1258 Sheet – Supreme Court Georgia Appeals of Leo Frank, 1913, 1914

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216

Black says: "Now put it strong to him, and tell him to cough up and tell all he knows about him that you are here and that he is here and that he better open up and tell all he knows about happenings at the Pencil Factory that Saturday night, or you will both go to hell." Those were the detective's exact words. I told Mr. Black I caught his meaning, and in a few minutes afterwards Detective Starnes brought up Newt Lee from the cell room. They put Newt Lee into a room and handcuffed him to a chair. I spoke to him at some length in there, but I couldn't get anything additional out of him. He said he knew nothing about couples coming in there at night, and remembering the instructions Mr. Black had given me I said: "Now, Newt, you are here and I am here, and you had better open up and tell all you know, and tell the truth and tell the full truth, because you will get us both into lots of trouble if you don't tell all you know." and he answered me like an old negro: "Before God, Mr. Frank, I am telling you the truth and I have told you all I know." And the conversation ended right there. Within a minute or two afterwards the detectives came back into the room, that is, detective Scott and detective Black, and then began questioning Newt Lee, and then it was that I had my first initiation into the third degree of the Atlanta police department. The way that fellow Black cursed at that poor old negro, Newt Lee, was something awful. He shrieked at him, he hollered at him, he cursed him, and did everything but beat him. Then they took Newt Lee down to a cell and I went to my cot in the outer room.

Now before closing my statement, I wish to touch upon a couple of insinuations and accusations other than the one on the bill of indictment, that have been leveled against me so far during this trial. The first is this, the fact that I would not talk to the detectives if they could not see Jim Conley. Well, let's look into the facts a few minutes and see whether there was any reason for that, or if there be any truth in that statement.

On Sunday morning, I was taken down to the undertaker's establishment, to the factory, and I went to headquarters. I went to headquarters the second time, going there willingly without anybody coming for me. On each occasion I answered them frankly and unreservedly, giving them the benefit of the best of my knowledge, answering all and any of their questions, and discussing the matter generally with them. On Monday they came for me again. I went down and answered any and all of their questions and gave them a statement which they took down in writing, because I thought it was right and I was only too glad to do it. I answered them and told them all that I know, answering all questions. Tuesday I was down at police station again, and answered every question and discussed the matter freely and openly with them, not only with the police, but with the reporters who were around there; talked to anybody who wanted to talk with me about it, and I have even talked with them at midnight when I was just about to go to bed. Mid-