1368 Sheet – Supreme Court Georgia Appeals of Leo Frank, 1913, 1914

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What chance has he to abstract a lie or add a truth to the foolish statement which Lanford approves and wishes to maintain? If this man will, when he is holding this negro under your honor's order, declare such ownership over this negro's person and move into what legnth would he go if the court releases its power over him and turns him over to Lanford's unrestricted power?

6. It is just to Frank, as well as in the interest of public justice, that this negro should be detained by unbiased, fair men, whose reputations and positions are not at stake. The law recognizes this right and has put that duty upon the Sheriff. Will there be less fairness and less decency in the county jail than in the police station? When did Lanford become a wiser, fairer, better man than the Sheriff of this County?

7. Apart from this negro's position as a witness, his detention in the custody of the detectives would be a public calamity. Many unbiased people believe this negro is the murderer of little Mary Phagan. The facts of the case, apart from his own confession, point most strongly to him as the guilty man:
(a) On the day of the murder he was drunk and concealed himself in a position where he could readily commit the murder.
(b) On Monday morning he was unduly excited, so much so as to arouse the suspicions of the employees.
(c) When the police were in the building, he was caught hiding in an obscure part of the factory where he had no business.
(d) When questioned about this conduct, he said he would give a large sum to be a white man. When asked why, he said he could then get safely past the police.
(e) He, for a long time persistently denied that he could write and did not admit that he could until his denial was useless.
(f) He was caught washing a shirt, a thing he had never done before, and when caught, gave a foolish excuse.
(g) He denied all participation in, or knowledge of the crime until he was driven by the charge that he wrote the notes found near the body.
(h) On May 18, he made a signed statement outlining his actions on April 26, making no mention of the murder.
(i) On May 24, he made an affidavit. He said that on April 26th, before the murder on April 26th, he wrote the notes at the request of Frank, for which Frank gave him cigarettes and $2.50 and added statements about Frank's people in Brooklyn and an inquiry by Frank as to why he should hang.