Thursday, 4th September 1913 Frank Trial Bills Are Ordered Paid

Lodging and Food for the Jury

for 29 Days Cost

$975.06

Bills arising from the trial of Leo M. Frank, charged with the murder of Mary Phagan, the 13-year-old employee in the plant of the National Pencil company, of which the man convicted on August 25, 1913 was superintendent, are beginning to come into the county, and at the meeting of the board of commissioners Wednesday $975.06 was ordered paid for the expense of caring for the jury for twenty-nine days during which the trial lasted.

The amount ordered and paid on Wednesday was in two bills. One from the Kimball house where the jurors lodged was $685.56, and the other was from the German Caf where the jurors ate $289.50 worth of food.

There are yet other bills to come to the county commissioners from the case, as they authorized Solicitor Hugh M. Dorsey to expend a certain amount of money in getting up evidence, and much of this has not yet been formally presented to the board for payment.

Another feature of the case arose at the Wednesday meeting where Attorneys Graham and Chappell, representing Newt Lee, the negro night watchman at the factory, who reported the finding of the body to the police on the morning of April 27, 1913 asked the board to reimburse Lee for the time he spent in jail.

It appeared to be the opinion of the commissioners that the negro was held in jail from April 27 to August 26, 1913, should get some reimbursement from the county. Their attention was called to the custom of the United States in paying witnesses who are held in jail pending a trial in which they are regarded as material witnesses.

"It was certainly a hardship on the poor negro," remarked Chairman Shelby Smith, "and I think the citizens of the county were benefitted by the evidence which was secured from him."

The matter was referred to the county attorney for an opinion.