284 Sheet – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

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Reading Time: 3 minutes [389 words]

Here is the translated text as follows:

252 X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

We, the prosecution, require evidence, but we are not looking for blood indiscriminately. Our sole aim is to find the slayer of Mary Phagan, and in seeking him, I try as much as possible to feel as though I were one of you twelve jurors.

Let's examine the situation on April 26 in the pencil factory. The factory was being run by Sig Montag as its boss, with Frank as its superintendent, assisted by the handsome Mr. Darley and the able Mr. Schiff.

As a citizen of Atlanta, I am not proud of the conditions that existed in that factory! What was its moral atmosphere? The character of it appeals wonderfully to us as we seek the truth.

The defense has produced numerous girl workers who told us of his character. They say it is good. However, that is only negative because he has never harmed them. They do not know him. But, while we are considering their stories, there are the stories of others—girls who left his factory because of his character and his conduct toward them. They say his character is bad. You have from the two your choice of either: those who still are there—those who have never been harmed—and those who have left because of him and his character.

The law is a peculiar thing. We named over our plans with the first witnesses put on the stand. We showed at first just exactly what we had in view, exposed our hand, so to speak, and even went so far as to put the stories before you in so far as they were allowed to be told. They could have gone into detail were we permitted to have allowed them. They could have told of incidents that would have been convincing. We have adopted the only legal manner in which the matter could be sifted. It's on this principle: If fifty men were asked of the character of a certain place or man, and twenty-five or more say it is good, while as few as ten say it's bad, what is the character of this place or person, considering, of course, that all have an equal opportunity to observe? Would you say it was good? This question of character was one into which we were not permitted to go.