You Are There: Atlanta Georgian, May 6th, 1913 – Little Mary Phagan

How Frank Spent Day of Tragedy

Atlanta Georgian
Tuesday, May 6th, 1913

Factory Superintendent Explains Every Hour of the Saturday Phagan Girl Was Slain.

Here is told how Frank passed the whole day of the Saturday when Mary Phagan was killed. The following is taken from Frank's testimony:

7 o'clock a. m.—Arose, and dressed at home.

8—Left home for factory.

8:20—Arrived at factory.

8:50 or 9—M. D. Darley and others entered there.

10—Went over to office of Sig Montag, factory manager, on Nelson Street.

11—Went back to the factory office.

12—Stenographer and office boy left him alone in office.

12:10 p. m.—Mary Phagan came for her pay; got it and left. He heard her footsteps die away, and went on with his work, thinking no more about her. When she left he thought he heard her voice in the outer office.

12:15 or 12:20—Lemmie Quinn, foreman of the department where Mary worked, came in.

12:25—Quinn left.

1—Left the factory.

1:20—Arrived home.

1:40—Finished lunch with his father-in-law.

2—Left home for factory.

2:40—Spoke to Miss Rebecca Carson, forewoman in his factory, in front of Rich's store on Whitehall Street.

3—Arrived again at the factory.

3:10—White and Denham left; he remained entirely alone in the factory.

3:20—Latched the street door behind them.

3:45—Night Watchman Newt Lee, negro, came. He let negro go away again.

5:30—Finished work on the financial sheet.

6—Finished balancing cash; night watchman came back. Frank washed his hands, and left factory, leaving night watchman with J. M. Gantt.

6:25—Arrived home.

6:30—Wife and mother-in-law came in just as he was telephoning to the factory. Got no answer there.

7—Telephoned again. Night watchman told him everything was all right. He ate supper.

9:30—After smoking and reading since supper, he went upstairs and lit the gas heater.

10:30—Bathed.

11—Went to bed.

Sunday, April 27.

7:30 a. m.—Awakened by the phone. Informed of the tragedy. Went to undertaker's shop and identified Mary Phagan's body as that of the girl whom he had paid the afternoon before.