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Murder
Mary Phagan is murdered on Confederate Memorial Day. -
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An Unspeakable Crime
An Unspeakable Crime is about the rape and homicide of Mary Phagan in Atlanta,Georgia of 1913. The main suspect starts out with the nightguard on watch Newt Lee. However within a day the prime suspects turns to Leo Frank the superintendent of Mary's work where she was killed. The case has been an extreme controversial debate on whether Leo Frank deserved his death. Or if it was in fact, an unspeakable crime. -
Discovery
Mary Phagan's body is found. Later night watchman, Newt Lee, who had called it in was arrested as the prime suspect.
Reaction: The fact that they immediately suspected Newt Lee is both positive and negative. It is good in the way that the officers cared enough to try and suspect Newt because it does look suspicious in some ways. However it shows a lack of investigation on their part because they should have been able to tell from his words whether or not everything he was telling them was true. -
Funeral
Mary Phagan's funeral takes place. Leo Frank, her work's superintendent both northerner and Jew, is arrested with no reasoning.
Reaction: I strongly dislike how they immediately have to blame Leo Frank. There were various people that had access to the building that could have commited the crime. However just because society still blamed the Jews and northerners for World War II they didn't have to immediately assume that Frank was a bad man. -
Trial
The Trail against Leo Frank begins. -
Verdict
The jury finally returns their verdict of guilty against Leo Frank.
Reaction: During the entire trial there was no real evidence. Everything that the jury based their verdict on was the bias views given during the trials. -
Penalty
Leo Frank is set to be hanged on October 10, 1913. -
No
The judge on case, Judge Leonard S. Roan denies a motion for a new trial. Reaction: Judge Roan obviously has a bias thought process when it comes to this case. He never once thought twice of the one-sided opinions that were being thrown everywhere during the trial. -
Rejected Again
Another attempt is made to get a motion for the Leo Frank trial. The Georgia Supreme Court however, denies the motion for a new motion.
Reaction: I cannot understand why the courts would keep refusing the motions and cases for Frank. After awhile they have to know that they keep trying because they know he is isn't and that the original trial was an absolute bias when it came to the verdict. -
Revenge
Jim Conley, who played a eyewitness in the Leo Frank case, is convicted as an accessory to the Mary Phagan murder. Jim is sentenced then to one year on chain gang. Reaction: I don't understand why the enforecement never saw or heard of Conley until then. If they had tried hard enough they would've been able to find out that Conley had played some part in the story. -
Motion
On April 6, 1914 the defense filed an extraordinary motion in Fulton County Superior Court and asked for a new trial due to new evidence. Ten days later on the 16th the defense files a motion to set aside the original guilty verdict. Reaction: It makes me somewhat happy to know that the people working with Frank on his case aren't giving up. It goes to show that they want justice and Leo Frank to get freed as he deserves. -
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Back and Forth
The defense, Georgia Supreme Court, and U.S. Supreme court go back and forth denying appeals, reviews, and trial requests. -
Bad Guy
Jim Conley is released.
Reaction: Jim Conley only received a one year sentence while Frank was already assigned an execution date. Conley had less of an alibi and more motive to kill Mary than Leo Frank. -
Habeas Corpus
The defense applies to the U.S. District Court for a writ of habeas corpus. Two days later on December 19, 1914 the District Court denies the write of habeas corpus. -
Dead
Judge on the Mary Phagan/Leo Frank case, Leonard Roan, passes away because of cancer. Reaction: I feel bad that Leonard Roan passed away but it does propose a new light because the judge did infact have a bias towards the case. -
Buying Time
Leo Franks execution is put off and rescheduled for June 22, 1915. Reaction: Well good Leo Frank deserves more time to keep proving himself innocent. Even if he does end up dieing atleast he tried the whole way through to get the justice and freedom he deserved. -
Turning Tables
Govenor John Slaton commutes Leo Frank's sentence to life in prison. On June 22, 1915 Slaton's house started being attacked. The mob deemed it 'unfair' for Frank to have gotten off the hook so easily for the homicide he supposedly took place in. Reaction: I don't understand why the mob was bothering Slaton. The mob was just angry and didn't want to face the reality that Frank was innocent as a northerner and Jew. -
Safe and Sound
Inmate William Creen slashes Leo Frank's throat at Georgia State Prison Farm. Quickly after, two doctor inmates save his life. Reaction: This event goes to show that the inmates had some sense of humanity in them. Even though they did not think fondly of Leo from what they heard they still had the decency to help him when he needed it. -
Hanging
On August 16, 1915 a mob of twenty-five armed men break into Georgia State Prison Farm and steal Leo Frank. The next day on the 17th the lynch mob hangs Leo Frank. Their only excuse was that they were carrying out the jury's original verdict. Reaction: The fact that their excuse was that they were doing what he deserved makes me sick and sad. The government and law enforcement are there to go through with punishments and penalties in the result of crime. Not for someone to do it themselves. -
Silence
The Cobb County grand jury fails to indict anyone for Leo Frank's lynching.
Reaction: The fact that they did not indict anyone for the lynching is ridiculous. The people made such a big deal about it because they accused a northerner and a Jew so they believe that was enough. However once they found out that he really was innocent they should of had the decency to atleast try and arrest someone for lynching him. -
Agreed
Alonzo Mann, the last alive eyewitness from the Mary Phagan case, signs an affidavit stating Leo Frank' innocence and Jim Conley guilty.
Reaction: An affidavit is a written statement that can be used as evidence. I think that it is horrible how Alonzo was originially guility accusing Leo Frank of rape and murder when he was not sure. It was extremely unfair of him. However I feel like Alonzo probably lived with a guilty conscience because of that which is sad. -
Pardon
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles issue a pardon to Leo Frank, citing the state's fialure to protect him while in custody or bringing his killers to justice. -
Exposed
A libarian in Atlanta, Stephen Goldfarb, publishes all names of Leo Frank's lynchers online.
Reaction: I think that it is a great thing that the lynchers namers were published. They got what they deserved in some respect because they took away the life of Leo Frank who was truly innocent.
