessed to us. He stated that he had not. This morning he said he had never seen nor heard of Colyar."
According to Chief Lanford, Conley reiterates that his affidavit of confession contains all that he knows of the murder. "I have told the truth and the whole truth as far as I know it," the negro is quoted as having said.
SOLICITOR ANSWERS MRS. FRANK.
The publication of the statement of Mrs. Leo M. Frank, attacking the prosecuting officials of the city and county for the methods employed in securing evidence against her husband, who is charged with the murder of Mary Phagan, has broken the long silence of Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey.
Despite the hundreds of questions which have been poured at him each day, Mr. Dorsey has consistently refrained from discussing the evidence in any way, and it was with greatest reluctance that he has consented to talk on any phase of the case.
Mrs. Frank has charged that Minola McKnight, the family cook, has been imprisoned illegally and tortured until a false affidavit was made.
"Why does the solicitor continue to apply the third degree to produce testimony?" asks Mrs. Frank. "How does he hope to get the jury to believe it?"
Report of a Confession, Different From One Given to the Detectives, Is Ridiculed by Chief Lanford
DORSEY MAKES REPLY TO MRS. L. M. FRANK
No More News of Phagan Case to Be Given to Newspapers Except Through Head of Detectives
Chief of Detectives Newport A. Lanford gave out a statement Friday morning in which he characterized as absurd the rumor that James Conley, the negro pencil factory sweeper, had ever made any confessions other than those contained in the affidavits given the detectives.
The chief stated that he had questioned Conley on this subject both Thursday evening and Friday morning and that the negro had positively denied that he had made any other confessions.
This rumor is said to have originated at the court house Thursday following certain questions which the members of the grand jury are said to have put to A. S. Colyar, a witness. Colyar is said to have been asked if he had at any time drafted or had in his possession an affidavit of confession from Conley.
Colyar emphatically denied that he had ever discussed such an affidavit with any one. The only information he had of Conley's confessions, said Colyar, he had obtained from the newspapers.
Chief Lanford says that he talked with Colyar over the telephone Friday morning and that he denied ever having or claiming to have such an affidavit, much less offering one for sale. "He also told me," said the chief, "that he had never talked with Conley in his life and stated that he had only seen the negro once and that was when he happened to glance in the door of my office when we were questioning Conley.
"Last night Conley was brought up to my office and I asked him if he had ever intimated to anybody that he knew anything about the murder of Mary Phagan before he confessed to us. He stated that he had not. This morning he said he had never seen nor heard of Colyar."
According to Chief Lanford, Conley reiterates that his affidavit of confession contains all that he knows of the murder. "I have told the truth and the whole truth as far as I know it," the negro is quoted as having said.
SOLICITOR ANSWERS MRS. FRANK.
The publication of the statement of Mrs. Leo M. Frank, attacking the prosecuting officials of the city and county for the methods employed in securing evidence against her husband, who is charged with the murder of Mary Phagan, has broken the long silence of Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey.
Despite the hundreds of questions which have been poured at him each day, Mr. Dorsey has consistently refrained from discussing the evidence in any way, and it was with greatest reluctance that he has consented to talk on any phase of the case.
Mrs. Frank has charged that Minola McKnight, the family cook, has been imprisoned illegally and tortured until a false affidavit was made.
"Why does the solicitor continue to apply the third degree to produce testimony?" asks Mrs. Frank. "How does he hope to get the jury to believe it?"
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Conley sticks to his story, declares Detective Chief Atlanta Journal, Friday, June 6, 1913.
00:06Report of a confession, different from one given to the detectives, is ridiculed by Chief
00:10Lanford.
00:11Dorsey makes reply to Mrs. L. M. Frank, no more news of Fagan case to be given to newspapers
00:16except through head of detectives.
00:18Chief of Detectives Newport A. Lanford gave out a statement Friday morning in which he
00:22characterized as absurd the rumor that James Conley, the Negro pencil factory sweeper,
00:28had ever made any confessions other than those contained in the affidavits given the detectives.
00:33The Chief stated that he had questioned Conley on this subject both Thursday evening and Friday
00:37morning, and that the Negro had positively denied that he had made any other confessions.
00:42This rumor is said to have originated at the courthouse Thursday, following certain questions
00:47which the members of the grand jury are said to have put to ask Collier, a witness.
00:53Collier is said to have been asked if he had at any time drafted or had in his possession
00:57an affidavit of confession from Conley.
01:00Collier emphatically denied that he had ever discussed such an affidavit with anyone.
01:05The only information he had of Conley's confessions, said Collier, he had obtained from the newspapers.
01:11Chief Lanford says that he talked with Collier over the telephone Friday morning, and that
01:15he denied ever having or claiming to have such an affidavit, much less offering one for
01:19sale.
01:20He also told me, said the Chief, that he had never talked with Conley in his life, and stated
01:25that he had only seen the Negro once, and that was when he happened to glance in the
01:29door of my office when we were questioning Conley.
01:33Last night, Conley was brought up to my office, and I asked him if he had ever intimated to
01:38anybody that he knew anything about the murder of Mary Fagan before he confessed to us.
01:42He stated that he had not.
01:44This morning he said he had never seen nor heard of Collier.
01:47According to Chief Lanford, Conley reiterates that his affidavit of confession contains
01:52all that he knows of the murder.
01:54I have told the truth and the whole truth as far as I know it, the Negro is quoted as
01:58having said.
01:59Solicitor answers Mrs. Frank.
02:01The publication of the statement of Mrs. Leo M. Frank, attacking the prosecuting officials
02:06of the city and county for the methods employed in securing evidence against her husband,
02:10who is charged with the murder of Mary Fagan, has broken the long silence of Solicitor General
02:16Hugh M. Dorsey.
02:18Despite the hundreds of questions which have been poured at him each day, Mr. Dorsey has
02:22consistently refrained from discussing the evidence in any way, and it was with greatest
02:27reluctance that he has consented to talk on any phase of the case.
02:31Mrs. Frank has charged that Manola McKnight, the family cook, has been imprisoned illegally
02:36and tortured until a false affidavit was made.
02:39Why does the Solicitor continue to apply the third degree to produce testimony?
02:44asks Mrs. Frank.
02:45How does he hope to get the jury to believe it?
02:47Mrs. Frank, in her statement, protests her belief in the complete innocence of her husband.
02:52The reply of Solicitor Dorsey to the statement of the accused man's wife is as follows.
02:57I have read the statement printed in the Atlanta newspapers over the signature of Mrs. Leo M.
03:02Frank, and I have only to say, without in any wise taking issue with her premises, as I
03:08might, that the wife of a man accused of crime would probably be the last person to learn
03:13all of the facts establishing his guilt, and certainly would be the last person to admit
03:17his culpability, even though proved by overwhelming evidence to the satisfaction of every impartial
03:23citizen beyond the possibility of reasonable doubt.
03:26Since the discovery of this crime, I have rigidly adhered to my consistent policy of refraining
03:31from newspaper interviews or statements with relation to the evidence upon which the state
03:36must depend to convict and punish the perpetrator of the crime, and it is my purpose to adhere
03:41steadfastly to this policy, submitting to the jury of Fulton County citizens, to be selected
03:46under the fair provision of the law, the evidence upon which alone conviction or acquittal
03:51must depend.
03:52A bill of indictment has been found by the grand jury, composed of impartial and respected
03:57citizens of this community, and as Solicitor General of this circuit, charged with the duty
04:02of aiding in the enforcement of our laws by the prosecution of those indicted for violating
04:07the law, I welcome all evidence from any source that will aid an impartial jury under the charge
04:13of the court in determining the guilt or innocence of the accused.
04:17Perhaps the most unpleasant feature incident is the position of prosecuting attorney arises
04:23from the fact that punishment of the guilty inevitably brings suffering to relations who
04:28are innocent of participation in the crime, but who must share the humiliation flowing from
04:33its exposure.
04:34This, however, is an evil attendant upon crime, and the courts and their officers cannot allow
04:40their sympathies for innocent to retard the vigorous prosecution of those indicted for the commission
04:45of crime, for were it otherwise sentiment and not justice, would dominate the administration of our
04:50laws.
04:51Hugh M. Dorsey
04:53Mineola McKnight, the Negress whose arrest is prominently mentioned in Mrs. Frank's statement,
04:58has returned to her work as a cook in the Selig family, and she has repudiated the affidavit said to
05:04have been signed by her at police headquarters.
05:06The Chief of Detectives, Newport A. Lanford, is not at all disturbed, he says, by the charges of
05:11Mrs. Frank, and has made no answer.
05:14Trial June 30th.
05:16If nothing unexpected occurs, the State will be ready to proceed with the trial of Leo Frank
05:20on the week of June 30th, the second week in the June session of Criminal Division of Superior Court.
05:26Solicitor Dorsey made it plain Friday that he expected to call the case Monday, June 30th,
05:31and the trial would be staged then if the defense was willing to proceed.
05:35Chief Lanford puts lid on Fagan News.
05:38As the result of the agitation, said to have originated with Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey,
05:44the Chief of the City Detective Department, has issued a new order prohibiting his men from
05:49giving out any information concerning the cases on which the department is at work.
05:53The order, which reads as follows, was issued and read to the men Thursday morning just before
05:58the Chief left headquarters to go before the grand jury.
06:01Special Order No. 6
06:02No information pertaining to any cases worked by this department shall be given out by any
06:07of the men.
06:08All such information shall come through the head of the department.
06:11Any man violating this rule shall be subject to immediate suspension.
06:15N. A. Lanford, Chief of Detectives
06:17While the Chief's order was issued Thursday and cannot be said to be the result of any grand
06:21jury recommendation, the official stated that he was taken to task by the grand jury because
06:26so much information about the Fagan case had found its way to the newspapers, the grand jury is said
06:32to have probed alleged leakages from the department to the newspapers.
06:36Chief's Explanation
06:37Chief Lanford states that the issuance of the order should not be taken to mean that he does
06:42not have confidence in his men.
06:44I received a letter early Thursday morning from Solicitor General Dorsey, using me to take steps
06:49to prevent the leakage of information, declared the Chief, and it was to satisfy the solicitor that
06:55I issued the order. The Chief stated that while it was true that a large part of the evidence
07:00gathered by the detectives in the Fagan case had found its way into the newspapers, this does not
07:05mean that the detective gave it out.
07:08When there is an especially interesting investigation in progress, said the Chief, a small army of keen
07:14witted reporters invade police headquarters. These reporters are both shrewd and resourceful.
07:19They see who is interrogated, and it is almost a matter of impossibility for any person who has
07:25been closeted with the detectives to get away from the station house without from two to a half
07:29dozen reporters arming him and plying him with questions. Under those circumstances, it is not
07:35surprising that the newspapers frequently obtain information within a few minutes after it gets
07:39into the hands of the detectives. Oftentimes, in order to prevent inaccuracies which might prove serious,
07:45we find it advisable to set the reporters right. An instance of enterprise.
07:50Just as an illustration of the enterprise of the newspaper reporters, I wish to call attention to
07:54an incident which occurred late Tuesday afternoon. Detectives Starnes and Campbell had hardly finished
08:00obtaining the affidavit from Manola McKnight, the Negro cook at the Frank home, when a reporter called
08:05me from the Atlanta Journal office and outlined to me the contents of the affidavit. I did not at the
08:10time know myself what was in the affidavit. At my earnest request, the reporter refrained from
08:16publishing this information in this late editions, it being understood that if, after I read the
08:21affidavit, I found that there had been a leak, I would give it out for publication. This I did on
08:26Wednesday. Now this reporter did not obtain his information from anyone connected with the police
08:31or detective departments. Of that I am sure. However, I do not know just where the leak was, but that
08:37there was one is an established fact. Chief Lanford states that in the future he will have regular
08:42hours for receiving reporters. Solicitor's statement. Solicitor Hugh M. Dorsey declared
08:48Friday that leaks in evidence in the prosecution of the Fagan case had not emanated from his office,
08:53nor from the police detectives Messrs. Campbell and Starnes, who are working hand-in-glove with the
08:59prosecuting attorney. He was certain, he asserted, that nothing bearing on the case had been given
09:04publicity by them. This office, said the solicitor, has been mum on every matter considered of
09:10importance in this case. My own men always have had explicit instructions to give out nothing,
09:15and I am sure that detectives Starnes and Campbell have told nothing. The solicitor declined to discuss
09:21for publication the McKnight incident, and asserted that his formal statement given to the newspapers
09:26Thursday afternoon would be his only reply to the accusations made against him by Mrs. Leo M. Frank.
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