Quinn Intimates That Spots May Have Been on Floor for Months

Another in our series of new transcriptions of contemporary articles on the Leo Frank case.

Atlanta Constitution
August 14th, 1913

Lemmie Quinn, foreman of the metal department of the National Pencil factory, was put on the stand by the defense following the ex-office boy.

“Aren’t you foreman of the department Mary Phagan worked in?”
“Yes.”

“Do you recall the time R. P. Barrett found the spots on the floor?”
“Yes.”

“Did Barrett ever state to you about his hope of getting a reward?”
“Yes, he asked my opinion.”

“What statement has he made about getting a reward if Frank should be convicted?”

“He asked me if I didn’t think he was entitled to something.”

“Did anybody ever see that blood or the strands of hair before he pointed them out, did they?”
“Not that I know.”

“Did you ever notice any spots on the floor?”
“Yes, quite often.”

“Did you ever know a man named Gilbert?”
“Yes, he got cut in the metal room about a year ago and was carried out to the ambulance.”

“Did he bleed much?”
“Yes, from a gash in his head.”

“Do you know what the white stuff on the floor was?”

“No.”

“Does hascoline ever get on the floor?”
“Yes, frequently.”

Floor Never Scrubbed.

“Has the floor ever been scrubbed since you remember?”
“No.”

“Did you ever see the hair?”
“Yes.”

“Could you tell what color it was?”
“No.”

“Is there any place near the lathe where the girls dress their hair?”
“Yes, a gas jet is about ten feet away and they often dress their hair there.”

“Isn’t there a window nearby from which the breeze might blow stray hairs towards the lathe?”

“Yes.”

“What was the day on which you saw Mary Phagan last?”
“On Monday before the murder.”

“Did you ever see Frank speak to her?”
“No.”

“What time did you get up Saturday morning?”
“At 7 o’clock.”

“Did you go to see Frank?”
“Yes.”

“What was your idea in going there?”
“I went to see Schiff.”

“Was he there?”
“No.”

“Was the door open or closed?”
“Open.”

“Did you see Conley?”
“No.”

“Did you see Mary Phagan?”
“No.”

“Did you see Monteen Stover?”
“No.”

Frank in Office Alone.

“Did you see Leo Frank?”
“Yes.”

“Was the door to Frank’s office open?”
“Yes.”

“Do you recollect how the safe door was?”
“I think it was open.”

“What time were you there?”
“About 12:20 o’clock.”

“Did you see anybody else in there besides Frank?”
“No.”

“What was he doing?”
“Writing.”

“What did you say?”
“I said, ‘Good morning,’ and he said the same.”

“Anything else?”
“I said, ‘You can’t keep me away, even on holidays.’”

“How was Frank dressed that morning?”
“In a brown suit; he had his coat off.”

“Did you see any blood around the metal department Monday?”
“No.”

“Did you see any place where blood had been washed up?”
“No.”

“Did you ever see any blood in the metal room where Jim Conley says the body was found?”
“No.”

Court then adjourned for the noon lunch hour with Quinn to be further examined later.

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Atlanta Constitution, August 14th 1913, “Quinn Intimates That Spots May Have Been on Floor for Months,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)