The American Mercury Chronicles Week Four of the Leo Frank Trial: Defense Witnesses and Verdict

This video, part of The American Mercury’s centennial series, focuses on the latter part of the fourth week (August 18–24, 1913) of the Leo Frank trial, after Frank’s earlier testimony, as the defense presented its final arguments in the murder case of 13-year-old Mary Phagan. Sourced from the Leo Frank Trial Brief of Evidence, it details the defense’s strategy, led by Luther Rosser and Reuben Arnold, to call character witnesses, including factory employees, to vouch for Frank’s integrity, while attempting to discredit Jim Conley’s testimony. The episode also examines the prosecution’s closing arguments, which highlighted forensic evidence like Phagan’s blood and hair, leading to Frank’s conviction on August 25, 1913. Set in a climate of antisemitism claims and public unrest, the trial’s outcome resulted in Frank’s 1915 lynching and the founding of the Anti-Defamation League, a legacy that reshaped American legal discourse.