Chapter 21: 2015: 100 years after Leo Frank Lynching Final

Last Updated on July 28, 2024 by Mary Phagan

This old complaint of anti-Semitism [sensationalized atmosphere] continues today even though the ADL's own expert, Steve Oney ANDSR in 2003 said it DID NOT HAPPEN and the DOWNRIGHT LIES continue in order to exonerate Leo Frank! 

A teenager in 1913?

Mary Phagan was a little girl and not until 1944 did Americans start using the word "teenager*".  [*"Teenager" describes a group of people between the ages of 13 and 19 and wasn't used in society until 1944 according to research on internet.]  

It's time to question who writes these markers being placed that are revising history!

In 2015, August 4, Around Town in Marietta Daily Journal

In August 2015, a ginormous neon-cyan colored nighttime Billboard blinded the sky with a message that Leo Frank was innocent.

Around the 100th anniversary of Leo Frank’s lynching, Rabbi Steven Lebow had paid for a billboard that featured a picture of Leo Frank in the Atlanta area stating “Leo Frank is innocent” as a part of his pressure on Georgia political leaders to issue an explicit exoneration of Frank, including a number of high-profile media events. Mary Phagan-Kean’s reaction was strong and to the point (Marietta Daily Journal):

"Among those who likely won’t be attending any of those events is retiree Mary Phagan Kean of Ellijay, the grand-niece and namesake of “Little Mary” Phagan. Kean has served as her family’s spokesperson in recent decades, giving voice to the many here who still think Frank was guilty.

His 1986 pardon was the result of political pressure and *threatened economic pressure, she says. *Economic pressure didn't exist according to former governor Joe Frank Harris files located at the Georgia Archives.  On December 19, 2019, I visited the Georgia Archives and reviewed the files on Former Governor Joe Frank Harris to determine "economic pressure".  Seventy-six letters [76] were written to the Governor regarding the pardon for Leo Frank - only one mentioned "economic pressure"!!!!!

“That’s why they granted it,” Kean said. “They could not prove that Leo Frank was not guilty. (That ruling) was bought and paid for by the supporters of Leo Frank. That rabbi (Lebow) needs to stop all this cr-p. It’s already been decided. He has no clue what he does to our family when he brings this up.”  Who is he? He has no connections to the Frank family, but he is eager to stir up trouble.  Tell him to stop.  He wants a new Marietta?  Well, the new Marietta needs to move on."

Rabbi Steve Lebow of Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb [pictured below].  Lebow says he’s trying to get the lynching marker out of storage for a centennial event planned for next month, but it didn't happen until August 23, 2018.

Rabbi Lebow is very active in the cause of Leo Frank, and says of the pardon, “That's not enough.” He wants Frank to be declared innocent and will ask the Georgia General Assembly, Cobb County and the city of Marietta to exonerate Frank.

Rabbi Lebow stated August 11, 2015, in Around Town, Marietta Daily Journal:  "I am under no illusion that Frank would be exonerated by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, and I presume that ship has sailed.  There is no going back for a new pardon."

Lebow is seeking a political solution, ["political bullying"] not a legal one:  "What I'd like to see is a statement either from the governor or declaration by the Georgia House and Senate that would be something like --------'Resolved: in light of historical research, it is fair to assume that Leo M. Frank was innocent of all charges.'  Nothing more ---but nothing less.

"I think a simple statement like the one above would be the best we could do towards exoneration.  If such a statement were to emerge as a non-binding resolution, I think we could all move on." 

Historical Research? 

"We came to demand that Leo Frank's name finally be cleared; it's been 100 years, and every historian now knows that he was innocent."[August 17, 2015, MDJ]

What historical research and by whom?  Most of the calls for exoneration of Leo Frank are made by *Jewish American Revisionists scholars of the Leo Frank Case *[C.P. Connolly, The Truth About the Frank Case, 1914[*3Charles and Louise Samuels, Night Fell on Georgia, 1956]; [Steve Oney, And the Dead Shall Rise, 2003],  [*Leonard Dinnerstein, The Leo Frank Case, 1991 Special] [*Harry Golden,  A Little Girl is Dead, 1965]; [*Elaine Marie Alphin, An Unspeakable Crime, 2010];[*Jeffrey Melnick, Black-Jewish Relations on Trial; Leo Frank and Jim Conley in the New South, 2000]; [*Donald Wilkes Flagpole Magazine, May 5, 2004]; [Former Governor Roy Barnes, Mercer Law, November 2019] whose historical research is a deliberate effort to deceive with fabrication of data, misrepresentation of historical sources, and suppression of truth.   Frank was convicted because he was a sexual predator and murderer.

On August 17, 2015, at Temple Kol Emeth Rabbi Lebow calls for Governor Nathan deal to clear Frank's name once and for all. "Rabbi Lebow is also circulating a petition on the Internet but there is no support! [less than 200 signatures]. 

It is quite obvious Rabbi Lebow doesn't know the facts about the trial [has he read the Brief of Evidence?  Newspaper articles from the Atlanta Journal, Atlanta Constitution and Atlanta Georgian 1913?  Appeals?  Georgia Supreme Court and U. S. Supreme Court?] and falsely states:

"Frank was subsequently convicted on false testimony, given on the stand by many suspect to be the real murderer, Jim Conley.

Frank's trial, from beginning to end, was a legal farce.  Witnesses were coerced to say they had seen Leo Frank with the girl that day. Then many of those witnesses later recanted their story. The forensic evidence had been "cooked". The jury was instructed that the girl's hair and blood had been found next to Frank's office.

Convinced that the entire trial had been a sham, Governor Slaton mounted an independent investigation of the crime. Slaton's conclusion was inescapable; Frank had been falsely accused and then wrongly convicted. 

 Slaton's Commutation Order 

Slaton read the entire trial transcript and his conclusion found no errors and did not state Frank had been falsely accused and then wrongly convicted.

This “reasoning” and “facts” is what Leo Frank supporters:  ADL, former Governor Roy Barnes, Rabbi Lebow, and others consistently claim.

Timeline of events for the 100th anniversary of Leo Frank lynching:

Around Town, Marietta Daily Journal, August 4, 2015

"Thursday, August 13:  Earl Smith Strand on the Square; 8:00 p.m. Georgia Historical Society will present "The Ghost of Leo Frank: Reckoning with Georgia's Most Infamous Murders 100 years Later."

Guest will be Steve Oney, author of And the Dead Shall rise:  The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank." Others will include GHS senior historian Stan Deaton and historian Dr. Elaine B. Andrews.

On Saturday, August 15, senior assistant Attorney General, Van Pearlberg will present a free lecture at 7:00 p.m. on the Frank Case at Congregation Ner Tamid, 1349 Old Highway 41m Suite 220 in Marietta.

On Sunday, August 16, Lebow's "Leo Frank Exoneration Memorial Service will be 2:00 pm at Temple Kol Emeth in east cobb.  Speakers include Georgia Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson, Van Pearlberg, Cobb Superior Court Chief Justice Stephen Schuster, and Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee.

At 6:00 p.m. later that day, The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw will host a VIP reception for its new exhibit "Seeking Justice" with speakers former Governor Roy Barnes and Dr. Marni Davis of Georgia State University."

Nathan Deal Letter

Mary Phagan-Kean
498 Ebenezer Road
Ellijay, Georgia 30536
August 19, 2015

Governor Nathan Deal
Office of the Governor
206 Washington Street
111 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Re: Leo Frank Political Solution

Dear Governor Deal:
My name is Mary Phagan-Kean and I am the great-niece and namesake of" Little Mary Phagan" who was raped and murdered by Leo Frank on April 26, 1913.

The Phagan family has no objection to anyone expressing their opinions on this case but we do insist organizations /personal campaigns preserve history by making sure that the truth and facts are not distorted to "use this case for their own purposes/prejudicial purposes". For over 100 years, each decade brought forth new "historical evidence" to exonerate Leo Frank. The Phagan family has stated since 1982 if there was clear-cut evidence to clear Leo Frank, we would come forward and ask for exoneration. However, the historical evidence has never come to light.

I am sure that you are aware of the personal campaign by Rabbi Steven Lebow to completely EXONERATE Leo Frank.

Please consider the following facts:
1. Rabbi Lebow is in no way related to Leo Frank.
2. Rabbi Lebow has a personal campaign (public dignitaries, billboards, t-shirts, coca cola bottles, social media, etc.) to exonerate Leo Frank based on distortions/untruths and manipulation of facts. For example, tactics include:
a. Claims of anti-semitism during the trial of Leo Frank.
In the fifth volume of Cahan's memoirs, published in Yiddish in 1931, Leo Frank,
himself, states: ""Anti-Semitism is absolutely not the reason for this libel that has been framed against me:' Frank told Cahan. "It isn't the source nor the result of this sad story."
b. Captions from the original newspaper pictures of the day have been modified to support their propaganda/agenda.
c. Markers/plaques have been replaced and omit information leading the reader to believe that Leo Frank was pardoned for the murder of "Little Mary Phagan."

Rabbi Lebow states he is going to seek a "political solution" for Leo Frank.
See Marietta Daily Journal dated August 11, 2015:
"I am under no illusion that Frank would be exonerated by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles," he said. "I presume that ship has sailed. There is no going back for a new pardon."
He goes on to say:

What I'd like to see is a statement either from the governor or a nonbinding statement of declaration by the Georgia House and Senate that would be something like this'
"Resolved, In light of historical research, it is fair to assume that Leo M. Frank was innocent of all charges." Nothing more - nothing less. "I think a simple statement like the one above would be the best we could do towards an exoneration. "If such a statement were to emerge as a nonbinding resolution, then I think we could all move on.

"Fair to assume"? There is no place for assumption in an exoneration/statement/declaration.

According to CBS News Channel 46 on August 17, 2015, Rabbi Steven Lebow refers to the "new historical research" from the 1982 Alonzo Mann affidavit.

The historical research referenced by Rabbi Lebow has already been addressed by the State Board of Pardons and Parole Board on March 11, 1986.

In 1983, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles considered a request for a Pardon implying innocence but did not find "conclusive evidence proving beyond any doubt that Frank was innocent." Such a standard of proof, especially for a 70year-old case, is almost impossible to satisfy.

Without attempting to address the question of quilt or innocence, and in recognition of the State's failure to protect the person of Leo M. Frank and thereby preserve his opportunity for* continued legal appeal of his conviction, and in recognition of the State's failure to bring his killers to justice, and as an effort to heal old wounds, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, in compliance with its Constitutional and statutory authority, hereby grants to Leo M. Frank a Pardon."
*It should be noted that Leo Frank's appeals were exhausted and no new evidence has come forward

The fact is that Leo M. Frank is guilty and is the convicted murderer of Little Mary Phagan according to historical evidence: trial, appeal process.

If Rabbi Lebow wants an exoneration (to clear or absolve from blame or a criminal charge), he needs to go through the Georgia State Pardons and Parole according to the Georgia Constitution:
Article IV Section II proves his innocence of the crime for which he was convicted under Georgia law" with facts and evidence not political bullying! The good people of Georgia can make up their own mind with regards to Leo Frank's innocence or guilt by delving into the historical research themselves.

Respectfully,

Mary Phagan-Kean; mphagank@aol.com, 706-273-1793

cc: Georgia State Speaker of the House, District 7: The Honorable David Ralston
     Georgia State Senate President Pro Tempore: The Honorable David Shafer

Georgia State Senator District 51:  the Honorable Steve Gooch 

Nathan Deal leaning against pardon for Leo Frank

August 20, 2015 Atlanta Journal/Constitution

A former governor, an ex-Georgia Supreme Court chief and a slew of other notable officials have urged state leaders in recent days to grant Leo Frank a full pardon for the 1913 murder of a teenage factory worker.

But it's not likely to get very far without the support of Gov. Nathan Deal, who appoints the pardons and parole board and can request that they act. On Tuesday, Deal indicated he has little appetite to reopen the case.

"I feel like we have let things run their own course, and this one has done so," he said.

A little backstory: Frank was a Jewish factory superintendent convicted of the 1913 murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan on circumstantial evidence as much of the city was wrapped up in racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric. His death sentence was commuted by Governor Slaton but he was seized by a Marietta posse and strung up on an oak tree along where Interstate 75 now runs.

As he decides whether to intervene, Deal said he will discuss the case with Attorney General Sam Olens -- an interesting qualifier, given that Olens is Jewish.

(Olens said through a spokesman that he'd happily discuss the case with the governor when asked. A parole board spokesman said it hasn't received any requests to reopen the case.)

But the governor said he's uncomfortable with "some of the rhetoric associated with the justification" of the pardon.

When pressed on what he meant, Deal added: "When you hear someone start saying this is an indication we should do away with the death penalty in Georgia, those are collateral issues. If they associate it with this, they're doing harm to their own argument."

He's referring to Norman Fletcher, the former chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and ardent opponent of capital punishment.

Fletcher told a panel discussing the Frank Case Sunday that Georgia should "end the practice of the state doing the same thing as the accused: taking the life of a human being, created in the image of God."

***

On September 15, 2015, Marietta Daily Journal  Opinion

Reader's had enough of Leo Frank 'nonsense'

Dear Editor:

I have patiently waited for the "centennial" of the Leo Frank case to pass, waiting for the nonsense to end, but Rabbi Steven Lebow's letter in last Tuesday's MDJ stirred me to write.  You might as well say "Oh, look, here is where are great grandparents had their outhouse, let's go wallow int it."

An exoneration of Leo Frank, who is dead, by people who weren't even born when he was lynched is meaningless. The lynching was questionably wrong.  Without hearing all the evidence, we have no way of knowing he was wrongfully convicted.

There is nothing we can mitigate the wrong that was done.  If you feel you need to apologize to Frank, go to his grave and apologize.  The public wringing of hands is meaningless posturing.

If you are inspired by this case, look at what is going in our community today and protest what is being done to Jews today.  If you look, I think you will see evidence of trying to keep Jews "in their place."  Thomas Sukalac, Powder Springs