Friday, 8th August 1913 Dalton Corroborates Statements Contained in Conleys Testimony

Atlanta Constitution
August 8th, 1913

C.B. Dalton a railroad carpenter who was heralded as one of the star witnesses for the defense was called to the stand by Solicitor Dorsey whe[n] court convened Thursday morning. The most startling statement uttered by Dalton from the stand was that he used the basement of the National Pencil company factory for clandestine meetings with girls and women.

Although not an employee of the factory and although his acquaintance with Frank was a [1 word illegible] Dalton testified that the factory superintendent knew of his visits to the basement with women. Dalton named three females with whom he went into the basement. He told Solicitor Dorsey that Jim Conley, the negro sweeper of the factory, allowed him to use the basement. He gave the negro a quarter to watch on one occasion.

Dalton admitted to Attorney Luther Rosser that he did not know his birthplace.

"Were you ever employed at the National Pencil factory?" asked Solicitor Dorsey after a perfunctory examination of the witness.

"No, sir," Dalton replied.

"Did you ever go there?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you know Daisy Hopkins?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you ever go into Frank's office with her?"

"Yes, sir, I went into his office with her two or three times."

"Were you ever in the basement of the factory?"

"Yes, sir."

"How did you get down there?"

"I went down the ladder."

"Did Frank know that you were there?"

"I don't know if he knew that I was in the basement. He knew that I was in the building."

Women in Office with Frank

"Was there anyone in the office with Frank when you were in there?"

"Some women."

Dalton was turned over to Attorney Rosser for cross examination.

"When was it you saw some ladies in the office with Frank?"

"Some time last fall."

"Do you know who the ladies were — you just know that there were ladies — you don't know if one of the ladies was Frank's stenographer?"

"No, sir."

Dalton questioned by Attorney Rosser to fix time of seeing women in the office with Frank, declared it was some time between September and December.

"Who introduced you to Frank?" asked Mr. Rosser.

"Miss Daisy Hopkins."

"Did you ever see Jim Conley there?"

"Yes."

"What was he doing when you saw him?"

"Generally sitting on a board."

Doesn't Know Birthplace

Dalton admitted that he did not know of his birthplace. He stated that he worked for the A. B. & A. road as carpenter and that during the past ten years he has been doing contract work.

"When you were in Frank's office did you ever notice if the windows had shades on them or whether they reopen?"

"I didn't," the witness replied.

"Did you see Frank in the office with ladies any time this year?"

"No, sir."

"You say you saw the negro night watchman?"

"Yes, sir."

"Have you seen him any time since?"

"No, sir."

"Did you ever go to the pencil factory with anyone else than Miss Daisy Hopkins?"

"I waited at the Busy Bee and went home with some girls from there."

"Who were they?"

"Laura Atkinson and a girl named Miss Smith."

"How many times did you pay Jim Conley to go in there?"

"I gave him a quarter one time," he said.

"Did you ever see drinks in Frank's office?"

"Yes, sir."

"What sort of drinks were they?"

Beer in Frank's Office

"Sometimes coca-cola and sometimes it was beer."

"Can't you be more definite as to the time you met Frank than merely between September and December?"

"No, sir."

The defense at this point protested vigorously against the introduction of testimony by Dalton that he saw women in the office with Frank. Judge Roan ruled that the testimony was admissible and suggested that the defense note its exceptions in the record.

Solicitor Dorsey made the declaration that he had asked the officers of the National Pencil company to produce the bank book and cash ledger for the purpose of introducing into the record the amount of cash on hand in the office on the day Mary Phagan was killed.

"With this evidence and oral testimony from one or two other witnesses the state will be ready to rest the case," the solicitor announced. "I had the books but returned them to the pencil company with the agreement that they would be submitted when asked for."

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