The Divisive Death of Mary Phagan
The shocking child murder that divided the nation
Mary Phagan was born on June 1, 1899, to a farming family in Florence, Alabama. Her mother was the widow Frances Phagan; Mary’s father succumbed to the measles before she was born. The family found themselves in dire straits and moved to Bellwood, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. Frances ran a boarding house to make ends meet. When she was 10-years-old, Mary dropped out of school and found factory work.
On April 26, 1913, Mary had two things on her mind. First, it was Confederate Memorial Day in Georgia, and she was excited to show off her new dress and watch the parade. Secondly, she had to go to the National Pencil Company and pick up her final paycheck of $1.20 from her boss, Leo Frank. The company laid her off after a shipment of sheet metal failed to arrive. Mary had a late breakfast of cabbage and bread at 11:30 AM, then said goodbye to her mother for the last time. Little Mary wouldn’t live to see the parade.
Murder
On n April 27, at 3:20 AM, night watchman Newt Lee went to the basement of National Pencil Company to clean the “colored” bathrooms. On the floor, amongst the filth of the rarely used basement, Newt discovered the dead body of little Mary Phagan.
