Visual Artifact Page
Mary Phagan (left) and her mother, Fanny COleman
mary phagan
mary phagan
“pretty young victim”
On Monday, April 28, 1913, the Atlanta Constitution ran its first full page story on the Mary Phagan murder mystery.
the basement
Closeup from previous image showing the “desolate recess in basement where body was discovered.”
mary phagan’s clothing
The clothing Mary Phagan was wearing at the time of her murder. The cord used to strangle her is shown at top left.
the murder notes
There were two handwritten notes found next to Mary Phagan’s body.
The longer one (shown at top) reads, “mam that negro hire down here did this I went to make water and he push me down that hole a long tall negro black that hoo it was long steam tall negro I wright while play with me"
The shorter note (at bottom) reads, “he said he wood love me land down play like the night witch did it but that long tall black negro did boy his self.”
atlanta georgian - wall-to-wall coverage
On the Monday after Mary Phagan was killed, the Atlanta Georgian printed five pages worth of content about the story in addition to 8-20 extras that released throughout the day.
leo frank in college
Leo Frank grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and went to school at Cornell University where he received a degree in engineering.
leo & lucille
Leo Frank moved to Atlanta in 1908. Within months he met and proposed to Lucille Selig, the daughter of a wealthy Jewish family in Atlanta. They were married in 1910.
Leo Frank
leo frank
leo frank
“police have the strangler”
Only a couple days after Mary Phagan’s body was discovered, the Atlanta Georgian prematurely declared, “Police Have the Strangler.” Note the picture of Frank at bottom.