Sunday, 5th April 1914: Frank Should Get A New Trial, Says Detective Burns, The Atlanta Journal

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William J. Burns, the detective, arrived in Atlanta on Saturday night and announced that his report on the Mary Phagan murder case will be made on Tuesday or Wednesday. The report will be made to the attorneys on both sides of the case and at the same time be given to the newspapers. His work on the case is practically complete, he says, and he again declares that the report will leave no question as to the identity of Mary Phagan's slayer.

Isolated sentences dropped by the famous detective in the course of a talk with a Journal reporter indicated more strongly than ever that Burns, in his report, will exonerate Leo M. Frank, who has been condemned for the murder, and attempt to pin the crime upon Frank's Negro accuser, Jim Conley. Burns, who is returning from a trip to New York, Chicago, Kansas City, and other places, remarked that The Journal's editorial asking a new trial for Frank had attracted the attention and the approval of the whole country.

"Do you think that Frank should have a new trial?" he was asked.

"Unquestionably, he should," was the quick reply.

"Because of the state of the public mind at the time of the trial or because of the evidence?" was the next question.

"I shouldn't like to say anything that would anticipate my report," Burns replied.

Burns said that the Phagan case alone caused him to make the trip to Chicago and Kansas City. "Did you find any material witnesses?" "I wouldn't say I found material witnesses, but I did get material information. As I have always said, the solution of the case, which is not a mystery, is right in Atlanta, but the information I obtained is valuable."

"What's the news? How's Bill Smith?" asked Burns, when a reporter met him.

"Smith is still willing for you to see Conley if you take him and a court stenographer along."

Burns laughed. "Conley is still in jail?" he asked. On receiving an affirmative reply, he said that he expects to go to see Attorney Smith in an effort to arrange an interview with the Negro. "Do you think it is necessary to see the Negro?" "Not necessary," said Burns; "but I want to see him." Burns said also that he expected to call upon Solicitor General Dorsey and the chief of police while he is in Atlanta this time.

Burns declares that he will make his report to the attorneys in the case, and at the same time he will make the report public. Burns seemed surprised at the unusual amount of interest manifested in the case at various places he visited while away from Atlanta. The moves in the case, he said, are being followed with interest over the whole country. He said that practically every one of the dozens of newspaper men with whom he talked asked if The Journal's editorial would not result in a new trial for the condemned man. His reply, he said, was that it should.

Burns said that he was asked everywhere about the charges of race prejudice and "frame-up work by detectives" in the case. "I had to explain over and over again," he said, "the fact that the public excitement was caused by the atrocity of the crime and the fact that other preceding crimes had gone unpunished. I declared again and again that the indignation was an evidence of a public conscience, which was aroused by the nature of the crime."

Burns declared that he feels certain that his report will remove all doubt as to the slayer. "If you do remove the doubt from the public mind, you will have rendered the city and state a service," he was told. "Yes," he replied, "it would be a terrible thing to hang an innocent man. It would reflect upon the whole country, not alone the state and the city."

Burns, on his arrival here, immediately went to a conference with Dan S. Lehon of New Orleans, his lieutenant, whom he left in charge of the investigation during his absence.