HARRY DENHAM, Sworn In For The Defendant, 48th To Testify

Harry Denham, witness for the Defendant 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)
Harry Denham, fourth-floor machinist, returned Saturday at Mr. Darley’s request to repair varnish machinery while silent. He arrived 7:30 a.m. with Holloway; began hammering a new partition at noon—40 feet from the elevator, making a racket audible building-wide.

11:15 a.m.: May Barrett arrived, stayed 45 minutes.
~12:00 p.m.: Mrs. Freeman & Miss Hall fetched a coat—15 minutes.
12:30 p.m.: Mrs. White visited husband—long talk.
~12:50 p.m.: Frank ascended, told Whites he was “going to dinner” and wanted doors closed; left immediately. Mrs. White followed.
3:00 p.m.: Frank returned—“Are we getting out?” Denham & White washing up.
3:10 p.m.: Denham & White descended; saw Frank at desk writing, lent White $2—calm, normal.

Elevator: No run—no noise, no shake. Wheels visible from fourth floor—stationary all day.
On cross-examination, Denham admitted:

Coroner’s inquest: initially said “never left fourth floor”—mistake; went to first floor 11:15 for band-saw parts.
Hammering drowned office-floor sounds; someone could enter/exit unseen.
Blinds slapped in wind; no internal noise.

Denham’s hour-by-hour log, fourth-floor thunder, and 3:10 p.m. desk sighting turned Conley’s “silent elevator ride” into audible fiction.
A machinist’s hammer became the final nail in the State’s coffin.