Dr. S. C. Benedict — Sworn in for the State — 168th Witness to Testify

Dr. S. C. Benedict, witness for the State in rebuttal, at the Trial of Leo Frank in the Fulton County Superior Court of Atlanta, Georgia, in 1913 (Testimony Portion From July 28 - August 21, 1913; Closing Arguments August 21-25, 1913)
Dr. S. C. Benedict, president of the Georgia State Board of Health, testified that State’s Exhibit N accurately reflected the minutes of a prior Board meeting when Dr. J. W. Westmoreland had filed professional misconduct charges against Dr. H. F. Harris (the State’s medical expert). Benedict stated the Board did not wish to reopen the matter. He clarified that Westmoreland’s original charges were not recorded in the minutes, but Harris’s reply and the Board’s final action (dismissing the charges) were.
On cross-examination, Benedict confirmed Harris’s full written reply was not entered in the minutes—only the Board’s response to the charges was documented.
This testimony was offered to bolster Dr. Harris’s credibility by showing that serious professional accusations against him had been officially investigated and rejected by the State Board of Health, countering defense attempts to impeach Harris’s competence or impartiality.