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Thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan is found raped and murdered in the basement of the Atlanta, Georgia, pencil factory where she worked
Thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan is found raped and murdered in the basement of the Atlanta, Georgia, pencil factory where she worked. Her murder later led to one of the most disgraceful episodes of bigotry, injustice, and mob violence in American history. Next to her body were two small notes that pinned the crime on Newt Lee, the night watchman. Lee was arrested, but it quickly became evident that the notes were a crude attempt by Jim Conley, the factory's janitor, to cover up his own crime. Conley then decided to shift the blame toward Leo Frank, the Jewish owner of the factory. Despite the absurdity of Conley's claims, they nevertheless took hold. The case's prosecutor was Hugh Dorsey, a notorious bigot and friend of Georgia's populist leader, Tom Watson. Reportedly, Watson told Dorsey, "Hell, we can lynch a n****r anytime in Georgia, but when do we get the chance to hang a Yankee Jew?" Frank was tried by Judge Leonard Roan, who allowed the blatantly unfair t