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

Atlanta Journal

Thursday, May 8^th, 1913

Miss Hattie Hall, a stenographer, was called to the stand after Quinn was excused.

When Miss Hall was excused, shortly before 12:30 o’clock, she was told to return at 2:30 o’clock, as she probably would be recalled then. Miss Hall’s testimony revealed nothing not already known, and was vague upon a number of points already testified to by others. It bore mainly upon the period when she was in the office of the National Pencil company on the morning of Saturday, April 26. According to her, she was there from about 11 o’clock until noon. She saw nothing of Mary Phagan and could throw no light upon the mystery. The coroner questioned her minutely as to hours and minutes and details of her own actions.

She lives at 69 Luckle street, she said, and is a stenographer employed at the office of Big Montag, of Montag Brothers, 10 and 12 Nelson street, to attend to the correspondence of the National Pencil company, of which she said Mr. Montag is treasurer. The books of the pencil company are kept there, she said.

ARRIVED AT 8 O’CLOCK.

She arrived at work about 8 o’clock Saturday morning, April 26, she said. After telephoning to Mr. Frank at the pencil factory and learning that he needed help over there, and after Mr. Frank had come to the office of Mr. Montag for some purpose, she went to the pencil factory, leaving the Montag office between 10:30 and 11 o’clock, she said, walking over to the factory. She worked in the outer office after taking some dictation from Mr. Frank in the inner office. She acknowledged to a number of orders, using postcard blanks which she stamped with dates, etc. She didn’t remember a man near the clock, didn’t remember seeing the day watchman, Mr. Holloway, didn’t remember whether he was there or not. She wrote about ten or twelve letters, couldn’t remember anything about any of them except that one related somehow to a die for stamping pencils; made carbon copies of them, and put her initials on the typewriter in one corner of each. She described vaguely several people who called—the father and stepfather of two of the factory boys, who talked with Mr. Frank, he telling her later that the boys had gotten into trouble about breaking up an automobile or something like that; a “Mrs. Somebody,” whose husband worked in the factory; two young women, one of whom got a pay envelope. She was writing the letters when the two young women called. She has been a stenographer since December 4, she said.

LEFT ABOUT NOON.

When she finished her work she went straight home, she said. She left the office almost exactly at 12 o’clock, for she noticed the whistles blowing. She found she had forgotten her umbrella, and went back upstairs after it, looking at the clock and noticing that it pointed at about 12:02. She told minutely what she did that morning, and what she was accustomed to do at the factory office.

No important discrepancy was noticeable between her story and that of Mr. Frank, who already had testified about her being there.

* * *

Atlanta Journal, May 8th 1913, “Miss Hattie Hall, Stenographer, Left Factory at Noon,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

Atlanta Georgian

Thursday, May 8^th, 1913

Miss Hattie Hall, the stenographer who worked at the National Pencil Factory Saturday morning, April 26, testified as follows:

She lives at 69 Luckie Street and works for the National Pencil Company, in Montag Bros.’ office. Saturday morning, April 26, she went to Montag Bros.’ office on Nelson Street, arriving there at approximately 8 o’clock. She left there between 10:30 and 11. She had talked with Frank over the phone several times during the morning.

“The regular stenographer at the plant was off, I think on account of sickness,” she said, “and I went over to the pencil factory to help Frank out. My work there consisted of acknowledging orders and writing some letters.”

Q. How long would it take to acknowledge one order?—A. I don’t know exactly.

Q. Would it take as long as a minute?—A. Not over that, if that long.

Q. Did you do any other work?—A. Wrote some letters, about ten or twelve, I think.

Q. Did you see Holloway there Saturday morning?—A. I don’t remember.

Q. Would you have seen him by the clock?—A. I don’t know; I am nearsighted.

Tells of Callers at Office.

Q. Were there any people there during the morning?—A. Yes.

Q. Who were they?—A. Two men came in to see about some trouble their boys, who worked there, had gotten in. A woman, who was the wife of one of the employees, came up to see her husband, who was up there, and two young ladies, one who had just been married a few days, came up and drew their pay.

Q. How long did it take you to write the letters?—A. I don’t remember.

Q. How long does it take you to write a page on a typewriter?—A. I don’t know.

Q. Did you make carbons of those letters?—A. Yes.

Q. Can they be identified?—A. Yes, they have my initials on them.

Q. What time did you leave the office?—A. About 12 o’clock. I remember that I forgot my umbrella and went back to get it. As I was going out again I heard the 12 o’clock whistle blow.

Frank Busy When She Left.

Q. Was Frank busy?—A. Yes, the work was behind.

Q. Were you in the inner office with Mr. Frank except when he was dictating to you?—A. I don’t remember.

Q. Was he working in there?—A. He was quiet, and I judged that he was busy.

Q. Did Frank make any remark that some of the employees had failed to get their pay on Friday?—A. I do not recall him making any such remark.

Q. Did you hear him talk to anyone about the amount of pay due?—A. No. I heard him talking to the office boy about the amount of postage Frank thought was due him.

Q. Did you see him working on the financial sheet?—A. I do not remember.

Q. Did he say anything about his work?—A. Yes; he said he had lots of work to do.

Q. Was Darley there at all?—A. No.

The witness was then excused, and told to return at 2:30 o’clock.

* * *

Atlanta Georgian, May 8th 1913, “Stenographer in Factory Office on Witness Stand,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

Atlanta Georgian

Thursday, May 8^th, 1913

The inquest was resumed at 2:40. Only a small crowd was present.

Miss Hattie Hall, stenographer for the Pencil Company, was called.

She said she had been connected with the company since December 4.

From a pile of papers taken from the factory records, Miss Hall identified a number that were written by herself. She said she did not think she could identify Frank’s writing. Miss Hall selected eight letters that she had written. She said she didn’t know how long it had taken her to write the letters.

Miss Hall looked at the cash book and the book containing the financial sheets and said there was nothing in them she had done on April 26.

Couldn’t Identify Writing.

Coroner Donehoo did not explain his interrogation of the witness along these lines. He appeared very anxious to know just what work she had done on the day of the murder, and instructed her to be careful in identifying her own writing. Several questions were asked her regarding Frank’s handwriting, but she insisted that she could not identify it.

Herbert Schiff, 38 West Fair Street, chief clerk at the Pencil Factory, was called next. He testified as follows:

Q. What do you do at the factory?—A. Help Mr. Frank, keep the pay roll and other things.

Q. Are you familiar with Frank’s handwriting?—A. Yes.

Q. Were you there Saturday, April 26?—A. No, sir.

The witness was here asked several questions relating to the business of the company.

Examines Books and Papers.

He was told to examine the books and papers that were shown Miss Hall, and identify Frank’s handwriting. He identified several letters and acknowledgements as having been written by Frank, and also a number of entries in the order book, dated April 26.

Q. Were you at the office Monday morning?—A. Yes.

Q. What was Mr. Frank doing?—A. He wasn’t there. He didn’t return until about 3:30 Monday afternoon.

Q. What time does Mr. Frank get down?—A. He is usually there about 8. He is usually there when I get there.

Q. Did you see Frank Sunday?—A. I saw him in Bloomfield’s with Mr. Darley and some of the other help.

Known Frank Five Years.

Q. Do you know Mr. Frank very well?—A. Yes.

Q. How long have you been with him?—A. Five years.

Q. Have you been close to him?—A. I guess I have been around him as much as anyone.

Q. Is he of nervous temperament?—A. Yes, he is very excitable. I would say very much so.

Q. How long would it have taken you to get up all of the data on the financial sheet which Mr. Frank did?—A. Five or six hours.

Q. How long would it have taken Mr. Frank to do it?—A. He has handled it more often and would be quicker. I would say half an hour less than it would take me.

Q. What else did Frank do?—A. Balanced the cash book.

Q. How long would that take?—A. About an hour and a half.

* * *

Atlanta Georgian, May 8th 1913, “Frank of Nervous Nature; Says Superintendent Aide,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

Luther Z. Rosser, attorney for Leo M. Frank, who was one of the interested listeners to the testimony presented Thursday at the Coroner’s inquest into the death of Mary Phagan.

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

Atlanta Georgian

Thursday, May 8^th, 1913

Witnesses Are Quizzed in Detail, but Nothing Important Brought Out. Officials Say They Are Satisfied With Case as It Is Being Developed.

Whatever evidence the police officials may have directly to connect any of the suspects with the killing of Mary Phagan, it was not produced at the early session of the Coroner’s inquest Thursday.

What this evidence is the officials refuse to say—except that they are satisfied with the progress that is being made in unraveling the mystery.

Leo Frank, superintendent of the National Pencil Factory, is expected to be the most important witness of the day.

It is said that an entirely new line of questioning will be taken up.

W. W. (“Boots”) Rogers, former county policeman, and Lemmie Quinn, foreman in the tipping department at the National Pencil Factory, were the principal witnesses. Neither gave testimony that was materially damaging to either Leo M. Frank or Newt Lee, who are being held in connection with the crime.

Rogers was questioned closely of the events of the morning the crime was discovered, and told of taking the officers to the scene in his automobile. Beyond his belief that Frank appeared nervous when he was visited at his home by the detectives, Rogers had no information that appeared to point suspicion in one direction more than another.

He was sure, however, that the time clock tape on which Newt Lee, the night watchman, registered his half-hour rounds of the factory had no “misses” when it was taken from the clock by Frank that morning. Three misses were found on a tape subsequently brought to Police Headquarters.

Quinn’s Story Unchanged.

An effort was made without avail to break down the story of Lemmie Quinn that he was at the factory and talked to Frank between 12:10 and 12:20 the Saturday afternoon of the tragedy. Coroner Donehoo tried to get Quinn to admit that he previously had told officers who interviewed him that he was not at the factory between Friday and the following Sunday.

Quinn steadfastly refused to admit that he had made a statement of the sort. He supported Frank’s testimony of last Monday by insisting that he visited the factory for a few minutes and went into Frank’s office.

Miss Hattie Hall, the stenographer who was at the factory office Saturday until noon, was another of the witnesses called to the stand during the forenoon. She testified as to Frank’s movements while she was there.

Frank Pale, but Calm.

Frank was brought into the Commissioner’s Room in the police station before the inquest began, but later was excused and Rogers called.

The factory superintendent was pale, but calm and collected. He whispered a few words to his counsel, Luther Z. Rosser, and smiled faintly at a remark that was made to him. He appeared to show the strain of the days since he has been in a cell.

Lee was not admitted to the room at the beginning of the hearing, but was detained in a nearby office. The night watchman seemed almost indifferent.

* * *

Atlanta Georgian, May 8th 1913, “Police Still Withhold Evidence; Frank To Be Examined on New Lines,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)