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

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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.

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