L S DOBBS, Sworn In For The State, 4th To Testify

L. S. Dobbs, witness for the State, 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)
Sergeant L. S. Dobbs arrived at the National Pencil Company ~3:30 a.m., April 27.
Basement

150 ft from ladder to body—face-down, left side, cord sunk in neck, underclothing loose.
Tongue: Slightly protruding.
Head wound: Dry blood; face punctured/swollen.
Notes: 6–8 inches apart, near head—scratch pad detached.
Hat/shoe: Trash pile, ribbons gone.
Drag marks: From elevator—continuous to body.
Back door: Staple prized, hasp bent slightly.

Cross-examination

White vs. black: Unclear until dust wiped, knee skin checked.
Lee: Could see “bulk”—not face—day/night experiments.
Ladder: Too narrow for two; scuttle hole tight.
No blood on sawdust/ground.
Handkerchief: 10–15 ft beyond body, bloody, 10–15 minutes later.

Re-direct

Trap door closed—cobwebs/dust.
Elevator: Second floor; Lee couldn’t run.

Dobbs’s “drag from elevator”, “prized staple”, and “closed trap” became State’s crime path.
Defense shredded: No blood trail, tight ladder, Lee’s limited view, late handkerchief.
Sergeant’s “drag” turned prosecution’s “basement drop” into defense impossibility.