Friday, 8th August 1913 Rosser Swears Bludgeon Was Not In Factory Day After the Murder

Atlanta Constitution
August 8th, 1913

City Detective Bass Rosser, who worked on the Phagan mystery, followed Dalton on the stand Thursday morning to tell that Mrs. Arthur White, whose husband, father and brother work for the National Pencil company, had not told him of seeing a strange negro in the factory on the day of the crime, although he questioned her about her knowledge of what went on there that day, and she had also told her brother, Wade Campbell, of seeing the negro.

"Have you worked on this case?" asked Solicitor Hugh Dorsey.

"Yes, sir," replied the detective.

"Did you visit Mrs. Arthur White?"
"Yes."

"Did Mrs. White mention to you anything about having seen a negro in the factory?"
"She did the second time I talked with her."

"When was the first time she made this known?"
"It was on May 7."

"That's all," said the solicitor, who had previously shown that Mrs. White had, through her brother, got this information to Leo Frank on April 28, the day of Detective Rosser's first visit.

"Did you ever ask Mrs. White about this?" asked Luther Rosser on cross-examination.

"No, I did not ask her this directly; she made a statement, in which she claimed to tell what she saw there that day."

"Did you make a search of the first floor of the factory?" asked the solicitor next.

"Yes."

Mr. Dorsey then produced the bludgeon which is claimed by the defense to have been found near the elevator shaft on the first floor and which the police claim was concealed from them.

"Did you find anything like this?" he asked.

"It was not there," replied the detective.

"Don't you know this stick could have been lying round there a year?" asked Mr. Rosser.

"It was not there the day I made my search," replied Detective Rosser positively.

"You mean to say you didn't find it," corrected the attorney.

"It was not there," replied the detective.

A recess was then taken until Dr. Harris could be reached and brought to court.

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