MISS HELEN KERNS, Sworn In For The Defendant, 52nd To Testify

MISS HELEN KERNS, 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 work for the Dodson Medicine Company as stenographer. My father works for Montag. I took shorthand under Professor Briscoe last winter. I have seen Mr. Frank in his factory. I went there with Professor Briscoe to get a job. I didn't get the position. I was working on the 26th day of April for Bennett Printing Company. That day I got off about 12 o'clock. I then went around in town to the different stores and did some trading. I had an appointment to meet a girl at 1:15 at the corner of Whitehall and Alabama Streets, at Jacobs' Drug Store. About 5 minutes after one I came out of Kress' Store on Whitehall Street. I looked at the clock in front of Freeman's Jewelry Store. I immediately went to Jacobs' corner. I had been standing there about five minutes and I turned around and saw Mr. Frank standing there right up against the building at the corner of Alabama and Whitehall Streets. I do not know how long he had been there. That was about ten minutes after one. After I saw him I waited about ten minutes until my friend came. She was a little behind time. She came about twenty minutes after one. I read about this tragedy about the middle of the week. I then recalled seeing him about that place and told my father.

CROSS EXAMINATION.

Yes, there was a large crowd on the street that day. I had been standing there about five minutes when I turned around and saw Frank. It was not packed and jammed at that time, not up against the building. The procession did not come along until almost three o'clock. There was plenty of room on that corner. I stood there from five minutes after one until twenty minutes after one. After I met my friend we went back to Kress'. I did not speak to Mr. Frank. He was standing up against the building up Alabama Street. It was not real crowded up Alabama Street. You could not stand in the middle of the sidewalk. I got a clear view of Mr. Frank. I don't think he saw me. I don't think he would have recognized me because he sees so many faces every day he would not know mine. I had only met him once. I recognized him. I can't be mistaken about the time I saw him because I looked at the clock just before I got there. When my friend met me we went around the corner. The clock stood twenty minutes after one. Kress' store did not close at 12, because I was in there after 12. I am sure of that. I was watching the clock because I had an appointment at a quarter after one. I left Kress' at five minutes after one and went down Whitehall Street to Jacob's corner. Whitehall Street was badly crowded. It didn't take me more than a minute or a minute and a half to walk down to the corner. It was only a few steps. There was no one standing between Mr. Frank and myself on Alabama Street.