I grokked it. I had to make it rewrite the answer twice to ignore claims of antisemutisms.

Evidence Supporting Frank's Guilt

The prosecution's case rested primarily on the following contemporary evidence: Jim Conley's Testimony:

Conley, a janitor with a history of chain gang service, testified that Frank asked him to help move Phagan's body after Frank killed her. He detailed Frank's actions, including writing the murder notes to mislead investigators.

This testimony was central, with Conley claiming Frank dictated the notes, as corroborated by a contemporary article from the Atlanta Constitution on August 10, 1913, detailing his account (Negro Sweeper Tells the Story of Murder Notes).

Last Known Interaction:

Frank admitted in his trial testimony that he was the last to see Phagan alive, handing her the pay envelope and answering her query about metal arrival, as per his statement on August 18, 1913 (Testimony of Leo Frank).

Circumstantial Evidence:

A blood-smeared shirt was found in a burn barrel, initially thought to be planted by Frank to frame someone else, as noted in police reports and trial discussions (Leo Frank Case).

The murder notes, with their poor grammar, were linked to Conley's writing ability, supporting the prosecution's narrative, as seen in trial evidence (Murder Notes: Key Evidence).

Behavioral Observations:

Frank's nervous behavior during early investigations, such as changing his story about Newt Lee's time card, was noted in contemporary police reports, raising suspicion (The Complete Leo Frank Trial Statement).

Evidence Against Frank's Guilt

The defense presented several points from contemporary sources to counter the claim of Frank's guilt:

Inconsistencies in Conley's Testimony:

Conley provided at least four contradictory affidavits before settling on his trial testimony, with cross-examinations highlighting discrepancies, as documented in trial transcripts (Leo Frank Case).

His history of lying and chain gang service was noted, undermining his reliability, as seen in contemporary newspaper reports (Testimony in the Leo Frank Trial).

Lack of Direct Physical Evidence:

No blood, fingerprints, or other forensic evidence directly linked Frank to the crime scene, as argued by the defense during the trial, with contemporary forensic reports noting untested bloody fingerprints on a basement door (The Trial of Leo Frank: An Account).

Hair found on a lathe was not conclusively identified as Phagan's, as per trial testimony, weakening the prosecution's case (Leo Frank - Wikipedia).

Frank's Alibi:

Frank testified he was busy with accounting work, supported by exhibits of his financial sheets, indicating he was occupied during the estimated time of the murder, as per his August 18, 1913, testimony (Testimony of Leo Frank). Colleagues, like Herbert G. Schiff, corroborated his workload, as noted in trial testimony (The Leo Frank Case). New Evidence Not Available at the Trial One significant piece of evidence emerged later, which was not available during the 1913 trial:

Alonzon Mann's 1982 Testimony:

In 1982, Alonzon Mann, Frank's former office boy, stated in an interview with The Tennessean that he saw Jim Conley carrying Phagan's body to the basement on the day of the murder, with Conley threatening to kill him if he spoke out (An Innocent Man Was Lynched). Mann's mother advised him to keep silent, and he did so until 1982, making this testimony new evidence not presented at the trial. This supports the theory that Conley, not Frank, was the murderer.

Key Citations

Atlanta Constitution. (1913, August 10). Negro sweeper tells the story of murder notes. The Leo Frank Case Research Library. https://www.leofrank.org/negro-sweeper-tells-the-story-of-murder-notes/

Frank, L. M. (1913, August 18). Testimony of Leo Frank. Famous Trials. https://www.famous-trials.com/leo-frank/14-excerpts/48-testimonyfrank

Georgia Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Leo Frank case. Georgia Humanities. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/leo-frank-case/

Famous Trials. (n.d.). Murder notes: Key evidence in the Leo Frank case. https://famous-trials.com/leo-frank/30-evidence

Famous Trials. (n.d.). Testimony in the Leo Frank trial. https://www.famous-trials.com/leo-frank/33-testimony-in-the-leo-frank-trial

Famous Trials. (n.d.). The trial of Leo Frank: An account. https://www.famous-trials.com/leo-frank/27-home

Conley, J. (1913). Testimony of Jim Conley. Famous Trials. https://www.famous-trials.com/leo-frank/14-excerpts/44-conleytestimony

Frank, L. M. (1913, August 18). The complete Leo Frank trial statement delivered on August 18, 1913. The Leo Frank Case Research Library. https://www.leofrank.org/trial-and-evidence/defense/leo-m-frank/

University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. (n.d.). Leo Frank trial home. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/frank/frankmain.html

Mann, A. (2020, February 20). An innocent man was lynched. The Tennessean. https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2020/02/20/alonzo-mann-says-jim-conley-murdered-mary-phagan/4819312002/

University of Pittsburgh. (n.d.). The Leo Frank case. https://pitt.libguides.com/c.php?g=707704&p=5026946