Reuben R. Arnold’s Defense in the 1913 Leo Frank Trial

This video from The American Mercury’s series highlights Reuben R. Arnold’s defense in the 1913 Leo Frank trial for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan in Atlanta. Arnold, with Luther Rosser, argued that antisemitism biased the trial against Frank, the Jewish superintendent. Sourced from the Leo Frank Trial Brief of Evidence, the video details Arnold’s closing arguments on August 22–23, 1913, where he disputed the prosecution’s forensic evidence—blood and hair in the factory—and accused Jim Conley of the crime, calling his testimony unreliable. Arnold emphasized the racial dynamics of the Jim Crow South, where Conley, a Black janitor, was believed over Frank, a white man, due to prejudice. He portrayed Frank as a victim of a biased trial. Despite this, Frank was convicted, lynched in 1915 after a commutation, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was founded. As of May 23, 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 verdict. The video highlights Arnold’s defense as a key moment in justice and bias debates.