Thursday, 24th July 1913 Conley and Lee Meet in Tower

Atlanta Constitution
July 24th, 1913

For First Time Since Mary Phagan Was Killed Two Negroes Are Brought Face to Face.

James Conley, a sweeper at the National Pencil factory, and Newt Lee, night watchman, who carried the police to where Mary Phagan's body lay on the morning of April 27, were brought face to face yesterday afternoon in the tower by Solicitor Hugh M. Dorsey and Frank A. Hooper, an attorney who is aiding the solicitor.

J. M. Gantt was taken there by the attorneys, as he knew Conley while both were working for the pencil factory. Attorney Hooper stated after that nothing of importance was gained by the meeting of the ntwo negroes, except that Conley declared at the meeting that Lee had nothing to do with the crime.

The negroes were questioned together for about two hours, and then Conley was taken back to police station. The entire story of each one was gone over thoroughly by the attorneys, who wished to see if they would stick to what they told at first.

Frank and State Ready.

The state, through Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey, has declared its readiness to go on with the trial of Leo M. Frank, charged with the murder of Mary Phagan, on next Monday, the date set by Judge L. S. Roan, and as Frank himself asserted to Sheriff C. W. Mangum in the Tower yesterday that he was ready and anxious for the trial to proceed, it appears that no postponement will be asked.

Practically all the witnesses for the state have been served with subpenas ordering them to be in court at 9 o'clock Monday morning, and under present arrangements, Deputy Sheriff Plennie Miner will carry the jury box to Judge J. T. Pendleton today and request him on behalf of Judge Roan to draw the veniremen for the case.

Defense Not Decided.

Luther Z. Rosser, who with Reuben R. Arnold and Herbert Haas, represents Frank, declared Wednesday that none of the witnesses for the defense had yet been summoned.

"Does that mean that you are going to ask a postponement?" Mr. Rosser was asked.

"I can't say about that," he replied; "we have not yet made up our minds, and are not ready to state our position, but there's plenty of time for us to summon our witnesses yet; all of them live in Atlanta."

It was rumored during Wednesday that that Mr. Arnold had gone to Covington, where Judge Roan is now holding court, to consult with him about postponing the case. At a late hour Wednesday night Mr. Arnold was still in Atlanta.

There is apparently nothing to prevent the holding the Frank trial on the date set, as Attorneys J. S. Jams and Albert Kemper, representing the Crawford relatives in their contest with Mrs. Belle Crawford over the $250,000 estate of the late Joshua B. Crawford, have agreed to postpone their case until Monday and longer, if the Frank trial is taken up. Both Attorneys Arnold and Rosser represent the widow.

Solicitor Dorsey is spending his time in preparing for the coming trial, and has announced that he will oppose vigorously any attempt to postpone the case.