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

Atlanta Constitution
August 27th, 1913

Motion for New Trial Made and Hearing Set for October 4, 1913, Thus Making It Certain Prisoner Will Get Delay.

NEWT LEE IS RELEASED BY ORDER OF THE COURT

Leo Frank Tells Judge That He Is Innocent, but That His Case Is in the Hands of Counsel.

Leo M. Frank is sentenced to be hanged on Friday, October 10, 1913. This was the date set yesterday morning by Judge Leonard Strickland Roan, when the man convicted of the murder of little Mary Phagan was brought before him to be sentenced on Tuesday, August 26. The fact that the man’s attorneys immediately made motion for a new trial and that Judge Roan set this hearing for October 4 makes it certain that Frank will not hang on the date set.

Should Judge Roan, after a hearing, grant a new trial, the execution would be postponed; should he refuse it, the execution would be postponed while the matter went through the higher courts.

With the sentencing of Frank came a court order, secured by Attorneys Graham and Chappell, giving freedom to Newt Lee, negro nightwatchman for the National Pencil factory, of which Leo Frank was superintendent. The negro had been in custody since 3 o’clock on the morning of Sunday, April 27 when officers came at his call and found the dead girl’s body in the factory basement.

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

Atlanta Constitution
August 31st, 1913

Leo Max Frank, recently convicted on the charge of murdering Mary Phagan, is to receive aid in his battle for life and liberty from the alumni of Cornell University of Ithaca, New York, which institution he is a graduate [on June 21, 1906], according to dispatches received in Atlanta Saturday night from New York city lawyers, when the movement was started some days ago.

T. B. Strauss, a prominent Cornell alumnus, is heading the movement, and it is stated that circular letters will be sent out to Cornell graduates throughout the country asking their cooperation in the effort to establish Frank’s innocence. It is further stated in articles recently published in New York that it is possible that a subscription will be taken up to make up a fund to finance his defense.

Frank’s latest method of amusing himself in his prison cell is to solicit the autograph of every visitor. He Is insistent on this point before he will see anyone. It is stated, and it is estimated that he has already accumulated hundreds upon hundreds of signatures. He is keeping a diary of each day’s happenings, and faithfully sets down every detail of each hour. He writes down the time to the very minute at which anyone visits him, what time they arrive, and what time they leave. He is equally consistent in jotting down the time at which he eats, how long It takes him to finish each meal and at what time he arises, and not even the smallest detail of the hours in which he is awake is allowed to escape a place on his record.

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Atlanta Constitution, August 31st, 1913, “Graduates of Cornell Will Aid Leo M. Frank in Fight for Life,” 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
August 28th, 1913

Prisoner is Preparing Statement as Answer to Solicitor Dorsey’s Argument.

The cell of Leo M. Frank in the Tower is fast assuming the appearance of a living room. Yesterday a new bed and a number of furnishings arrived. All the day prison attaches worked renovating the interior, oiling the floor and cleaning the windows. 

Mrs. Lucille Frank appeared at the jail shortly after noon. For the first time since her husband’s imprisonment, she visited him in his cell. Heretofore they have accepted the use of the jailers dining room on the first floor. Frank’s mother, Mrs. Rea Frank, also visited him Wednesday afternoon. The wife remained until nightfall.

Frank Cheerful, Say Friends.

Frank is cheerful, his friends say, and is hopeful of the future. He expresses confidence of a new trial and of the prospect for complete exoneration in the long run. He apparently has suffered no ill effects from the strain of the four long weeks at trial and of the resultant verdict. He has suffered not a moment’s illness during his entire imprisonment.

It was stated Wednesday by friends that Frank is preparing a statement for publication in which he brands the speech of Solicitor Dorsey as unfair and underhanded. “It was as full of holes as a slave,” they quote him as having said, “and if I could have had just one hour In which to reply to his argument, I could have convinced the jury that I was an innocent man and that the solicitor was misrepresenting facts.

“I am preparing a statement in reply to his argument,” he is said to have stated, “and if my lawyers deem it advisable, I will make it public. I know that his statements were presented to the jury unfairly and that they had their weight in influencing the twelve men. Therefore, this Is the only way by which I will be able to cope with this unfair situation.”

Summons Chief Clerk.

Frank summoned his chief clerk, Herbert Schiff, who was an important witness for the defense, to the jail, Wednesday morning and dictated a number of letters, business and otherwise. The prisoner Is compiling a diary.       

Attorney Luther Rosser is busy preparing his case for presentation to the courts. In case Judge Roan refuses to grant a new trial, it will be immediately carried to the Supreme Court. At present, the defense is boiling down its plea to the required brevity.

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Atlanta Constitution, August 28th 1913, “Jail Cell of Leo M. Frank Now Like Living Room,” 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
August 22nd, 1913

This is the chronological table of Frank’s actions on the date of the murder which was displayed in chart form yesterday afternoon during Attorney Arnold’s speech:

 7:30 a.m.—Minola McKnight.

8:26 a.m.—Frank arrives at factory. Sees Holloway, Alonzo Mann and Roy Irby.

9:00 a.m.–Darley, Wade Campbell, Mr. Lime, Mattie Smith.

9:20 a.m.—Miss Mattie Smith leaves building.

9:40 a.m.—Darley and Frank leave building.

10:00 a.m.—Telephones Schiff to come to office.

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

Atlanta Constitution
August 19th, 1913

Numbers of girls and women, either now employed or formerly employed at the National Pencil factory, were placed on the stand Monday by the defense to swear to the good character of Superintendent Leo M. Frank.

The following, 21 in all, declared Frank’s character good: Miss M. E. Fleming, Miss Annie Howell, Miss Lillie May Goodman, Miss Cora Cowan, Miss Jimmy Mayfield, Miss B. D. Smith, Miss Lizzie Ward, Miss Ida Holmes, Miss Willie Hatcher, Miss Mary Hatcher, Miss Olive Johns, Mrs. Georgia Denham, Miss Bessie White, Mrs. Lizzie Florence, Miss Jennie Spivey, Mrs. Minnie Smith, Miss Grace Atherton, Miss Martha McCord, Miss Lena McMurtry, and Mrs. W. R. Johnson.

Mrs. Mary Bolton, Miss Velvie Holland and Miss Ethel Barber declared that they did not know anything about Frank’s character.

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

Atlanta Constitution
August 19th, 1913

When Mrs. J. G. Wardlaw, a bride of three weeks, who was Miss Lula McDonald, recently worked at the National Pencil factory, was on the stand, Solicitor Hugh Dorsey sought to draw from her the statement that she knew that on the Saturday previous to Mary Phagan’s murder that Leo Frank had carried a little girl out on the Hapeville car line and tried to get her to leave the car with him at various stops.

He also tried to get the witness to say that she knew that on his occasion H. M. Baker and Herndon Stanton, the street car men in charge of the car, had noted the man’s actions.

Mrs. Wardlaw declared she had no knowledge of anything like that and she declared that she had never even heard of any immoral or improper actions on the part of Frank. She was then excused.

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Atlanta Constitution, August 19th 1913, “Mrs. Wardlaw Denies Ever Seeing Frank on Car With Little Girl,” Leo Frank case newspaper article series (Original PDF)