10,000 Swarm Morgue for Mary Phagan, Atlanta Georgian, Mon, Apr 28, 1913, Atlanta, GA, Leo Frank Case portrays the overwhelming response to 13-year-old Mary Phagan’s murder, her strangled body found in the National Pencil Company basement. On Monday, her body at Bloomfield’s chapel, bearing rope marks, attracted 10,000, outstripping Atlanta’s crime history. Before daylight, hundreds gathered, growing to over 1,000 by 8 a.m., with laborers, mothers, and children among them. The Atlanta Constitution reported police reinforcements due to the crowd, estimating 4,000 Sunday and 6,000-7,000 Monday. At 10 a.m., Coroner Donehoo’s inquest began, with the jury—Homer C. Ashford, John Miller, J.C. Hood, C.Y. Sheets, Glenn Dewberry, and Clarence Langford—inspecting the body and crime scene, from basement to tip plant. Deferred until Wednesday, it amplified the Leo Frank case, showcasing 1913 Atlanta’s racial and social unrest.
