Sensationalized atmosphere? 

This old complaint of anti-Semitism [sensationalized atmosphere] continues today even though the ADL's own expert, Steve Oney ANDSR in 2003 said it DID NOT HAPPEN and the DOWNRIGHT LIES continue in order to exonerate Leo Frank! 

A teenager in 1913?

Mary Phagan was a little girl and not until 1944 did Americans start using the word "teenager*".  [*"Teenager" describes a group of people between the ages of 13 and 19 and wasn't used in society until 1944 according to research on internet.]  

It's time to question who writes these markers being placed that are revising history!

In 2015, August 4, Around Town in Marietta Daily Journal

In August 2015, a ginormous neon-cyan colored nighttime Billboard blinded the sky with a message that Leo Frank was innocent.

Around the 100th anniversary of Leo Frank’s lynching, Rabbi Steve Lebow had paid for a billboard that featured a picture of Leo Frank in the Atlanta area stating “Leo Frank is innocent” as a part of his pressure on Georgia political leaders to issue an explicit exoneration of Frank, including a number of high-profile media events. Mary Phagan-Kean’s reaction was strong and to the point (Marietta Daily Journal):

"Among those who likely won’t be attending any of those events is retiree Mary Phagan Kean of Ellijay, the grand-niece and namesake of “Little Mary” Phagan. Kean has served as her family’s spokesperson in recent decades, giving voice to the many here who still think Frank was guilty.

His 1986 pardon was the result of political pressure and *threatened economic pressure, she says. *Economic pressure didn't exist according to former governor Joe Frank Harris files located at the Georgia Archives.  ADD here

“That’s why they granted it,” Kean said. “They could not prove that Leo Frank was not guilty. (That ruling) was bought and paid for by the supporters of Leo Frank. That rabbi (Lebow) needs to stop all this cr-p. It’s already been decided. He has no clue what he does to our family when he brings this up.”  Who is he? He has no connections to the Frank family, but he is eager to stir up trouble.  Tell him to stop.  He wants a new Marietta?  Well, the new Marietta needs to move on."

Rabbi Steve Lebow of Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb [pictured below].  Lebow says he’s trying to get the lynching marker out of storage for a centennial event planned for next month, but it didn't happen until August 23, 2018.

Rabbi Lebow is very active in the cause of Leo Frank, and says of the pardon, “That's not enough.” He wants Frank to be declared innocent and will ask the Georgia General Assembly, Cobb County and the city of Marietta to exonerate Frank.

Rabbi Lebow stated August 11, 2015, in Around Town, Marietta Daily Journal:  "I am under no illusion that Frank would be exonerated by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, and I presume that ship has sailed.  There is no going back for a new pardon."

Lebow is seeking a political solution, ["political bullying"] not a legal one:  "What I'd like to see is a statement either from the governor or declaration by the Georgia House and Senate that would be something like --------'Resolved: in light of historical research, it is fair to assume that Leo M. Frank was innocent of all charges.'  Nothing more ---but nothing less.

"I think a simple statement like the one above would be the best we could do towards exoneration.  If such a statement were to emerge as a non-binding resolution, I think we could all move on." 

Historical Research? 

"We came to demand that Leo Frank's name finally be cleared; it's been 100 years, and every historian now knows that he was innocent."[August 17, 2015, MDJ]

What historical research and by whom?  Most of the calls for exoneration of Leo Frank are made by *American Jewish revisionists of the Leo Frank Case *[C.P. Connolly, The Truth About the Frank Case, 1914[Charles and Louise Samuels, Night Fell on Georgia, 1956]; [Steve Oney, And the Dead Shall Rise, 2003],  [*Leonard Dinnerstein, The Leo Frank Case, 1991 Special] [*Harry Golden,  A Little Girl is Dead, 1965]; [*Elaine Marie Alphin, An Unspeakable Crime, 2010];[*Jeffrey Melnick, Black-Jewish Relations on Trial; Leo Frank and Jim Conley in the New South, 2000]; [*Donald Wilkes Flagpole Magazine, May 5, 2004]; [Former Governor Roy Barnes, Mercer Law, November 2019] whose historical research is a deliberate effort to deceive with fabrication of data, misrepresentation of historical sources, and suppression of truth.   Frank was convicted because he was a sexual predator and murderer.

On August 17, 2015, at Temple Kol Emeth Rabbi Lebow calls for Governor Nathan deal to clear Frank's name once and for all. "Rabbi Lebow is also circulating a petition on the Internet but there is no support! [less than 200 signatures]. 

It is quite obvious Rabbi Lebow doesn't know the facts about the trial [has he read the Brief of Evidence?  Newspaper articles from the Atlanta Journal, Atlanta Constitution and Atlanta Georgian 1913?  Appeals?  Georgia Supreme Court and U. S. Supreme Court?] and falsely states:

"Frank was subsequently convicted on false testimony, given on the stand by many suspect to be the real murderer, Jim Conley.

Frank's trial, from beginning to end, was a legal farce.  Witnesses were coerced to say they had seen Leo Frank with the girl that day. Then many of those witnesses later recanted their story. The forensic evidence had been "cooked". The jury was instructed that the girl's hair and blood had been found next to Frank's office.

Convinced that the entire trial had been a sham, Governor Slaton mounted an independent investigation of the crime. Slaton's conclusion was inescapable; Frank had been falsely accused and then wrongly convicted. 

 Slaton's Commutation Order 

Slaton read the entire trial transcript and his conclusion found no errors and did not state Frank had been falsely accused and then wrongly convicted.

This “reasoning” and “facts” is what Leo Frank supporters:  ADL, former Governor Roy Barnes, Rabbi Lebow, and others consistently claim.

Timeline of events for the 100th anniversary of Leo Frank lynching:

Around Town, Marietta Daily Journal, August 4, 2015

"Thursday, August 13:  Earl Smith Strand on the Square; 8:00 p.m. Georgia Historical Society will present "The Ghost of Leo Frank: Reckoning with Georgia's Most Infamous Murders 100 years Later."

Guest will be Steve Oney, author of And the Dead Shall rise:  The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank." Others will include GHS senior historian Stan Deaton and historian Dr. Elaine B. Andrews.

On Saturday, August 15, senior assistant Attorney General, Van Pearlberg will present a free lecture at 7:00 p.m. on the Frank Case at Congregation Ner Tamid, 1349 Old Highway 41m Suite 220 in Marietta.

On Sunday, August 16, Lebow's "Leo Frank Exoneration Memorial Service will be 2:00 pm at Temple Kol Emeth in east cobb.  Speakers include Georgia Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson, Van Pearlberg, Cobb Superior Court Chief Justice Stephen Schuster, and Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee.

At 6:00 p.m. later that day, The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw will host a VIP reception for its new exhibit "Seeking Justice" with speakers former Governor Roy Barnes and Dr. Marni Davis of Georgia State University."

Nathan Deal Letter

Mary Phagan-Kean
498 Ebenezer Road
Ellijay, Georgia 30536
August 19, 2015

Governor Nathan Deal
Office of the Governor
206 Washington Street
111 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Re: Leo Frank Political Solution

Dear Governor Deal:
My name is Mary Phagan-Kean and I am the great-niece and namesake of" Little Mary Phagan" who was raped and murdered by Leo Frank on April 26, 1913.

The Phagan family has no objection to anyone expressing their opinions on this case but we do insist organizations /personal campaigns preserve history by making sure that the truth and
facts are not distorted to "use this case for their own purposes/prejudicial purposes". For over 100 years, each decade brought forth new "historical evidence" to exonerate Leo Frank. The
Phagan family has stated since 1982 if there was clear-cut evidence to clear Leo Frank, we would come forward and ask for exoneration. However, the historical evidence has never come to light.

I am sure that you are aware of the personal campaign by Rabbi Steven Lebow to completely EXONERATE Leo Frank.

Please consider the following facts:
1. Rabbi Lebow is in no way related to Leo Frank.
2. Rabbi Lebow has a personal campaign (public dignitaries, billboards, t-shirts, coca cola bottles, social media, etc.) to exonerate Leo Frank based on distortions/untruths and manipulation of facts. For example, tactics include:
a. Claims of anti-semitism during the trial of Leo Frank.
In the fifth volume of Cahan's memoirs, published in Yiddish in 1931, Leo Frank,
himself, states: ""Anti-Semitism is absolutely not the reason for this libel that has been framed against me:' Frank told Cahan. "It isn't the source nor the result of this sad story."
b. Captions from the original newspaper pictures of the day have been modified to support their propaganda/agenda.
c. Markers/plaques have been replaced and omit information leading the reader to believe that Leo Frank was pardoned for the murder of "Little Mary Phagan."

Rabbi Lebow states the he is going to seek a "political solution" for Leo Frank.
See Marietta Daily Journal dated August 11, 2015:
"I am under no illusion that Frank would be exonerated by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles," he said. "I presume that ship has sailed. There is no going back for a new pardon."
He goes on to say:

What I'd like to see is a statement either from the governor or a nonbinding statement of declaration by the Georgia House and Senate that would be something like this'
"Resolved, In light of historical research, it is fair to assume that Leo M. Frank was innocent of all charges." Nothing more - nothing less. "I think a simple statement like the one above would be the best we could do towards an exoneration. "If such a statement were to emerge as a nonbinding resolution, then I think we could all move on.

"Fair to assume"? There is no place for assumption in an exoneration/statement/declaration.

According to CBS News Channel 46 on August 17, 2015, Rabbi Steven Lebow refers to the "new historical research" from the 1982 Alonzo Mann affidavit.

The historical research referenced by Rabbi Lebow has already been addressed by the State Board of Pardons and Parole Board on March 11, 1986.

In 1983, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles considered a request for a Pardon implying innocence but did not find "conclusive evidence proving beyond any doubt that Frank was innocent." Such a standard of proof, especially for a 70year-old
case, is almost impossible to satisfy.

Without attempting to address the question of quilt or innocence, and in recognition of the State's failure to protect the person of Leo M. Frank and thereby preserve his opportunity for* continued legal appeal of his conviction, and in recognition of the State's failure to bring his killers to justice, and as an effort to heal old wounds, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, in compliance with its Constitutional and statutory authority, hereby grants to Leo M. Frank a Pardon."
*It should be noted that Leo Frank's appeals were exhausted

The fact is that Leo M. Frank is guilty and is the convicted murderer of Little Mary Phagan according to historical evidence: trial, appeal process.

If Rabbi Lebow wants an exoneration (to clear or absolve from blame or a criminal charge), he needs to go through the Georgia State Pardons and Parole according to the Georgia Constitution
Article IV Section II proves his innocence of the crime for which he was convicted under Georgia law" with facts and evidence not political bullying! The good people of Georgia can make up their own mind with regards to Leo Frank's innocence or guilt by delving into the historical research themselves.

Respectfully,

Mary Phagan-Kean; mphagank@aol.com, 706-273-1793

cc: Georgia State Speaker of the House, District 7: The Honorable David Ralston
     Georgia State Senate President Pro Tempore: The Honorable David Shafer          Georgia State Senator District 51:  the Honorable Steve Gooch 

Nathan Deal leaning against pardon for Leo Frank

August 20, 2015 Atlanta Journal/Constitution

A former governor, an ex-Georgia Supreme Court chief and a slew of other notable officials have urged state leaders in recent days to grant Leo Frank a full pardon for the 1913 murder of a teenage factory worker.

But it's not likely to get very far without the support of Gov. Nathan Deal, who appoints the pardons and parole board and can request that they act. On Tuesday, Deal indicated he has little appetite to reopen the case.

"I feel like we have let things run their own course, and this one has done so," he said.

A little backstory: Frank was a Jewish factory superintendent convicted of the 1913 murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan on circumstantial evidence as much of the city was wrapped up in racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric. His death sentence was commuted by Governor Slaton but he was seized by a Marietta posse and strung up on an oak tree along where Interstate 75 now runs.

As he decides whether to intervene, Deal said he will discuss the case with Attorney General Sam Olens -- an interesting qualifier, given that Olens is Jewish.

(Olens said through a spokesman that he'd happily discuss the case with the governor when asked. A parole board spokesman said it hasn't received any requests to reopen the case.)

But the governor said he's uncomfortable with "some of the rhetoric associated with the justification" of the pardon.

When pressed on what he meant, Deal added: "When you hear someone start saying this is an indication we should do away with the death penalty in Georgia, those are collateral issues. If they associate it with this, they're doing harm to their own argument."

He's referring to Norman Fletcher, the former chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and ardent opponent of capital punishment.

Fletcher told a panel discussing the Frank Case Sunday that Georgia should "end the practice of the state doing the same thing as the accused: taking the life of a human being, created in the image of God."

***

On September 15, 2015, Marietta Daily Journal  Opinion

Reader's had enough of Leo Frank 'nonsense'

Dear Editor:

I have patiently waited for the "centennial" of the Leo Frank case to pass, waiting for the nonsense to end, but Rabbi Steven Lebow's letter in las Tuesday's MDJ stirred me to write.  You might as well say "Oh, look, here is where are great grandparents had their outhouse, let's go wallow int it."

An exoneration of Leo Frank, who is dead, by people who weren't even born when he was lynched is meaningless. The lynching was questionably wrong.  Without hearing all the evidence, we have no way of knowing he was wrongfully convicted.

There is nothing we can to mitigate the wrong that was done.  If you feel you need to apologize to Frank, go to his grave and apologize.  The public wringing of hands is meaningless posturing.

If you are inspired by this case, look at what is going in our community today and protest what is being done to Jews today.  If you look, I think you will see evidence of trying to keep Jews "in their place."  Thomas Sukalac, Powder Springs

 

#BAN the ADL 2023

ADL’s Greenblatt Gets “Community-Noted” on X August 17, 2023

The humiliation of Jonathan Greenblatt, boss at the Jewish pressure/censorship group, the ADL (which was founded in large part to defend sex murderer Leo Frank), continues on the leading social media platform, X.

Every August 17, Greenblatt posts a commemoration of Leo Frank’s hanging, falsely claiming that Frank was innocent and also falsely claiming that Frank was convicted based on “anti-Semitism.” But, due to increasing awareness of the facts of the Leo Frank case, and the rise of truth-telling Web sites like littlemaryphagan.com and theamericanmercury.org and leofrank.info and others, the experience has not been one that is likely to please Greenblatt. Gone are the days when the ADL and other Jewish groups, with their strong allies in all major media corporations, could suppress free speech on the case.

We reported (see below) on the hiding Greenblatt got at the hands of Twitter users (Twitter has been renamed X by its new owner, Elon Musk) back in 2021. The vast majority of the hundreds of comments Greenblatt received were from users outraged that he was “celebrating the legacy” of a sick child abuser and murderer. The same thing happened on a larger scale in 2022, but Greenblatt was somehow able to pressure pre-Musk Twitter into deleting most of the critical comments.

But with Musk at the helm — and after Musk declared himself to be in favor of free speech on the platform — Greenblatt decided not to take any chances and himself turned off comments on his own post! That’s humiliation number one.

Then came humiliation number two — the semi-official volunteer fact-checkers at X added what is called a Community Note to Greenblatt’s pro-Frank posting, factually stating that Leo Frank had been duly convicted and still stands adjudged guilty of murdering 13-year-old Mary Phagan, and giving links to their sources for those facts. Here’s one of the links; quite worthwhile: https://moejacobs.medium.com/the-leo-frank-case-in-the-midst-of-a-jewish-gentile-culture-war-2027700a3be8

It’s likely that Greenblatt and the ADL then applied pressure to have the Community Note removed, and this has caused internal strife at X, since the Note disappeared, then reappeared again a few hours later, then disappeared again. Regardless of whether the Note comes back or not, Greenblatt’s — and the ADL’s — humiliation is complete. The truth is out there now. The people know. Greenblatt’s promotion of the ADL’s fake news about the Leo Frank case will not be allowed to continue without vigorous public critique and opposition.

ADL Narrative and Jonathan Greenblatt Questioned AGAIN on Twitter — We are Making an Impact

August 17, 2022

Again, we are seeing the official narrative on the Leo Frank case being questioned — and directly questioning the pro-Frank forces themselves — Jonathan Greenblatt and the ADL. This is taking place on Twitter where more and more people are speaking the truth on who really murdered Mary Phagan in 1913. Despite the evidence, several groups and especially the ADL, want to clear Frank’s name and declare him innocent. As one commenter says, just search for the article, “100 Reasons Leo Frank is Guilty,” and you’ll get the real story — at least the true facts on the case and you can come to your own conclusion after reading these.

Not only are these Tweets inspiring and tell us that we are making a difference, but the ADL article is even admitting that Mary Phagan was raped and mentioning that his exoneration did not actually prove his innocence — both topics which are hotly contested between pro- and anti-Frank forces. Check it out below!

Original Greenblatt Tweet:

Twitter replies:

Making an Impact: ADL Narrative Highly Questioned on Twitter

We have literally never seen this level of questioning of the official narrative on the Leo Frank case before. This is truly extraordinary. After the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) published one of their typical pieces on Twitter promoting the endlessly repeated idea that Leo Frank was innocent and a victim of “anti-Semitism,” the response of people on Twitter was overwhelmingly against what the ADL was saying.

https://twitter.com/ADL/status/1427653695689289729

Out of hundreds of replies, over 95% by our count, were critical of, even mocking, the “received narrative.” Truth-telling websites such as this one, as well as https://theamericanmercury.org/, https://leofrank.info/ and https://www.leofrank.org/ are truly making a major difference!

Just in case the Tweets or the thread gets taken down, here are the links to many of the responses:

Screenshot #1

Screenshot #2

Screenshot #3

Open Letter to Alan Dershowitz on April 26, 2021, the 108th Anniversary of Mary Phagan’s Rape-Murder By Leo Frank in 1913.

Dear Alan Dershowitz,

This is an open letter to you: Alan Dershowitz, in response to your April 25, 2021, article on the website, Gallstone Institute, International Policy Council, titled: ‘A Long and Sordid History of Crowds Threatening Violence in the Event of a Jury Acquittal’.

We will be working on this article for two calendar years, with the final publishing date being April 26, 2023.

Let us rewind for a moment to some 31 odd years ago when you wrote the 1991 forward for the activist professor and pseudo-historian Leonard Dinnerstein’s revised edition of his 1968 book, ‘The Leo Frank Case’.

Introduction
By Alan M. Dershowitz

The trial, conviction, death sentence and its commutation and eventual lynching of Leo Frank during the second decade of the twentieth century, constitute a major episode not only in American legal history, but also in the development of American political institutions. The Knights of Mary Phagan, formed to avenge the murder of the young factory worker for which Frank was convicted, became an important component of the twentieth century resurrection of the Ku Klux Klan. The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai Brith was founded in reaction to the anti-Semitism generated — or at least disclosed — by the Frank case.

Sometimes characterized as the American “Dreyfus” case (a reference to the frame-up of a French Jew which fanned the flames of nineteenth century European anti-Semitism), the trial of Leo Frank in Atlanta, Georgia was conducted in a carnival atmosphere. Crowds outside the courthouse sang “The Ballad of Mary Phagan,” which included the following lyrics:

Little Mary Phagan
She left her home one day;
She went to the pencil-factory
To see the big parade.

She left her home at eleven,
She kissed her mother good-by[e];
Not one time did the poor child think
That she was a-going to die.

Leo Frank he met her
With a brutish heart, we know;
He smiled, and said, “Little Mary,
You won’t go home no more.”

Sneaked along behind her
Till she reached the metal-room;
He laughed, and said, “Little Mary,
You have met your fatal doom.”

Down upon her knees
To Leo Frank she plead;
He taken a stick from the trash-pile
And struck her across the head.

Crowds inside the courtroom shouted anti-Jewish epithets, and demanded Frank’s death. The smell of the lynch mob was in the air.

The State’s star witness was a black maintenance worker at the factory which Frank managed and at which Mary Phagan worked. He testified that Frank killed the young girl and ordered him to dispose of the body. When the jury convicted Frank, it was the first time in memory that a white man had been convicted of murder on the basis of uncorroborated testimony of a black witness. This apparent advance in racial justice was explained away by a local observer who said: “That wasn’t a white man convicted by that N…’s testimony. It was a Jew.”

Predictably, Frank was convicted, sentenced to death and denied relief on appeal, despite some critical dissenting words from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. Unpredictably, the Governor of Georgia decided to commute Frank’s death sentence and leave him to serve out a term of life imprisonment. That appeared to be a great victory for Frank and his many supporters around the country, since the evidentiary foundation underlying Frank’s conviction was beginning to crumble as a result of the discovery of new evidence strongly suggesting that it was the government’s star witness — and not Frank — who had killed the victim. It seemed only a matter of time before Frank would be freed from his imprisonment.

In order to prevent Frank’s freedom, several of the “best” citizens of Georgia — including a minister, two former Supreme Court Justices, and an ex-sheriff — decided to take the law into their own hands. They constituted themselves as a vigilante committee and let it be known that they intended to kidnap Frank from prison and lynch him. Despite some perfunctory efforts by prison authorities to protect Frank, the lynch mob had little difficulty breaking into the prison and kidnapping Frank. It was obvious that at least some of the prison authorities were in on the plan. Frank was taken to Marietta, where he was lynched. Everyone knew exactly who was involved in the lynching — indeed some members of the lynch mob boasted about their participation and gave interviews to the press. Photographs of the lynching and souvenir pieces of the rope were sold throughout Georgia. Nonetheless, the coroner’s jury investigating the murder of Leo Frank concluded that it was unable to identify any of the perpetrators. This was typical of lynchings in the South during that era. The only difference is that this victim was not black.

There is a fascinating and largely unknown ethical story behind the public legal story of the Frank case. I use it as a teaching vehicle in my course on legal ethics. It turns out that while Leo Frank was on death row, one of Atlanta’s most prominent lawyers learned that Frank was innocent and that another man — presumably the government’s star witness — was the killer. We do not know for certain whether the real killer confessed directly to the lawyer, or to another lawyer who then sought ethical advice from the pillar of the bar. This is the way the eminent lawyer described it in his own writings:

I am one of the few people who know that Leo Frank was innocent of the crime for which he was convicted and lynched. Subsequent to the trial, and after his conviction had been affirmed by the Supreme Court, I learned who killed Mary Phagan, but the information came to me in such a way that, though I wish I could do so, I can never reveal it so long as certain persons are alive. We lawyers, when we are admitted to the bar, take an oath never to reveal the communications made to us by our clients; and this includes facts revealed in an attempt to employ the though he refuses the employment….The Law on this subject may or may not be a wise law — there are some who think that it is not — but naturally since it is the law, we lawyers and the judges cannot honorably disobey it.

The eminent lawyer (and any other lawyer who may have received the real killer’s confession in confidence) was forced into the most excruciating legal, ethical and moral dilemma a professional can possibly confront. The ethical rules of the profession are fairly clear. There is no available exception to the rule mandating confidentiality of privileged communications about past crimes. It is not a future crime for a guilty client to remain silent while an innocent man goes to his death for the murder committed by a silent, guilty client. The issue is a bit more complicated if the confessing client was, in fact, the witness who testified against Frank, for the client would then be confessing to perjury. Some courts and commentators have suggested that allowing perjured testimony to remain unrecanted, while the victim of the perjury remains under a death or prison sentence, may constitute a continuing fraud on the court, and thus an exception to the lawyer-client privilege. But that line of authority is hazy at best, and the eminent lawyer did not apparently consider it. He saw the legal and professional ethics issue as simple and straightforward. That still left the moral and personal issue of whether any human being — regardless of his or her profession — can and should allow a preventable miscarriage of justice to be carried out, especially in a capital case. My students in legal ethics generally split down the middle over whether they would violate the rules of the profession — engage in an act of civil disobedience against their own client — in order to save an innocent non-client.

In a typically lawyer-like way, the eminent lawyer in the real case apparently saw to it that the governor learned the information known to him, but without his own “fingerprints” being on the communication. This is how he put it: “Without ever having discussed with Governor Slaton the facts which were revealed to me, I have reason to believe, from a thing contained in the statement he made in connection with the grant of the commutation, that, in some way, these facts came to him and influenced his action.” But the eminent lawyer’s compromise did not work. Although the governor did commute Leo Frank’s sentence, he was not able to persuade a vengeful public of Frank’s innocence. I doubt that Frank would have been lynched had the eminent lawyer come forward and disclosed his information. Instead, his client would almost certainly have been lynched. The complexity of ethical and moral issues in the law can rarely be resolved by simple compromise solutions of the kind attempted by the lawyer in the Frank case. Indeed some such issues have no entirely satisfactory solutions.

Nearly seventy years after Leo Frank’s murder, new evidence of his innocence emerged. An eighty-two-year old man, who have been a youthful eyewitness to events surrounding the killing of Mary Phagan, finally came forward and told what he had seen back in 1913. His evidence contradicted the State’s star witness and strongly suggested that the murder was committed by that same witness, the black maintenance man. The murderer threatened the young witness with death if he ever mentioned what he had observed, and he did not come forward for all those years. Now, he has told his story and it seems to have persuaded most objective people that Leo Frank was lynched for a crime committed by someone else.

Finally, in 1986 Frank was posthumously pardoned with the following official apology: “The lynching aborted the legal process, thus foreclosing further effort to prove Frank’s innocence. It resulted from the State of Georgia’s failure to protect Frank. Compounding the injustice, the State then failed to prosecute any of the lynchers.” Remarkably, some Georgians continued to resist the pardon.

Alan Dershowitz

Cambridge, Massachusetts
January 11, 1991

Source: Dinnerstein, Leonard. The Leo Frank Case. Notable Trials Library edition, 1991.

Mary Phagan 110: May Her Life Be Not in Vain

 DALE BENNETT (EDITOR) · 26 APRIL, 2023

 6

by Dale Bennett

ON THIS, the 110th anniversary of the rape and strangulation murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan by her sweatshop boss — and Atlanta B’nai B’rith president — Leo Max Frank, let us remember her young life and reflect on the massive Jewish propaganda machine that has been attempting to whitewash her killer’s reputation for more than a century.

Besides the victim, Mary Phagan, there were five people in the National Pencil Company building when she was killed on 26 April 1913. We know that four of them didn’t do it. That leaves Leo Frank.

110 years later, the ADL is still trying to frame the janitor, Jim Conley, for Mary Phagan’s murder: How likely is it that Conley, a Black man—in 1913 Georgia—would rape and kill a White girl just a few feet from the unlocked glass-paneled front entrance door of the National Pencil Company, where people were coming and going all day, right at the foot of an open staircase at the top of which was Leo Frank’s open office door? Preposterous.

Leo Frank was elected the Atlanta B’nai B’rith president of the Gate City Lodge #144 in 1912 and his Summer of 1913 conviction for the rape and strangulation-murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan had galvanized B’nai B’rith HQ to found the ADL less than two months after the fact.

Even though Leo Frank was convicted in late August 1913, in September 1913 his 500-member Independent Order of B’nai B’rith fraternal organization in Georgia voted unanimously (see Atlanta Constitution, September 24, 1913 at leofrank.info) to re-elect him their president. So while Leo Frank was incarcerated in the city jail as his appeals were wending their way through the appellate courts, he was running the affairs of this powerful Atlanta Jewish group like a powerful mafia boss behind bars until the Autumn of 1914. He was not re-elected once the affidavits, testimony, and evidence of the Leo Frank Georgia Supreme Court records were revealed to the public (available at the Internet Archive and leofrank.info).

A must-read on the topic is “100 Reasons Leo Frank Is Guilty” from the American Mercury, and another important source every student of the case must read are the contemporary works of Tom Watson.

I encourage everyone to please listen to the works of investigative journalist Tom Watson in the audio books by Vanessa Neubauer, from the pages of Watson’s Jeffersonian Magazine, January, March, August, September and October of 1915.

I promise you won’t be disappointed.

1. Introduction
https://nationalvanguard.org/2015/03/audio-book-tom-watsons-the-leo-frank-case/

2. Tom Watson: The Leo Frank Case
https://nationalvanguard.org/2015/01/tom-watson-the-leo-frank-case/

3. Tom Watson: A Full Review of the Leo Frank Case
https://nationalvanguard.org/2015/03/audio-book-tom-watson-a-full-review-of-the-leo-frank-case/

4. Tom Watson: The Celebrated Case of The State of Georgia vs. Leo Frank
https://nationalvanguard.org/2015/06/audio-book-the-celebrated-case-of-the-state-of-georgia-vs-leo-frank/

5. Tom Watson: The Official Record in the Case of Leo Frank, a Jew Pervert
https://nationalvanguard.org/2015/07/audio-book-tom-watsons-the-official-record-in-the-case-of-leo-frank-a-jew-pervert/

6. Tom Watson: The Rich Jews Indict a State!
https://nationalvanguard.org/2015/07/audio-book-tom-watsons-the-rich-jews-indict-a-state/

Tom Watson articulated the evidence, testimony and exhibits of the Leo Frank trial with such force and power it is impossible to believe Leo Frank is innocent. Listen and find out why!

* * *

Source: leofrank.info

Mary Phagan in 1913 before her murder on April 26, 1913

For 100 years, ADL [Anti-Defamation League which was established in late September 1913 after the conviction of Leo Frank] has worked to reverse justice in the murder of little Mary Phagan

THE PEOPLE V. LEO FRANK

Premiere at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center

April 30, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.

Ben Loeterman's 90- minute documentary about the 1913 murder of Mary Phagan and the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank in Marietta combines archival footage, interviews with scholars and reenactments that were filmed in Georgia 2008.  Steve Oney, author of "And the Dead Shall Rise," served as chief historical consultant for the documentary and stated that "Ben Loeterman lives in Boston, but he went the extra mile to give fair play to the Southern view of the controversial subject."

Georgians who appear in the documentary included former Governor Roy Barnes, Mary Phagan-Kean, great-niece of Little Mary Phagan, state Senator Chuck Clay, Tad Brown, great-grandson of Tom Watson, Dan Cox, director of the Marietta History Museum, deputy Cobb County District Attorney Van Pearlberg, and Bill Kinney, MDJ's associate editor.  The interesting aspect according to Steve Oney is "The People vs. Leo Frank is that Marietta got to tell it's side of the story."

On May 2, 2009, the Marietta Daily Jornal headlines:

Leo Frank film draws Praise

Descendants, Cobb officials remark on tragic time in Marietta's history

PBS televises "The People vs Leo Frank"

November 2, 2009 at 9:00 p.m.

I received calls, emails about the interview.  One of my best friends from high school stated:

"I watched the show.  You did very well.  You were factual and articulate.  It was an interesting show.  It was also interesting to see that the descendant of so many involved were still interested in something that happened almost 100 years ago.  That shows that the community was heartbroken by such a cruel at of the murder of a child.

I also remember my grandmother playing the Victrola record and telling me about it as a child.  She lived in Birmingham, Alabama.  This was heard all over the country and I don't think there was as meanness as there is now.  I think people were shocked by it.

It was great to see you on TV.  You were marvelous."

Margaret Ann* [We had a spend the night party at Margaret's house in high school and she played the record of Little Mary Phagan on the Victrola and later her family gave me the record]

In January 2008, I was contacted by Laura Longsworth, Producer for Ben Loeterman Productions, Inc.  regarding a PBS documentary:  The People vs Leo Frank and Loeterman Productions, Inc. requested an interview.  Although "we had many conversations regarding the documentary. the producer appreciated my time and thoughts especially considering past experiences with the media and the bearing the murder of little Mary Phagan and trial of Leo Frank have on my life," I declined the interview.

However, Bill Kinney [Associate Editor at MDJ] encouraged me to do the interview because he felt it was important to include the living persons who best understand and are credible regarding the events.

February 4, 2008, I received a letter and a draft of topics to cover in the interview from Laura Longsworth, Producer of Ben Loeterman Productions, Inc.  "We look forward to meeting you at the Breman on February 17th for the "Seeking Justice" exhibit. And we really appreciate you considering the possibility of granting us an interview on February 19th.  We are making no assumptions that you will ultimately feel comfortable doing this but very much hope you will. We feel that you, and you alone, can bring to this documentary the authentic voice and perspective of the Phagan family. We would like very much to tell Mary's background and story and if you can help us do this, the film would be that much stronger.  We can commit to having you be the sole voice on your family's background and we can also commit to explaining that Leo Frank's pardon did not absolve him of the murder of Mary Phagan."

List of topics:

Seeking Justice

The Leo Frank Case Revisited

Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, February 10-December 31, 2008

Sunday, February 17, 2008: The Breman Museum

Mary Phagan-Kean attends

"Seeking Justice" opened Sunday, February 10, 2008 at the William Heritage Museum in Midtown Atlanta.  It is considered the first exhibition about the complicated story of Mary Phagan's murder, Leo Frank who was convicted of her murder and his lynching. The museum's Archivist Sandra Berman has been collecting artifacts and documents for over 20 years.

This is the first time that the description of Mary Phagan is accurate.  The Phagan Family appreciated being interviewed and providing artifacts/documents for the exhibit.

The interview date for Ben Loeterman Productions, Inc. was scheduled for February 19, 2008 in Sandy Springs at a period house built by the Candler family.

Coming Events:  Joe Kirby Editorial Page editor of the Marietta Daily Journal, April 16, 2006

"'Lunch and Learn' Series at the Marietta Museum of History, the Frank trial will be re-explored by assistant Cobb District Attorney Van Pearlberg, one of the most knowledgeable of the younger generation of local Phagan/Frank, aficionados. The event will take place April 25 starting at 10:30. Tickets are $30 per person, with reservations required." Attending will be Mary Phagan-Kean, great-niece of murder victim, Mary Phagan.

A convicted murderer gets a historical marker.

So why does a convicted murderer get a historical marker?  Leo Frank was found guilty by a jury who heard facts and evidence of the case.  The jury convicted him and recommended the death penalty.  Why is the jury and appeals [13 total and not one appeal felt that Leo Frank was not guilty] all the way to the Supreme Court being discredited?

Letter to Georgia Historical Society regarding Historical Marker for Leo Frank Lynching:  October 16, 2006

1050 Rockcrest Drive

Marietta Georgia 30062-3013

Georgia Historical Society

501 Whitaker Street

Savannah, Georgia 31401

October 16, 2006

Dear Ms. Crisp:

In the October 7, 2006 Atlanta Journal and Constitution, I read that the Georgia Historical Society approved a state historical marker for the 1915 lynching of Leo M. Frank in Marietta.  I have great concerns regarding this marker especially since Leo M. Frank is still the convicted murderer of my great aunt, Little Mary Phagan.

My family has no objection to anyone expressing their opinions on this case but we do insist organizations such as the Georgia Historical Society preserve history by making sure that the truth and facts are not distorted by groups that “use this case for their own purposes”.   Unfortunately, different groups have not told the complete facts regarding the posthumous pardon that was issued to Leo M. Frank on March 11, 1986.  The posthumous pardon states:

“In 1983, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles considered a request for a Pardon implying innocence but did not find “conclusive evidence proving beyond any doubt that Frank was innocent.”  Such a standard of proof, especially for a 70year-old case, is almost impossible to satisfy.

Without attempting to address the question of quilt or innocence, and in recognition of the State’s failure to protect the person of Leo M. Frank and thereby preserve his opportunity for continued legal appeal of his conviction, and in recognition of the State’s failure to bring his killers to justice, and as an effort to heal old wounds, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, in compliance with its Constitutional and statutory authority, hereby grants to Leo M. Frank a Pardon.”

Leo M. Frank, is and remains, the convicted murderer of Little Mary Phagan.   I am enclosing a copy of the posthumous pardon for your review.

The city of Marietta has a historical marker over the gravesite of Little Mary Phagan.  This marker is not the original marker.  A group was not happy that the original marker included that the pardon for Leo Frank “did not address his guilt or innocence”.  The original marker was taken down and replaced with the current marker that ends with the statement “Leo M. Frank was issued a posthumous pardon in 1986.  This is not an accurate fact and distorts history.

I do hope that you consider all the facts if the pardon is part of the state historical maker. I believe that the issue regarding his guilt or innocence in reference to the posthumous pardon is an important fact and is necessary to maintain historical accuracy and should not be omitted in regards to the posthumous pardon. The fact is that Leo M. Frank is still guilty and is the convicted murderer of Little Mary Phagan.  I appreciate your consideration in this matter.

Should you have further questions. Please do no hesitate to contact me.  I will be out of the country until October 28.

Sincerely,

Mary Phagan-Kean

Mphagank@aol.com

770-977-9490

404-403-8526 Cell

Response from Ms. Crisp:  October 25, 2006

Erected 2008 by The Georgia Historical Society, the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, and Temple Kol Emeth. (Marker Number 33-1.) It was removed by the Georgia Department of Transportation when road construction at the site made it unsafe for public viewing. Once construction was complete, GDOT created the current green space as a permanent home for the marker.

Inscription:

Near this location on August 17, 1915, Leo M. Frank, the Jewish superintendent of the National Pencil Company in Atlanta, was lynched for the murder of thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan, a factory employee. A highly controversial trial fueled by societal tensions and anti-Semitism resulted in a guilty verdict in 1913. [This particular claim is central to the belief that anti-Semitism infected Frank’s murder trial and tainted the guilty verdict which didn't happen according to Steve Oney, ADL expert who refuted this claim in 2003.  So why are these organizations [The Georgia Historical Society, the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, and Temple Kol Emeth, Historians] continuing to deliberately promote and deceive the public.] After Governor John M. Slaton commuted his sentence from death to life in prison, Frank was kidnapped from the state prison in Milledgeville and taken to Phagan’s hometown of Marietta where he was hanged before a local crowd. Without addressing guilt or innocence, and in recognition of the state’s failure to either protect Frank or bring his killers to justice, he was granted a posthumous pardon in 1986.

Atlanta, August 23, 2018 – The Georgia Historical Society was honored to join the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, and Temple Kol Emeth for a ceremony rededicating the Leo Frank Lynching historical marker at the intersection of Roswell Road and Highway 401 in Marietta today.

ABOUT THE GEORGIA HISTORICAL MARKER PROGRAM
The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) administers Georgia’s historical marker program. Over the past 20 years, GHS has erected over 250 new historical markers across the state on a wide variety of subjects. GHS also maintains the more than 2,100 markers installed by the State of Georgia prior to 1998. Online mapping tools allow users to design driving routes based on historical markers, and a mobile app helps visitors locate and learn about markers nearby.Visit georgiahistory.com for more ways to use Georgia’s historical markers and experience history where it happened.