Another in our series of new transcriptions of contemporary articles on the Leo Frank case.
The Atlanta Georgian
Thursday, June 19, 1913
DEFENSE HAS WITNESSES TO REFUTE WOMAN
Learns Identity of Other Persons in Home on Night of the Phagan Slaying.
That the defense in the trial of Leo M. Frank will be able, if it wishes, to produce three or four witnesses who will testify that the affidavit of Mrs. Mima [sic] Formby is untrue was discovered Thursday when the identity of the other persons in the house of Mrs. Formby, 400 Piedmont Avenue, the night of April 26, when Mary Phagan was murdered, was learned.
It was from Mrs. Formby that the detectives obtained what they consider one of their most sensational affidavits against Frank. She signed a statement swearing that Frank called her up a half dozen times the night of the murder and tried to persuade her to let him bring a girl to her house. She said she refused.
“It’s a matter of life or death,” she said she told her over the telephone.
Returns to Atlanta.
Mrs. Formby returned to Atlanta Wednesday, after a mysterious absence of several weeks. She said she proposed to stick to her original story when she was called as a witness in the trial of Frank.
In spite of her strong declaration in the truth of her affidavit, no one else who was in the house the night of April 26 has been found who will corroborate her statements. All say that the affidavit is false. Continue Reading →