The Frank Case (Part One)

On a fateful night in April 1913, a night watchman discovered the lifeless body of Mary Phagan in the National Pencil Company's factory basement in Atlanta. The 12-year-old worker had been brutally assaulted, violated, and choked to death.

The subsequent probe shook Atlanta and the entire country, leading to factory superintendent and B'nai Brith president Leo M. Frank's conviction and death sentence.

When appeals delayed his execution, an enraged mob seized Frank from prison in 1915 and lynched him.

Modern interpretations frame the Frank case as an example of rampant "anti-semitism" rather than the murder of a young girl. Frank is now portrayed as the case's primary victim. This incident catalyzed the establishment of the Anti Defamation League (ADL).

This book, released following Frank's conviction, predates Truman Capote's 1966 pioneering of the "true crime" genre, offering comprehensive coverage of the crime scene, investigation, trial, and key figures in this consequential real-life drama.