BURNS INVESTIGATOR ON THE JOB, SAYS FELDER
Attorney Declares Fund for Employment of the Famous Sleuth Has Reached $1,500 — About $5,000 Is Needed
That the state considers its case practically complete and is prepared to formally charge an individual with the murder of Mary Phagan, setting in motion the legal machinery toward a superior court trial, was strongly suggested Saturday by a pointed remark from Solicitor General Hugh M. Dorsey.
"I have not learned anything new in several days, and do not expect to for some time," he said.
The Solicitor remains occupied nonetheless, with nearly all of his time spent interviewing witnesses and conferring with the detectives still active on the case.
Most of the witnesses being examined are individuals who testified at the inquest or whose names have been connected to the case from the beginning. Among the few whose role has not been fully explained, however, is Ernest A. Muller, an expert accountant from Chattanooga, who has been in Atlanta for approximately ten days.
Muller was summoned before the Solicitor on Friday afternoon and departed the city shortly after their conference. He declined to discuss what was said, but before answering the summons told friends that he presumed the Solicitor wished to consult him in his capacity as a handwriting expert.
Who Wrote the Notes?
Dorsey has remained tight lipped about the role the letters found near Mary Phagan's body will play should anyone be brought to trial. It is understood, however, that the state will contend the notes were not written by Newt Lee, the Negro night watchman whom the Coroner's jury ordered held in connection with the crime.
The Grand Jury is scheduled to convene again next Wednesday, though that session is expected to address only routine business. The Phagan investigation proper is anticipated to begin Thursday or Friday, at which point the Grand Jury will take up the cases of both Lee and Superintendent Leo M. Frank, each committed by the Coroner for further inquiry.
Burns Man Now in Atlanta
One of the most capable investigators in the Burns Agency, a man who worked directly alongside the famous detective during the pursuit of the McNamaras and in several other celebrated cases, is currently in Atlanta working quietly toward a solution to the Phagan mystery. This was confirmed by Attorney T. B. Felder, who has been retained to assist in the prosecution.
Approximately $1,500 has already been subscribed toward what Felder is calling the Burns fund. He estimates the full investigation will require between $4,000 and $5,000, and says he is confident the necessary amount will be raised.
Should the investigator now on the ground secure conclusive evidence identifying Mary Phagan's killer, Felder stated that the personal presence of William Burns himself would not be required, which would reduce the overall cost.
