Another Modern Analysis:THE OTHER VICTIMS OF THE MARY PHAGAN/LEO FRANK TRAGEDY
Post 1915 Lynching.
Direct Quote:
Lucille Selig
Lucille’s cousin Simon founded the Selig Chemical Company in Atlanta. This Company was sold to National Service Company which was once National Linen service, and is still around today. Lucille moved from Atlanta after the Lynching and returned about 6 years later, in around 1922.
She went to work in the J P Allen Dept store as a sales person. Her Brother In Law was a manager there. When Lucille returned to Atlanta she lived with her Sister and Brother In law. She never remarried. I read where the famous writer, Alfred Uhry remembers Lucille as being one of the older women who was friends with his Grandmother. He is the writer of Driving Miss Daisy and is from Atlanta himself.
I doubt Lucille ever got over the violent loss of her husband. She died April 23, 1957. She requested to be cremated in her will, even though a grave plot immediately next to Leo Frank was reserved for her. Later her ashes were carried around in the trunk of a relatives car until 1964. Even at the time of her death in 1957, they were afraid to give her a public funeral. Her ashes are buried in an unmarked space between her parents headstones in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.
John Slaton
Another victim in this tragedy was Governor John Slaton. After Commuting Leo’s sentence he left Georgia in disgrace, never to be in politics again. Slaton died in 1955 and was interred in the Grant Mausoleum at Oakland Cemetery. Even forty years later the safety and security of his final resting place was a concern.
Alonzo Mann
A third victim was Alonzo Mann. He worked in the pencil factory and saw Mary the day she was killed. He also saw Jim Conley carrying Mary’s body. Alonzo was about 13 or 14 when this happened. He did not tell anyone what he had seen because Conley had threatened to kill him. He did tell his Mom. In the 1980’s Alonzo came forward and told what he had seen on that day many years ago. He took and passed a lie detector test. I consider him a victim too because of the fear and guilt he must have carried for all those years.
I looked up the addresses of Mary, Leo Frank and Alonzo Mann by using the 1913 Atlanta City Directory. However, in 1927 the Street numbers of many houses were changed, and possibly again after that. In 1913 Leo Frank lived with his inlaws the Seligs at 68 E Georgia Avenue. I cross referenced that address and found what it was changed to . The above picture shows the lot that has that changed number. I have recently been in contact with the Atlanta History Center and was told that this may not be correct.
They looked up the Selig residence in 1913 and found where it was on a map. Not just by the number alone. The map indicated that the Selig residence was on E Georgia Avenue between Washington and Pulliam Streets. This area is now under or in very close vicinity of the I-75/I-85 Connector, in the Turner Field area. The same pretty much applies to Mary’s house. Her house was shown on the map to be on Lindsay Street, at the corner of Lindsay and Pelham Streets.
THESE PICTURES ARE OF THE MORE EXACT LOCATION OF WHERE MARY’S HOUSE ONCE WAS
THESE PICTURES ARE OF THE AREA WHERE LEO FRANK ONCE LIVED
MARY PHAGAN’S GRAVE