Another in our series of new transcriptions of contemporary articles on the Leo Frank case.
Atlanta Constitution
August 20th, 1913
Court Rules Out All Specific Acts of immorality Charged to Prisoner, Despite Vigorous Fight Made by Solicitor Hugh Dorsey, Who Had Called Many Witnesses to Prove His Character Bad.
DR. SAMUEL BENEDICT COMES TO THE DEFENSE OF DR. ROY F. HARRIS
State Makes Strong Effort to Show, That Minola McKnight Was Not Coerced Into Signing the Statement Which She Afterward Repudiated — Boy Says He Saw Frank With Mary Phagan.
The state was given a big setback Tuesday when Judge Roan ruled out all specific acts of immorality charged to Frank which Solicitor Dorsey was seeking to get before the jury. When the defense placed Frank’s Character to evidence, no one was more gratified than Solicitor Dorsey.
He stated that this was the thing he had hoped for all along and that he would have no difficulty in tearing it to tatters. With this in view the little Hewell girl, who has been in the Home of the Good Shepherd at Cincinnati, was sent for and is now in the city. She was but one of many by whom, he expected to establish certain sets of immorality.
If Solicitor Dorsey cannot manage to get any of this evidence before the Jury, Frank’s character, so far as testimony goes, will go unscathed.
TESTIMONY RULED OUT.
At the afternoon session Miss Nellie Wood who worked at the pencil factory two days, was placed on the stand. Ignore any questions were put to her Solicitor Dorsey stated that he wanted a ruling from Judge Roan as to the class of evidence that he would permit for the record. The jury was sent out and Solicitor Dorsey stated that he wanted to prove by the witness that on the second day she was employed at the pencil factory, Frank had made her an indecent proposal and that she had quit.
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