Hugh M. Dorsey’s Closing Arguments in the 1913 Leo Frank Trial: The American Mercury’s Review part 3

This video from The American Mercury’s series presents Hugh M. Dorsey’s closing arguments in the 1913 Leo Frank trial for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan in Atlanta. Spanning nine hours on August 22, 23, and 25, 1913, Dorsey’s arguments, sourced from the Leo Frank Trial Brief of Evidence, focused on forensic evidence—blood and hair in the factory—and Jim Conley’s testimony, claiming Frank ordered him to move Phagan’s body. Dorsey dismissed antisemitism allegations, noting his respect for Jewish figures, and argued Frank’s behavior, like refusing to confront Conley, indicated guilt. He countered defense claims by Luther Rosser and Reuben Arnold, highlighting factory girls’ testimonies about Frank’s character. The trial concluded with Frank’s conviction, his 1915 lynching after a commutation, and the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) founding. The video addresses the racial dynamics of the Jim Crow South, where Conley, a Black man, was believed over Frank, a white Jewish man, due to the evidence’s strength. As of May 22, 2025, the case remains contentious, with the Georgia Innocence Project advocating for exoneration, opposed by Phagan’s family. X discussions show division, with some citing Alonzo Mann’s 1982 affidavit implicating Conley, while others support the trial’s verdict. The video frames Dorsey’s arguments as a critical examination of justice and bias.