Friday, 1st August 1913 Frank’s Presence in Office at Time He Says He Was There is Denied by Girl on Stand

Atlanta Constitution
August 1st, 1913

Following the Pinkerton detective testimony the state introduced Miss Monteen Stover, who worked in the factory when Mary Phagan did. The girl was rather abashed when she first appeared, but turned out to be a witness who could relate exactly what she started out to tell and who did not seem to get confused.

"Where do you work?" asked the solicitor of the girl.

"Nowhere."

"Were you work on April 26?"

"No."

"When did you last work before the murder?"
"On the Monday before the murder," she answered.

"Were you in the factory on April 26?"

"Yes, at 12:05."

"How long did you stay there?"

"Five minutes."

"Why did you go there?"

"To get my pay."

"What part of the factory were you in?"

"I was on the second floor in Mr. Frank's office."
"Was Frank there, or was anybody in the building?"

"Mr. Frank was not there and I saw no one in the building."

"How about the door just east of the girls' dressing room, was it open or closed?"
"I don't know."

"How were you dressed?"

"I wore a little yellow hat, a brown dress and had on tennis slippers."

Entered Building at 12:05.

"Did you look at the clock?"

"Yes, the first thing I did on going in was to look at the clock and it showed that it was 12:05, and I looked at it when I went out and it showed 12:10."

"Did you see a coat or hat or any part of a man's apparel in Frank's office."

"No."

"Why did you leave?"

"I thought that they had finished paying off."

"Ever go into that office before?"

"No."

"May I show the witness this affidavit which she made and signed, your honor?" asked Mr. Dorsey.

"He's got no right to do that," objected Mr. Rosser.

"I want to refresh her memory about the dressing room door which she says was sometimes open and sometimes closed."

When the girl stated that she had signed the affidavit after it had been read to her, but had not read it herself, Judge Roan ruled that it could not be used to refresh her mind.

Mr. Dorsey then declared he wanted to look up the law on that question and turned the witness over to the defense for cross-examination.

"When did you leave home, Miss Monteen?" asked Mr. Rosser.

"I don't remember."

"Are there one or two offices on the second floor?"

"Two."

"Did you notice the safe?"

"No."

"Did you notice a wardrobe in which men's clothes were put?"

"No."

The witness was then asked many questions about the details of the office, but could give little in reply.

Waited on Bench in Hall.

"You saw no one in the office and didn't wait, I presume?" said Mr. Rosser.

"I stayed there long enough to see that no one was in and then I went out into the hall and sat on a bench near the clock for about one and a half minutes."

"Did you see any one you know on your way to or from the factory?"

"No."

"Who saw you when you first got home?"

"My mother."

"Who else?"

"Mr. McElreath and a Mrs. Lagerson."

Attorney Rosser questioned the witness very carefully as to the first names or addresses of these persons as though he desired to get in touch with them. She knew the first name of neither, but declared McElreath was an insurance man.

"Did you go directly home from the factory?"

"Yes."

"Do you work in the metal department?"

"No."

"How often have you talked with Mr. Dorsey about this?"

"Once."

"Did you work on the fourth floor?"

"Yes."

"Who's your foreman?"

"Arthur White."
"Do you get paid off in the office?"

"No, outside."

"Does Schiff pay off?"

"Sometimes he does and sometimes another man does."

"Do you know anybody on the second floor?"

"Yes; Mr. Darley and some of the girls who work there."

Affidavit Read by Girl.

After an argument the solicitor then won his point for the girl to read her signed affidavit. She was told to read it to herself and read slowly and with perfect composure, her lips moving as she scanned the words, like a child would do.

"Well, what about that back door now?" asked Mr. Dorsey.

"Sometimes it was open and sometimes it was closed," replied the girl, sticking to her original statement on the stand.

"When the factory was not running?"

"Oh, the door was closed then," she said.

"All the time?" asked the solicitor.

"Yes."

He then made her tell that the door referred to was one leading back to the metal room and situated near the girls' dressing rooms.

Mr. Rosser then asked her if she went to the solicitor's office before or after going to the grand jury, and she said before. She was allowed to come down from the stand at 11:40, after being up for about 40 minutes.

During Miss Stover's testimony Leo Frank, the defendant, paid more attention to the examination of her than he had previously to any witness.

When she was telling that she had been in the factory and found him not in his office at the very time he claims to have been there, he appeared to take a deep interest in what she said and sat staring at her and passing his hand over his chin after the manner described by Detective Scott.