JEWS IN AMERICA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 19 February 1915, Page 7

JEWS IN AMERICA

ARE THEY VICTIMS OF PRE- ! JUDICE ? CELEBRATED MURDER CASE. As Franco had its Dreyfus case, and Russia, more recently had its ''blood--itual" murder trial of Mendel Beihs, -*o the United States is now having its anti-Semite- cause- eelebre. . Leo M. Frank of Atlanta, Georgia, convicted and sentenced to death for the murder in April, 1913, of Mary Phagan, a 14- . vear-old girl employed in the pencil iac.tory of which ho was the manager, is the centre of a nation-wide agitation, : " which it is claimed that'he was not rrivea a fair trial, and that he 1© being mano th«> victim of prejudice against the •Jews. It is said that Jews in all parts M the world are'aiding Frank with funds for his defence and with published protests. Three times sentence of death has hecn passed upon him, only to be stayed hy process of Court, and now, within tbe last few da vs. the United States buoremo Court has granted what practically amounts to a stay of execution while tliat tribunal examines the entire record to determine whether Frank was fiven a fair trial. 3 Since his trial-and conviction numerous independent authorities have minutely investigated the case and decided that Frank is innocent. William M. Burns, Hie famous detective, reached this conclusion. "Collier's Weekly" sent a lawer to Atlanta to study every angle of the affair, and in a series of articles | ibc proclaimed the guiltlessness of Frank | and gave his reasons. The same judg-, rnent, was reached bv an investigator for a. New York daily paper. It is asserted by them all that the jury was over- . awed bv a moT> crying for a victim. Certainly 1 the admitted facts show that the mob spirit was. extraordinarily rampant. While the jurv was considering its verdict an immense yelling crowd gathered outside the Courthouse and shouted its ' demand' for a conviction, So : apprehen-1 sive was "the trial Judge pi -violence" beino- visited on.Frank by the mob, that : the accused man was excluded from the Courtroom when the jury's verdict was ( ""eturned. This unusual step was taken . after consultation with. Frank's counsel,! but the mere fact that it was dsemed ; necessary is indicative of the extraorom-ary„cireumstancee-in-which the trial was Although Frank's counsel consented to :he. defendant's., exclusion from.the Court when>the'verdict was .returned, the point upon, which the appealto tne Sum erne Court is based-is • that in so dv.ng the Judge deprived him of a const.it itoaal right. This-is-a point which has ne\er been Voided by, the Supreme Coiirt- ' The people- of Atlanta angrily cu-ny that there is anv "Jew-baiting"<■n m*t '-.ity.br -in the "State of Georjria. But ■•■utsiders are -of a- different, ..pinion. * writer in the Chicago "Tribune," m an • account, of the case, says that a:, the ! time <of- the murder a wave of crime -was -sweeping over Atlanta, and the :me and ■cry was,: raised ' that- someoi e. must- be ■nmished .as. a lesson to the others and In expiation of the crimes that had bpcn committed.- Then came the .murder of Mary Phagan; The waiter adds: "FianKj part-owner of the pencil factory and its ,• was a ;f/ Jew—almost f enough,- in-the minds of iome of Atlanta s voters, to indict him without f ;.f-----ther evidence on the charge of'-mr/oer of the girl ho had employed. A Jew "as a prize subject for the: accusation ot the i crime—much, better .than a negro. In fthe South they do not hate the redoes. ■They don't respect them;; !'• ay deny rights to, disfranchise',- lynch, an-i pity them; but they do not hate ,them. 'Jo .hate them would mean some a. l.nc-w----ledgment of the equality of white and I; blackamoor, which no true S.-uthe\Ter will admit."

Frank was convicted ' mainly on tnc bestimony of a negro named Conley, a man -with a- criminal record. 'tnley -stated that Frank killed the girlipstairs in-the factory, and that he r'. Upwards assisted Frank- to carry the to the basement. Those who are fighting the case in Frank's behalf ■ laiut-i-'n that the negro Conley was the The'girl was outraged by the murderer, .whoever ho may be'. Frank, up to the time of his arrest, bore an absolutely, clean reputation. Throughout his' ordeal he has borne himself with'extraordinary composure, stoutly maintaining his innocence. Some statements made by him, both in Court and out, show him to be a, man of marked ability. His present appeal to the Supreme Court is his last '•iiia'nce, and the outcome is being awaited i with keen interest and concern throughout the nation.—"Post" correspondent.