The American Mercury’s Comprehensive Review of the 1913 Leo Frank Murder Trial

This video, produced by The American Mercury, offers an in-depth exploration of the 1913 Leo Frank trial, a landmark case centered on the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan at the National Pencil Company in Atlanta, Georgia. Drawing from primary sources such as the Leo Frank Trial Brief of Evidence and contemporary court records, the presentation provides a detailed account of the trial’s key moments, from the discovery of Phagan’s body in the factory basement to the conviction of Leo Frank, the Jewish superintendent accused of her rape and murder. It examines pivotal testimonies, including that of Jim Conley, a janitor whose statements implicated Frank, and Monteen Stover, whose account challenged Frank’s alibi. The video also addresses the trial’s broader context, marked by intense media scrutiny, allegations of antisemitism, and racial tensions in the Jim Crow South. Highlighting the prosecution’s case—built on circumstantial evidence like Phagan’s blood and hair found in the factory—and the defense’s struggles, it covers the trial’s outcome, Frank’s death sentence commutation by Governor John Slaton, and his subsequent lynching in 1915. Additionally, it explores the case’s lasting impact, including the establishment of the Anti-Defamation League.