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

The Atlanta Georgian

Monday, July 21, 1913

Dr. M. W. Lewis, a prominent physician of Carrollton, was arrested Monday morning and placed under $1,000 bond on a charge of disorderly conduct. He is charged with registering as man and wife at the Hotel Scoville, on Mitchell street, with Miss Effie McColman, who is held as a witness in the case. The trial will be held before Recorder Broyles Tuesday afternoon. The arrest was deloyed [sic] until the physician had finished a difficult operation at a sanitarium.

According to the charges, Dr. Lewis arrived in Atlanta Monday morning with Miss McColman, registering at the Hotel Scoville with her as Dr. Lewis and wife.

This is denied by Dr. Lewis, who says someone, who evidently has it in for him, added the “and wife.”

Dr. Lewis and the girl, who is only 19 years old, were arrested on information furnished to the police by an alleged friend of the couple, who saw them on the train Monday morning.

According to Dr. Lewis, the girl came to Atlanta with him to have some work done on her teeth. The girl says she came with the doctor with her parents’ permission. The McColmans live in the country about ten miles from Carrollton.

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The Atlanta Georgian, July 21st 1913, “Doctor And Girl Are Taken On Vice Charge,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

The Atlanta Georgian

Monday, July 21, 1913

Four young women, three of whom had been caught in Chief Beavers’ vice dragnet last week, escaped from the Martha Home during chapel exercises Sunday night.

The women were Effie Drummond, who after being caught in a raid on Mrs. Lula Bell’s place at Peters and Fair streets, declared she was a minister’s daughter from North Carolina, and had been the victim of a white slaver; Maude Doughetry, apprehended at the same house; Beatrice Renfro, companion of A.N. Trippe, a Whitehall street clerk, arrested on complaint of Tripp’e [sic] wife, and Myrtle Bell, who was placed in the home at the request of her parents.

The dragnet has been recast for the fugitives.

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The Atlanta Georgian, July 21st 1913, “Four Women Caught In Vice Net Escape From Martha Home,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

The Atlanta Georgian

Thursday, July 17, 1913

Joe North, Alleged White Slaver, Declines to Talk Before Hearing in Recorder’s Court.

Joe North, alleged white slaver, arrested on the statement of Effie Drummond, a young woman who told the police he lured her into a rooming house, will be tried before Recorder Nash Broyles at 2:30 o’clock Thursday afternoon and every effort made to get from him the names of other persons in the “vice ring,” to which Chief of Police James L. Beavers says North owes allegiance.

North was arrested Wednesday night after a search of very nearly a week. He was put through a severe grilling Thursday morning by Chief Beavers, but declined absolutely to make any statement until he was forced to do so by the court.

Effie Drummond, the girl who was arrested in the raid on the house at Fair and Peters streets operated by Lula Bell, will be brought in from Martha’s Home to repeat her sensational story of how she came to Atlanta from the country and was caught in the net of a white slaver. Chief Beavers said he confidently expected the trial Thursday afternoon to establish the fact there was a vice ring in Atlanta and that cases similar to the Drummond affair were not uncommon.

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The Atlanta Georgian, July 17th 1913, “Youth Accused in Vice Ring on Trial,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

The Atlanta Georgian

Tuesday, July 15, 1913

Mayor Woodward entered the fight which Chief Beavers is waging against vice in Atlanta Tuesday when he told of a negro dive and blind tiger which he said had been reported to him Tuesday morning by a man whose name he refuses to make public.

This man, Mayor Woodward declared, had told him he had seen policemen passing through an alley in the direction of the blind tiger, though none of them had actually been seen to enter the place.

Chief Beavers ordered an investigation.

Captain Poole has been given particular instructions to probe the report that policemen visit the place.

Declaring that 50 per cent of the women arrested during the months of June and July were young girls, Mrs. Mary Bohnefeld, police matron, Tuesday afternoon placed the blame for present conditions on the immodest dress now worn by women, and also on the paint and powder demanded by the dictates of fashion.

“The dress that women are wearing nowadays,” she declared, “is a crime, and is the cause of the downfall of so many young girls. Men are encouraged to make advances when they see a girl on the streets, wearing immodest and indecent clothing and with her face painted and powdered.”

Orders closing two boarding houses were issued from headquarters this morning. Mrs. Lulu Bell, whose hotel at Fair and Peters streets was raided last week, resulting in the arrest of half a dozen persons and the telling of a white slave story by Effie Drummond, was ordered to vacate the place and close it up.

The negro joint at 76 Chestnut street, which was raided by the police Sunday morning, was also ordered closed by Chief Beavers Tuesday. Several white men were arrested when this raid was made and evidence has been obtained that the place was one of the most vicious in the city.

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The Atlanta Georgian, July 15th 1913, “Woodward Aids Chief in Vice Crusade,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

The Atlanta Georgian

Tuesday, July 15, 1913

A crusade against white men frequenting negro dives has been started by Recorder Nash Broyles. He fined three men, who gave their names as Kirk, Smith and Little and A.B. Arnold, of Macon, who forfeited $50.75.

The five white men were arrested in a raid on a place at 76 Chestnut street, early Sunday morning. Helen Lester, who runs the dive, was held for the higher courts in bonds of $500.

“The mingling of whites and blacks does more to stir up race trouble than anything else,” declared the Recorder.

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The Atlanta Georgian, July 15th 1913, “White Men Fined in War on Negro Dives,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

The Atlanta Georgian

Tuesday, July 15, 1913

Chief Beavers Opens Real Fight on Doubtful Places—Several Under Watch.

Active steps against doubtful rooming and boarding houses were taken by Chief of Police Beavers Tuesday morning. He declared that he intends to close every “shady” rooming house in the city against which he can obtain evidence.

He intimated that he has the addresses of a number of boarding houses where, it is alleged, young girls and men visit and where the roomers are in reality inmates of the place, and his campaign is to be directed especially against these.

They will be thoroughly investigated, and if evidence is found to sustain the action, will be closed and the Council asked to revoke the licenses of the persons who operate the places.

Orders closing two boarding houses were issued from headquarters this morning. Mrs. Lulu Bell, whose hotel at Fair and Peters streets was raided last week, resulting in the arrest of half a dozen persons and the telling of a white slave story by Effie Drummond, was ordered to vacate the place and close it up.

The Bell place, Chief Beavers firmly believes, is one of those under the control of the “higher-ups” in the vice ring, against whom he is now obtaining evidence, and he regards the arrest of the Bell woman and the closing of the place as one of the significant steps of the campaign he is waging against vice.

The negro joint at 76 Chestnut street, which was raided by the police Sunday morning, was also ordered closed by Chief Beavers Tuesday. Sev-eral [sic] white men were arrested when this raid was made, and evidence has been obtained that the place was one of the most vicious in the city.

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The Atlanta Georgian, July 15th 1913, “Police Close 2 Rooming Houses,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

The Atlanta Georgian

Monday, July 14, 1913

Young Woman From the Country Says She Was Lured to Resort on Peters Street.

Raid Frees Victim of Alleged Gang From a Resort on Peters Street.

Five White Men and Dozen Negroes Arrested in Raid Are Convicted in Court.

*Editor’s Note: This article was also published under the headlines “Police Hunt Vice Band’s Leader” and “17 Caught in Vice Drag Fined,” the latter article containing the following six paragraphs in brackets. The sub-headlines for each article are listed above in the same order. There is also a continuation of the article on a second page, which does not show on the scanned source text.

[The police crusade against vice resulted Monday afternoon in the conviction and fining of five white men and twelve negroes who were caught in a raid on a negro dive at 76 Chestnut avenue early Sunday morning.

Judge Broyles sharply scored the existence of such alleged dives, and declared every effort must be put forth to close them. Chief Beavers has ordered the house closed immediately.

The trial created a stir in police court, as eight of the negroes were chauffeurs for some of the most prominent men in Atlanta, who were on hand to make bond for them.

The white men, who were fined $15.75 each, are C.F. Smith, clerk, of 54 Angler avenue; S.B. Moore, clerk, of 131 South Pryor street; A.B. Arnold, of Macon; J.W. Little, of Macon, and C.D. Kirk, of 348 North Jackson street.

Eight of the negro men were fined $10.75 each.

Eilene Lester, who, it is alleged, runs the place; Henry Lester, her husband, and Theresa Gilbert and Minnie Jones, two other negro women implicated, were bound over to the Superior Court under $500 bond each.]

General Order Issued.

As a result of a sensational story told in police court Monday morning by Effie Drummond, a 20-year-old country girl, who was arrested Saturday when the police raided the boarding house of Mrs. Lulu Bell, at Fair and Peters streets, Chief Beavers at noon issued a general order for the arrest of Joe North, named by the Drummond girl as a “white slaver.”

The girl charges that North, after he had promised to marry her, lured her to the Bell woman’s place, and after giving her liquor until she was stupefied, forced her into the companionship of men whom he and the Bell woman had brought to the place.

Chief Beavers thinks the testimony of the Drummond girl forms an important link in the chain of evidence he is weaving around members of the vice ring said to exist in Atlanta.

The testimony of the girl indicates, the police believe, that North merely was the agent of men higher up, and that he acted on their instructions in luring the Drummond girl, and possibly others, to the Bell woman’s place.

Tells All to Court.

The Chief has announced that every phase of the girl’s story will be investigated thoroughly. Some of the things she has told dovetail into statements made by other girls who have been lured to ruin by the band which is alleged to have its headquarters in Atlanta.

The story of the Drummond girl was one of the most astounding and dramatic told since Chief Beavers started his vice probe. She laid bare the workings of what the police believe is an organized gang of “white slavers.”

“I came to Atlanta three weeks ago from my home in the country near Rockmart, Ga.,” she said. “I heard lots about Atlanta and what a great town it was. I had never been in a town larger than Rockmart, and I thought the people in Atlanta would be as good and kind to me as they were in my own little home town.

“After I had been in Atlanta about a week, I met Joe North. I was lonely. I had made no friends, no one had offered to help except some women with whom I would have nothing to do, and I was glad to meet anyone who showed an interest in me. He was very nice to me at first. He took me to shows and I had a good time.

Promised to Wed Him.

“Then he began to make love to me, and finally asked me to marry him. I had learned to love him in the few weeks I knew him, and I promised to marry him.

“Then he said he would get me a boarding house where he could be near me, and he took me to Mrs. Bell’s place. He said it was a nice, respectable boarding house, and I didn’t know any better. For a few days he treated me as nice as ever, and then he began urging me to drink beer. After I drank one or two glasses of beer I became almost intoxicated and North took advantage of my condition.

“After that he made me drink all the time, and he brought his friends to see me. The first time he brought a man there he made me get drunk.

“Mrs. Bell and North got all the money I made. They said I owed them for room rent and board.

“Lots of times I wanted to go back home, but they wouldn’t let me. North said if I tried to get out of the house he would cut my throat.

Says She Was Threatened.

“On one occasion he rubbed a razor across my throat, and said if I didn’t see the men he brought to the place[…]

Continued on Page 2, Column 1.

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The Atlanta Georgian, July 14th 1913, “Girl Bares New Vice System,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

The Atlanta Georgian

Monday, July 14, 1913

Revocation of License Will Be Asked if Law Is Violated. Girl Sentenced.

The vice inquiry Monday morning resulted in a close surveillance of hotels which, it is alleged, harbor young girls for immoral purposes. If the law is violated, the police authorities say, the police committee of Council will be requested to revoke the license of the hotel involved.

Chief Beavers has detailed men to watch for violations of the law following information given by Corinne Wilson and Dora Rosthstein [sic], sentenced to the Reform School Saturday afternoon.

The new information, it is understood, involves one more well-known downtown hotel and several other parties, one of whom is said to be prominent. Developments are expected to-day as a result of work along this line.

In the meantime five cases, made out against four women and one man following a raid Saturday on the home of Mrs. Lula Bell on Peters Street have been set on the Recorder’s docket for trial Monday morning.

One of Saturday’s victims, Corinne Wilson, has called upon her husband, who resides in Marietta, to come to her.

“I love him,” said the girl, “and I believe he loves me. If he only will come to me and keep me out of the Reform School, I will be straight.”

Dora Rothstein probably will be sent to the Reform School the latter part of the week.

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The Atlanta Georgian, July 14th 1913, “Vice Pickets Posted at Hotels,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

The Atlanta Constitution

Sunday, July 13, 1913

Girls of Fourteen and Sixteen Tell Recorder Revolting Stories of Vice.

After relating a revolting tale of a career of vice on the streets and in the suburbs of Atlanta, Dora Rothstein and Corinne Wilson, two girls aged 14 and 16 years, stood unabashed in the recorder’s court Saturday afternoon.

Recorder Pro Tem Preston, shocked by their testimony, called for the parents of the prisoners.

Two aged men and a woman stepped forward and stood before the judge. They were Mr. and Mrs. A. Rothstein, parents of the younger girl, and W.B. Engesser, father of the Wilson girl.

Parents Asked to Explain.

“It is up to you,” said the recorder pro tem., “to explain to this court why you have such shameful lives. It is a disgrace to the home of anyone. These girls are no more than children. And yet they have gone upon the streets. Why?”

Rothstein said that he and his wife had been unable to control the headstrong girl and that although they had striven to raise her righteously their efforts had been in vain. They were powerless, he said, to keep her at home and force her to abide by their orders.

Engesser said that the Wilson girl had married a youth of 20, less than six months ago, and after having been deserted by her husband, turned to a wayward life. He had endeavored to raise her at home, and once went even so far as to send her to the House of the Good Shepherd in Cincinnati.

The two girls were arrested a night or so ago upon the request of A. Rothstein, who said she had run away from home. They told Chief Beavers a story of their crimson life that resulted in a number of arrests, two of whom, W.W. Suttles and C.A. Dollar, were tried in police court at the same time as their accusers.

Two Men Implicated.

They also implicated two other men, one of whom is a physician, and both of whom have disappeared. The police have been unable to find them to make the arrests ordered by Chief Beavers. For six days they plied their trade together, having become companions when the Rothstein girl left home this last time.

Without hesitancy both girls told the judge their stories. Twice, they had slept in the open in Ponce de Leon park, the first night near the skating rink and the second in the tennis court. Once they slept near an old mill in Campbell county, where they had gone in a surrey with Dollar and Suttles.

Much of their testimony was unprintable.

J.H. Leavitt, an attorney connected with the case, told the record pro tem that the home life of the girls was to a large degree directly responsible. “It can all be traced to the fireside,” he said.

Miss Margaret Lang, a well-known settlement worker, offered to install both girls in some house of correction. The Rothstein girl was turned over to the juvenile courts, and the Wilson girl will probably be sent to the House of the Good Shepherd.

Dollar and Suttles were bound over under a charge of furnishing intoxicants to minors, it having developed during the trial that they had given beer to both girls while on the trip to Campbell county.

New activity was noted in the police vice war Saturday at noon, when policemen swooped down upon the lodging house of Lula Bell at 164 1-2 Peters street, arresting three women, Maud Wilson, Mrs. Lee Berkstein, the Bell woman and one man, L.W. Berkstein.

The prisoners were carried to police headquarters and will be tried Monday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. All later gave bond.

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The Atlanta Constitution, July 13th 1913, “Parents Are Blamed for Daughters’ Fall,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)

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

The Atlanta Journal

Saturday, July 12, 1913

Hattie Smith Reluctant Before Judge—Says She Was Just Talking Friday

For the first time since he has been at the head of the police force, Chief James L. Beavers addressed the assembled members of the detective department behind closed doors at hadquarters [sic] Friday afternoon, instructing them to unearth vice conditions.

Heretofore the vice squad under Chief Beavers’ immediate direction has been almost alone in its activity along that line. Not previously had the chief addressed the detectives on any subject.

In regard to the detectives’ participation in the crusade against vice, he told them that if any indication of vice or any suspicious circumstance of that nature comes to their attention, they must “work” it to a solution, or make a clear report of it at headquarters.

Two women and two men caught in the vice net were tried in police court Saturday morning upon revelations growing out of the recent arrest of Hattie Smith. That arrest previously had led to other arrests and the holding of “Mrs.” Lena Barnhart and others for the superior courts of Fulton county.

Paul Estes and Hoyt Monroe, employees of a local garage, and “Mrs.” Lola White and Hattie Smith were the four who were tried before Recorder Broyles. All four were bound over to the superior court of DeKalb county, the alleged offense having been committed in that county.

Lawyers for the accused parties endeavered to waive the preliminary trial before Judge Broyles, but the recorder swore Paul Estes and secured his testimony. Also he heard Hattie Smith, but she had become reluctant about testifying. Detectives asserted that she had told them certain details. Asked about that by the recorder, she declared, “Oh, I was just talking yesterday. I’m swearing now.”

Lula Bell, Maud Wilson, Mrs. Lee Berkstein, her husband, L. W. Berkstein, and effie [sic] Drummond, a young girl, said to have come to the city from Rockmart a few days ago, were arrested by the city police Saturday at 164 1-2 Peters street.

The Bell woman is said to have been conducting a rooming house there, and the Drummond girl is said to have been stopping with her.

Disorderly conduct charges were lodged against the four women and the man. Effie Drummond was confined in a room by herself at headquarters, away from the other women.

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The Atlanta Journal, July 12th 1913, “Chief Beavers Orders Sleuths to Find Vice,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)