Tuesday, May 13th, 1913
"My Son Is Innocent," Declares Mother of Leo M. Frank
"I Am Confident That He Will Be Proven Not Guilty of This Terrible Crime," She Tells Reporter
Has Not Seen Her Son Since He Was Married; W. J. Burns Secured to Take Charge of Phagan Mystery Investigation
Another Arrest Expected in Phagan Mystery
Reliable sources reported Tuesday morning that officers working the Mary Phagan murder case expect to make a new arrest either that day or the next, one that could throw an entirely new light on the case. None of the officials involved have spoken publicly about this development, and whether the activity of recent days has produced leads sufficient to justify an arrest remains unknown.
Frank's Mother Speaks
"My son is entirely innocent, but it is a terrible thing that even a shadow of suspicion should fall upon him. I am sure of his innocence and am confident that he will be proven not guilty of this terrible crime."
Those words were spoken Monday afternoon by Mrs. Rudolph Frank, the elderly mother of Leo M. Frank, to a representative of The Constitution at her home in Brooklyn. She had only just informed her friends and neighbors of her son's arrest in Atlanta and of the charge laid against him. She had kept the news to herself until that point, certain that he would be quickly released.
Mrs. Frank has not seen her son since she and her husband traveled south to attend his wedding. She may soon make the journey again to be at his side should a trial follow.
The following telegram was received by The Constitution from its New York correspondent on Monday evening:
New York, May 12: Mrs. Rudolph Frank, of 152 Underhill Avenue, Brooklyn, mother of Leo M. Frank, general superintendent of the National Pencil Company of Atlanta, made it known to her friends today that she has received word her son has been held for the Grand Jury in connection with the murder of Mary Phagan, a fourteen year old employee of the company.
Mrs. Frank has not seen her son since two years ago last fall, when she and her husband went to Atlanta to be present at his marriage.
Leo Frank, though only twenty-nine years old, advanced so rapidly and was held in such high regard by his employers that he was given charge of all three of the company's Atlanta plants. He went south approximately six years ago, is a Cornell graduate, and is described by his mother as greatly respected in Atlanta. He is active in his church, has taken a leading role in organized charitable work, and holds membership in several clubs in the city.
"I know my son is entirely innocent," Mrs. Frank said, "but it is a terrible thing that even a shadow of suspicion should fall upon him. You see, my boy was the last one, so far as the police know, who saw the girl alive. He gave her her pay envelope on Saturday two weeks ago, and she was not seen alive after that. I am sure of his innocence and am confident he will be proven not guilty of this terrible crime."
Before moving to Atlanta, Frank worked for the National Meter Company in Brooklyn. The Frank family resides in a handsome home in a well-regarded neighborhood. His father works as a traveling man.
William Burns Secured
William J. Burns, widely regarded as the greatest detective in America, is to personally take up the hunt for Mary Phagan's murderer. Upon his arrival from Europe in New York on Tuesday afternoon, he is expected to proceed directly to Atlanta.
Colonel Thomas B. Felder, retained in the case by relatives and friends of the slain girl, is responsible for bringing Burns into the investigation. Several days ago Felder traveled to New York for the express purpose of consulting with officials of the Burns agency. As a result, Raymond Burns, son of the noted detective, cabled his father in Europe, where the elder Burns had been investigating the whereabouts of Wilberforce Martin, the Memphis millionaire whose disappearance had created an international sensation. Burns cabled back that he would take up the Phagan mystery and would sail for America at once.
Burns is expected in Atlanta on Thursday, en route to Macon, where he is to address the convention of the Georgia State Bankers' Association. His lecture, titled "A New Era in the Detection of Crime," is scheduled for Friday afternoon.
The detective carries with him a reputation for never having personally undertaken a case he failed to solve, a fact that has inspired considerable hope among the thousands across the city and state who have followed the baffling mystery. Felder declined to identify the source of the funds being used to engage Burns, though it is understood they were raised by subscription among friends and relatives of the murdered girl, in the same manner in which Felder himself was retained. He would not disclose the amount involved.
No New Developments
The Phagan mystery remained unsolved as Monday drew to a close. Detectives worked throughout the day without turning up new leads or discoveries. Solicitor Dorsey spent his time examining witnesses and organizing the evidence in hand for eventual submission to the Grand Jury.
Monday also brought Leo Frank his first visit from his wife since his imprisonment began. She had been too ill until now to make the trip to the Tower. She remained with him for over an hour and emerged visibly in tears. Frank himself was clearly moved by the reunion. He appears to be gradually recovering from the physical strain of imprisonment and the relentless questioning he endured from detectives and at the inquest.
Who Is Dorsey's Mysterious Sleuth?
The private detective retained by Solicitor Dorsey, whose identity has never been revealed but whose abilities Dorsey has praised in conspicuous terms, departed the city Monday morning on an undisclosed mission. The man's whereabouts and purpose have become a source of puzzlement for reporters and the detective staff at police headquarters alike.
Chief Newport A. Lanford told a Constitution reporter Monday evening that he believes he can identify the mystery man.
"He is either Detective John Starnes or Patrick Campbell," Lanford said. "Both of those men are attached to the headquarters staff and are working under the Solicitor. I believe they are the only detectives Mr. Dorsey has employed, and there is not a doubt in my mind that one of them is his so-called mysterious sleuth."
Dorsey was unmoved by the suggestion.
"Campbell and Starnes are doing good work, all right, and they are capable detectives," he said, "but neither of them is the man I referred to when I spoke of having the best detective in the country. For reasons best known to myself, I intend to withhold his name until the proper time. He is out of the city at present, working on the Phagan case, and upon his return I expect to be able to give out some startling evidence."
Character Testimony
Dorsey clarified Monday that character testimony against Frank cannot be introduced by the prosecution unless Frank's defense first places his character in issue, a step rarely taken in criminal proceedings. He confirmed that little effort has been made to gather evidence of that nature, dismissing rumors that the one hundred or more employees subpoenaed from the pencil factory had been called to speak against the superintendent's character. Only three employees were examined on that subject, and the Coroner and members of his jury stated that attacking Frank's character was never their intention.