Saturday, 16th August 1913 Frank as Innocent as Angels Conley Told Her, Says Witness

Atlanta Constitution
August 16th, 1913

Miss Julia Fuss, a girl about 16 years old, and an employee at the National Pencil factory took the stand to testify as to Frank's character. She not only testified that she believed the defendant's character to be good, but that she had heard Jim Conley declare that Mr. Frank was as innocent as the angels in heaven.

Mr. Arnold asked Miss Fuss whether she had ever been in Frank's office when anything immoral took place.

She replied that she had not.

"Do you know Jim Conley?"
"Yes."

"Did you talk with him after the murder?"
"Yes. On Tuesday and Wednesday."

"What conversation took place between you and Jim Conley?"

Wanted to See Newspaper.

Jim asked me to let him see a newspaper which I had there. I asked him what he thought about the case but before he answered or saw the paper he was called by Mr. Darley or somebody. On the next day he came to me again and asked me let him see the paper. This time I asked him again, ‘Jim, what do you think about the case? Do you think Frank did it?' He said Mr. Frank is as innocent as the angels in heaven."

She testified that Jim Conley was so untruthful that no one ever knew when to believe him.

Mr. Dorsey then took Miss Fuss for cross-examination.

"Did you go on the office floor a few days after the murder?" he asked.

"Yes, to get an order."

"Did you see any blood on the floor of the factory?"
"Yes. Some of it had been chipped up but some of it was left."

"What do you think the spots were?"
"I think they were paint."

"Why?"
"Because paint was used near there all the time."

"Do you still work at the pencil factory?"
"Yes."

Asked About Character.

"What do the girls and boys about the factory say about Frank?"
"Generally—always they spoke good of him."

"Now, you say they generally spoke good of him. If they generally spoke good of him, did they ever speak bad of him?"
"I mean, they always spoke good of him."

"At first you said ‘generally' and then you changed to ‘always.' Why did you change?"
"I just made a mistake. I meant always."

"You made a mistake and caught yourself right quick?"
"Yes."

To this Arnold objected but later withdrew his objection.

Dorsey continued:

"About Jim Conley and the newspapers—Jim always stuck up for Frank, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"What did Jim say about Frank?" continued Dorsey.

"He said he was as innocent as the angels of heaven."

The witness was called from the stand and Ben Hellburn, a clothier, was placed on the stand. He testified that Frank's character was good and was dismissed.

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