Author: Historical Librarian

The Atlanta Georgian Monday, July 7, 1913 Victim Tells Beavers Names of Women and Man Engaged in Traffic in Girls. A new and sensational expose of vice conditions said to be prevalent in Atlanta was made Monday morning by Hattie Smith, a pretty 17-year-old girl, who was arrested in a hotel which was raided Sunday night. If the statements of the Smith girl, who made a confession of her own guilt to the Chief, are true, Atlanta is in the clutches of one of the best organized vice systems in existence. Certain downtown hotels, the girl claims, are the rendezvous

The Atlanta Georgian Tuesday, July 8, 1913 Attorneys for Accused Man Can Keep Him From Facing Accuser if They Wish. That Leo M. Frank, superintendent of the National Pencil Factory, and James Conley, Frank's accuser in the Mary Phagan murder mystery, would be brought face to face Tuesday was the strong possibility presented by the contemplated application for a writ of habeas corpus in behalf of Newt Lee, negro night watchman at the factory. The plan of bringing Conley and Frank together may meet an insurmountable obstacle when it comes to getting the permission of Frank's attorneys. The law allows

The Atlanta Georgian Tuesday, July 8, 1913 Hattie Smith Warns Young Women of Atlanta Against the Wiles of Procurers. The startling expose of vice conditions by Hattie Smith, the prety 17-year-old girl, one of the alleged victims of the "system," resulted Tuesday in an aggressive war n the downtown hotels. Chief Beavers declared he would stamp out vice if he had to detail a special officer at every one of the hotels in question. Several additional arrests will be made before noon, it is believed. The Smith girls repeated her story with many additional details of the "system" which is

The Atlanta Georgian Tuesday, July 8, 1913 Negro's Counsel Secures Chance to Argue for Habeas Corpus Writ Wednesday. Reuben R. Arnold, of counsel for Leo M. Frank, communicated with Sheriff Mangum Tuesday afternoon directing him under no circumstances to permit the removal of Frank to appear Wednesday as a witness in the habeas corpus hearing to free Newt Lee. "There is no law on earth to bring Frank to court under an order as a witness," said Arnold. Attorney Rosser, chief of counsel, was absent from the city Tuesday. Attorney C. J. Graham, of the firm of Graham & Campbell,

The Atlanta Georgian Tuesday, July 8, 1913 Search Records of Guests for the Leaders of System Named by Girl Victim. A general rounding up of hotel registers by detectives for the identification of notorious men and women added the latest sensation in the vice investigation instituted following the startling disclosures of Hattie Smith, the pretty 17-year-old girl, who claims to be the victim of the "system." The first move was made Tuesday morning when the manager of the Cumberland Hotel was subpenaed to appear in Police Court with his register that afternoon. The register will be examined by the Smith

The Atlanta Georgian Tuesday, July 8, 1913 The Prison Commission again has taken up the application of J. J. Mangham for a pardon. A recommendation is expected to be made to Governor Slaton in the next day or two. Mangham is the Griffin cotton mill man given four years for embezzlement and one year on a misdemeanor charge. The application came up some time ago and was sent to Governor Brown by the commission without any recommendation. The Governor returned it with the statement that the board should make a recommendation. That great influence will be brought to bear on

The Atlanta Georgian Tuesday, July 8, 1913 Dorsey Confident That Move, Which May Confront Frank With Conley, Is Futile. Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey said Tuesday he was confident the State would be able to defeat any attempt to get Newt Lee out of the Tower, where he has been confined since April 27, first as a suspect in the Mary Phagan murder case and later as a material witness. He said he had advised Lee's attorney not to take the action, as the negro was regarded as an important witness in making a complete chain of evidence against Leo

The Atlanta Georgian Wednesday, July 9, 1913 PART OF PAY ENVELOPE FOUND Discovered Shortly After Tragedy by Detectives, but Find Was Kept Secret. *Editor's Note: The following headlines also appeared: (Night Edition): NEW PHAGAN EVIDENCE FOUND PART OF PAY ENVELOPE HELD BY POLICE (Extra Final Edition): PHAGAN PAY ENVELOPE FOUND Two sensational developments marked the Phagan case Wednesday. One was the testimony of Miss Mattie Smith, an employee of the National Pencil factory, that she had seen a negro sitting on the first floor of the factory betwen 9 and 10 o'clock, at a time when Conley had denied being

The Atlanta Georgian Wednesday, July 9, 1913 iGrl Called to Tell of Negro She Saw in Pencil Factory—Lee Stays in Jail. A sensation in the Phagan murder mystery developed Wednesday afternoon when Solicitor Dorsey summoned Miss Mattie Smith under a special subpena to question her in regard to a negro she saw in the National Pencil Factory the morning of the Saturday that Mary Phagan was murdered. Miss Smith told a Georgian reporter that she saw a negro there that morning and believed it was between 9 and 10 o'clock. She thought she might be asked to identify Conley. If

The Atlanta Georgian Wednesday, July 9, 1913 Accused Prisoners in White Slave Inquiry Held for Higher Court. That sufficient evidence had been produced in court to make a case against one of the city's most prominent business men was the statement of Recorder Broyles Wednesday afternoon at the trial of the persons involved in the latest vice scandal. Lena Barnhardt, alleged white sliver and procuress, was bound over to the higher court under a bond of $500. Hattie Smith, who claimed in court to be a white slave victim of the Barnhardt woman, was placed under $100 bond for the

The Atlanta Georgian Thursday, July 10, 1913 Chief of Police Beavers caused a stir Thursday morning when he went before the day watch and addressed the men on their conduct. His talk resulted from the recent scandal in which several policemen were found guilty of visiting a resort in the rear of 127 Auburn Avenue. "Any man who hangs around a negro dive has no place on the police force of Atlanta," the Chief said, addressing the men. "If you get positive evidence that any of your brother officers are engaged in discreditable practices and frequenting disreputable places, it is

The Atlanta Georgian Thursday, July 10, 1913 Georgia Suffragists Adopt Resolution Indorsing Chief's Course in Atlanta. Chief of Police Beavers' fight against vice was enthusiastically indorsed at the Thursday morning session of the convention of the Georgia Woman Suffrage Association. The following resolution, introduced by Mrs. Margaret T. McWhorter, was adopted: The Georgia Woman Suffrage Association realizes the high civic ideals which actuate Chief of Police James L. Beavers, of Atlanta, and we wish to place ourselves on record as indorsing every move which he has taken for good government and clean morals, and especially do we commend his action

The Atlanta Georgian Thursday, July 10, 1913 MEN NAMED BY GIRL ARE SOUGHT Chief Beavers Declares New and Startling Arrests Are Near. Alleged Procuress Held With the principals in the sensational vice case, Hattie Smith, a 17-year-old girl victim; Mrs. Lena Barnhart, a flashily-dressed woman, alleged white slave procuress; Lige Murray, negro ally, and Clyde Cox, the youth who was arrested in the hotel raid, all bound over to the higher courts, the police Thursday turned the full flare of a searching investigation directly on the hotels and alleged immoral resorts, with the result that new arrests and startling developments

The Atlanta Georgian Thursday, July 10, 1913 *Editor's Note: Articles with the titles "Tells of Conley Confession" and "Says Conley Confessed" also appeared in other editions of the Georgian. NEGRO MADE BOAST OF KILLING A GIRL, AGENT DECLARES Attorneys for Frank Will Put Main Reliance of Defense on the Startling Affidavit Made by W. H. Mincey and Now in Their Possession. That Jim Conley, negro sweeper at the National Pencil Factory, made a virtual confession to him that he attacked and killed Mary Phagan is the startling allegation made in an affidavit by William H. Mincey, until recently a solicitor

The Atlanta Georgian Friday, July 11, 1913 THREE NEW VICE WAR ARRESTS Man Prisoner Declares He Will Bare the Whole System if Brought to Trial. As a result of statements made to Chief Beavers Friday morning by Hattie Smith, the young girl who has been held for the Grand Jury in connection with the vice war, Detective Rosser at noon arrested three persons—two men and a woman—who were named by the Smith girl as contributing to her downfall and being involved in her white slavery charges. The persons under arrest are Paul Estes, 52 Queen Street; Hoyt Monroe, Edgewood, and

The Atlanta Georgian Friday, July 11, 1913 *Editor's Note: The following column ran in the final edition of the Georgian with the title "Georgian's Story Stirs Officials to Action," and contains the following bracketed text in lieu of the first two paragraphs and preceding sub-headline. [Mincey Affidavit Leads to Another Cross-Examination of Phagan Case Suspect. [As a result of the publication by The Georgian exclusively Thursday of the sensational affidavit of W.H. Mincey, the insurance agent, which declared that Jim Conley had confessed on the afternoon of the Phagan murder, that he had killed a little girl, the negro sweeper

The Atlanta Georgian Friday, July 11, 1913 Speedy Indictment of Negro Is Likely Following Publication of Mincey Affidavit. The speedy indictment of Jim Conley on the charge of murdering Mary Phagan was the strong possibility discussed in court circles Friday following the sensational turn given the strangling mystery by The Georgian's publication Thursday of the accusation of William H. Mincey, an insurance solicitor, that he had heard the negro boast on the afternoon of the crime of killing a girl. For nearly two months a self-confessed accessory after the fact of the murder of the little factory girl, Conley has