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

Atlanta Georgian

Thursday, May 15^th, 1913

Noted Detective, Himself, to Take Up Case June 1—One of His Experts Coming Soon.

Colonel Thomas B. Felder, noted Atlanta lawyer, Thursday issued the positive statement that William J. Burns would take charge of the Phagan investigation immediately upon his return from Europe, June 1.

In the meantime a criminal investigator will be sent from the Burns Agency’s New York office to prosecute the investigation.

Colonel Felder gave out the following dispatch received from Raymond J. Burns, son of William J. Burns, in New York, which tells of the father’s determination to take up the Phagan mystery:

Father still in Europe. Returns about June 1. He consents to take charge of Phagan investigation immediately upon his return. He suggests I send a good criminal investigator to start investigation immediately before same gets too cold.

Colonel Felder declared his supreme confidence in Burns’ ability to clear up the Phagan mystery and bring to light the person or persons guilty of the murder.

Thinks Fund Can Be Raised.

He declared that his action in securing the detective was given impetus by the demands of Atlanta citizens to clear up the mystery regardless of cost, and he expresses his belief that sufficient funds to cover the investigation will be easily forthcoming.

Already, he declared, the foundation of a fund had been secured through the generous donations of friends of the Phagan girl and other people who have interested themselves in the work. Colonel Felder himself has turned over to the fund the fee paid his legal firm to assist in the prosecution.

And now, with the subscriptions well under way, he declared, the public-spirited citizens of the city, by popular subscriptions, would be asked to make up the shortage.

Colonel Felder’s statement in full is as follows:

Statement by Felder.

The time is at hand when I deem it not only proper, but necessary, that I take the public into my confidence relative to the further proposed investigation of the Phagan murder case.

My firm was employed by neighbors and friends of the deceased shortly after the crime was committed to aid in the preparation of the case and the prosecution thereof.

Without intending to reflect in the slightest degree upon the vigilant detectives engaged upon the case, who seem to be doing their utmost to ferret out the mystery, it occurred to me that the magnitude of the crime justified an effort to secure the services of William J. Burns, a man with a record of successes covering a period of 30 years or more—and without a single failure charged against him.

Women Aid in Move.

A committee of prominent women of the city, distinguished for their philanthropic work, called upon me, assuring that that funds sufficient to cover the expenses of Burns’ investigation could be raised by public subscription. I assured these good women of my willingness to contribute our fee, and some additional amount if necessary. I immediately got into communication with Mr. Burns, and the result of my efforts will be reflected by a cablegram which reached me by way of his New York office, which is published herewith.

I feel that those interested in seeing justice vindicated, by fixing this crime upon the guilty parties, whom I feel certain will be brought to punishment through the efforts of this distinguished detective, are to be congratulated that we have been able to secure his services.

The fund thus far raised by the friends and neighbors of the family of deceased, and through the efforts of the good women who have interested themselves in this work, falls far short of the amount required to carry it forward.

Public Asked to Donate.

The public is therefore invited to contribute to the fund. At the conclusion of the work an itemized statement of receipts and disbursements in this behalf will be published by the press of the city for the information of the subscribers to the fund.

In conclusion I desire to say that in what I am doing I have the approval of the Solicitor General, Hon. Hugh M. Dorsey, who will supervise and direct all work in this behalf.

THOMAS B. FELDER.

For Felder, Anderson, Dillon & Whitman.

Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey said that he expected no developments along the line of a new arrest, nor had there been anything at all in the case that would lead him to change the direction of his prosecution.

“There is absolutely nothing new in the case,” he said Thursday morning, “unless it is evidence that has not been made public. Our investigation has been extensive, and some rather important points have been brought out since the Coroner’s inquest, but there is nothing that could be called new.

“For the last two days our efforts have been directed toward getting the different statements in shape and corroborating what evidence we have.”

New Arrest Not Unlikely.

It became know, however, that for two days deputies from the offices of the Solicitor have been contemplating making a new arrest in the case, and that it is not unlikely the arrest may be made Thursday or Friday.

One of the deputies was responsible for the statement that there was almost as much evidence against the party, or parties, under surveillance as there was against the two suspects held in the Tower. He said he had not made the arrest yet because the persons could not get away and he wanted to get the sanction of the Solicitor, which had thus far been withheld.

The Solicitor said that he attached little importance to the slip of paper found in an old purse at Mary Phagan’s home on which was written the slain girl’s name and address. Other than as a specimen of her handwriting, he said, it was of no importance.

He said he did not believe the girl expected to meet her death or had the slip of paper as an identification card, for the reason that it was left in an unused purse and at her home.

The Solicitor had several conferences yesterday with handwriting experts and intimated the evidence along this line would play an important part in the trial.

The Grand Jury meets Friday, but it is not probable the Phagan case will be submitted then. Mr. Dorsey said that he might call a special session some time before Friday of next week, but the probabilities were it would be considered on that day.

All the cases on the docket, with the exception of the Phagan case, were placed on the Grand Jury calendar Thursday to “clean up” everything for the Phagan investigation, which probably will take several days.

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Atlanta Georgian, May 15th 1913, “Burns Investigator Will Probe Slaying,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

Atlanta Constitution

Thursday, May 15^th, 1913

Identification Slip Carried by Mary Phagan in Her Pocketbook Causes Theory That the Victim Had Been Threatened With Violence.

Either threatened with death or warned by some dread premonition of an untimely end, Mary Phagan is believed by Solicitor Dorsey to have prepared for her tragic fate by writing the identification slip discovered hidden in a compartment of the metal pocketbook which she carried daily.

The slip was given the solicitor Wednesday morning by a reporter for The Constitution. The reporter also made an authorized statement of the source from which it was obtained. It was given him by J. W. Coleman, step-father of the girl victim.

The slip was written six days before the murder. Her parents have never known her to have possessed such an article. Its presence in her pocketbook is said by them to be as mysterious as her death. Mr. Dorsey values it highly.

Bases New Theory On the Slip.

On it he already has based a plausible theory. Members of his staff have been assigned to investigation of the motive which impelled the slain girl to strive so thoroughly, as she endeavored in the mysterious slip, to establish her identification in case of emergency.

Her parents are puzzled, too. They cannot account for the strange scrip, and are assisting the solicitor in ferreting it out. But little was thought of it until an examination by Mr. Dorsey Wednesday morning. As he scanned the typical handwriting of the girl of tragedy, he suddenly exclaimed:

“Looks as though she expected accident of some kind. By George! She must have. This slip was written only six days before she was killed.”

The dating was April 20, 1913.

Grand Jury Meets Next Week.

The mystery of Mary Phagan’s murder will go before the grand jury next week on either Thursday or Friday Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey made this announcement yesterday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock, just after he had finished examining fifty or more witnesses.

The names of Leo M. Frank, superintendent of the National Pencil factory and Newt Lee, negro night watchman of that plant, will be presented as ordered by the coroner’s jury at the inquest held last week. Both are in the Tower to which they were remanded Wednesday, May 7.

The solicitor refused to state whether or not he considered the evidence at hand sufficient to merit a bill of indictment. However, he did declare that from present prospects no other name or names would be presented to the jury.

New Evidence Expected.

Asked why he had not submitted the case earlier, Mr. Dorsey said that it required time to arrange the evidence in his possession, sift out the unimportant and prepare the important. Eight more days will be occupied in this work. In the meantime, according to the solicitor, new evidence is expected.

William J. Burns is coming to Atlanta. Thomas B. Felder last night received a cablegram of acceptance from Mr. Burns who is now in Europe through his New York office. He will come to this country on the first steamer after hearing from Atlanta.

Placed in Pocketbook.

The identification slip was found in the pocketbook which Mary Phagan had carried daily. It was left at home on the day of her disappearance because it would not hold the amount of money she expected to obtain at the pencil plant in which she was slain. She carried the mesh hand bag of her sister, Ollie, which has never been found.

The solicitor prizes the identification slip. It is likely to cast a new aspect on the mystery, he says, and is expected to unearth new evidence. The writing is plain and in the characteristic legible hand of the murdered child. It reads:

April 20, 1913

“My name is Mary Phagan.

“I live at 146 Lindsay street, near Bellwood and Ashby streets.”

The slip was written only six days prior to her disappearance. It is the solicitor’s belief that she probably had been threatened with violence previous to the murder which has startled the entire southland. Either that, or she had experienced a vivid premonition of the tragedy which closed her life.

Unlike a Young Girl.

It is utterly unlike a girl of her age to prepare means of identification, said the solicitor. The she would meet with accident or be killed in any manner undoubtedly never entered her healthy, young mind. It is decidedly apparent that something happened beforehand which predicted her death.

It is possible that her murderer once before threatened to kill her. Perhaps she was warned. She could have received a strong premonition. That she expected death is evident from the placing in her pocketbook of the identification card. It was dated six days prior to the date of her murder. Her parents say she was never known to possess such things as means of identification.

Added mystery was woven around the case Wednesday by the statement before the solicitor of William Gheesling, an embalmer of Bloomsfield’s, the undertaking establishment to which the girl’s body was carried from the basement of the pencil plant.

Dead for Many Hours.

Gheesling stated positively his opinion that she had been dead for ten hours or probably more prior to the discovery of her body. Rigor mortis had resulted.

Dr. H. F. Harris, of the state board of health, is said to have corroborated Gheesling in his statement that the girl had been dead for a period of between 10 and 16 hours.

This will be important testimony, Mr. Dorsey says, and Gheesling will probably be summoned before the grand jury.

Also it is said that Dr. Harris, who performed the autopsy when the body was exhumed at Marietta several days ago, declared that she had been assaulted at the time of her murder. Dr. Harris would not verify the report when seen by a Constitution reporter last night. Neither would he deny it.

“I am bound by the solicitor to say nothing whatever of my connection with his investigation,” he said. “Not until my report has been submitted to his office will it be officially known what is the result of my examination.”

Report Not Yet Submitted.

Mr. Dorsey said that the report had not been submitted and would not be put in his hands until he called for it. He also would not tell at which time he will take possession of it.

The Constitution reporter who had charge of the specimens of Mary Phagan’s handwriting appeared before the solicitor Wednesday morning and after turning them over to him made a stenographic statement of the source of the specimens.

They were obtained from J. W. Coleman, stepfather of the Phagan girl, he said, several days ago. Mr. Coleman, stated the reporter, had declared that they were genuine samples of his daughter’s script. Althought [sic] it is said the solicitor bases a new and convincing theory on the handwriting, he will not talk. The rumor is that he has discovered new clews with which he expects to gain evidence by comparison with the handwriting specimens.

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Atlanta Constitution, May 15th, 1913, “Victim of Murder Prepared to Die, Believes Dorsey,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)