Audio Book: The Frank Case, part 2

A photograph of Leo Frank, as published in *The Frank Case*

THE AMERICAN MERCURY now presents the second part (of three parts) of our audio version of what is probably the most hard-to-find book on the murder of Mary Phagan and the trial of Leo Frank — 1913’s anonymously published The Frank Case — read by Vanessa Neubauer.

The Frank Case: Inside Story of Georgia’s Greatest Murder Mystery now continues as we get into the detailed story of the trial itself.

One very interesting thing strikes me about this section of the book. Even though the book, I find, is moderately pro-Frank, what it reveals about the atmosphere surrounding the trial tends to strongly disprove the modern “Frank was railroaded by anti-Semitic Southern Whites” theory.

The book states that, after Mrs. Frank attacked the prosecutor, Hugh Dorsey, in an open letter during the proceedings, the phrase “Dorsey is prejudiced [against Jews]” could be heard “on the lips of men all over the city.” That doesn’t fit with the idea that Atlantans were strongly anti-Semitic. And they weren’t: Numerous Jews have said that the South then, as now, was the most pro-Jewish area in the country.
The book goes on to say that “many on the street sympathized with Mrs. Frank’s letter denouncing Dorsey,” which reinforces the previous point.
Even though the crowds surrounding and eager to get into the courtroom are described in the book — and remember, The Frank Case was published in the city where the trial took place, just weeks after it ended — nowhere are the supposed “anti-Jewish mobs” surrounding the courthouse, screaming “hang the Jew or we’ll hang you” mentioned. They were not mentioned because they did not exist. The “screaming mobs” are the product of the well-oiled and heavily-funded pro-Frank propaganda machine. That propaganda machine was begun in 1913 by cynical advertising mogul Albert Lasker (who was paid hundreds of thousands for supporting Frank even though in private he suspected Frank was a sexual pervert) and continues today under the aegis of the “mainstream” media and pressure groups like the ADL. (The ADL was founded by the B’nai B’rith, of which Leo Frank was an official at the time of his crime and conviction.)

We at the Mercury are offering this audio book in three parts in April of the year 2020, in commemoration of the life of young Mary Phagan, who died at the hands of Leo Frank on 26 April, 1913 — 107 years ago this month.

To hear part 2 of The Frank Case, simply press the play button on your screen.