FRANK PAYNE, Sworn In For The Defendant, 82nd To Testify

FRANK PAYNE, sworn for the Defendant at the Trial of Leo Frank in the Fulton County Superior Court of Atlanta Georgia in August 1913 (Testimony Portion From July 28 - August 21, 1913; Closing Arguments August 21-25, 1913)

I was office boy last Thanksgiving day at the pencil factory. It was snowing that day. I am 16 years old. Mr. Schiff and Mr. Frank were working there in the office that day. Mr. Schiff sent me up on the fourth floor to straighten the boxes up. Jim Conley was there sweeping. He left the factory about 10:20. I left about 11. He had finished his work. I went by the office to get my coat. Mr. Schiff and Mr. Frank were still working. When I left I did not see Conley anywhere about the door. For two months I worked at the factory on Saturday afternoons until 3:30 or four. Mr. Schiff and Mr. Frank would always be working in the office. I have never known him to have any women in there, or see any drinking going on. I would go to dinner about 1 or 2 o'clock. Mr. Frank would go about 12:30 to one and get back about three. I would stay in the inner office all the time. Mr. Schiff sat right across from me in the inner office. I would go to Montag's and stay about ten or fifteen minutes.

CROSS EXAMINATION.

I quit work at the factory seven or eight months ago to get a better job. Mr. Schiff was with Mr. Frank every Saturday afternoon I was there. I never went back at nights. I have never seen any beer bottles around there. I don't know whether Jim Conley came back after he left there at 10:30 on Thanksgiving Day. I saw him go down the stairs. I did not look for him as I went down. I did not notice him.