462 Page – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

Here is the translated text as follows:

430

AMERICAN STATE TRIALS

I was in my house when I heard the cry of fire, and people began to gather, as they do at the sound of fire. I thought it was a fire, so I came to the door and saw them gathering thickly from all quarters—forty, fifty, or sixty people. When the party came down, I thought it was no more than what I had seen every day; I thought they had come to relieve the sentry. They seemed to be in a posture of defense and came through the people. I saw no opposition; they passed out of the moonlight into the dark, so that I could not see them, but I wondered to find them tarry so long. I heard a gun go off and thought it was an accident, but in a little time another gun went off, and a third and a fourth, pretty quickly, and then the fifth. There seemed to be a small stop in their firing; then I had no concern, but before the smoke was well away, I saw the people dead on the ground. I saw no opposition when they were drawn up; the people were not near them. What opposition might be at the lane, I could not perceive because the house covered that from my view.

Nathaniel Fosdick, a hatter, said that on the evening of the fifth of March, at the cry of fire, he came out of his house and saw people running downtown. When he got by the townhouse, he saw some going down King Street. He went down to the house and saw a number of soldiers running. He asked where the fire was, but nobody answered him. He went down to the middle of King Street, and while he stood there, he was pushed from behind with a bayonet. He turned around and saw a party of soldiers coming down. He asked one the reason for pushing him; the soldier damned his blood and bade him stand out of their way. Fosdick said he would not, as he was doing harm to no man and would not stand aside for anyone. They passed him, some on one side, some on the other. They came to the sentry box, faced round, and formed a circle. He spoke to some of the inhabitants to speak to Preston to know what the matter was; somebody spoke to him, but what was said, he did not know. He saw Preston fall back between the fourth and fifth man; the word was given to fire, and immediately the right-hand man fired. After that, Fosdick pushed in towards them, and they ran a bayonet at him and wounded him in the arm. He was pushed twice in the arm by two different bayonets; he knocked off one of them with his stick, but with the other, he was wounded in his breast. No blows were given before the shots were fired; he saw no insults to the soldiers.

Joseph Crosswell said that the next morning after the 5th of March, in King Street, before the soldiers were apprehended, he saw Killroy. He had known him by sight almost ever since he had been there. He saw his bayonet bloody; the blood was dried on five or six inches from the point.

James Carter said that the next morning, he observed the same with Mr. Crosswell. He did not know his name, but that was the man (pointing to Killroy). His gun was rested on his right arm; it was covered from the point with blood.

Jonathan Carey said that young Maverick, who was killed by the firing in King Street on the 5th day of March, was at his house that night at supper with some young lads, and when the...

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