Another in our series of new transcriptions of contemporary articles on the Leo Frank case.
Atlanta Constitution
August 10th, 1913
IMPORTANT WITNESSES HEARD
The resting by the state of the its case against Leo M. Frank, charged with the murder of Mary Phagan, came on Thursday and the defense is at present setting forth its evidence in rebuttal.
Since last Sunday much that is regarded as important has been introduced by both sides and a number of bitter fights have been waged over evidence.
James Conley, the negro sweeper, who makes accusations that Frank told he had struck the girl too hard, and who also told of Frank’s having women in his office for immoral purposes and also swore to alleged habits of degeneracy on the part of the superintendent, was put on the stand Monday, and it was not until during the middle of the day Wednesday that the negro was excused. He had been on the stand something like fifteen hours and had established a record for Georgia courts.
Of the time he was on the stand, he was subjected to about thirteen hours of gruelling cross-examination by Attorney Luther Z. Rosser, but despite every attack, stuck to the principal part of his charges, although he admitted he had previously lied on many occasions.
On Wednesday, also, the court refused finally to strike from the records the negro’s testimony in regard to Frank’s alleged habits and also in regard to his previous actions with women before the Saturday of the murder.
Mrs. J. W. Coleman, mother of the murdered girl, was also recalled to the stand and told of having cooked cabbage for Dr. H. F. Harris to experiment upon. At her departure the physician was again put on the stand and he continued his statement, in which he declared that the girl met death within about 45 minutes after eating the cabbage and bread she is said to have had about 11:30 o’clock Saturday of the murder.
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