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The Atlanta Constitution,

Tuesday, 24th March 1914,

PAGE 1, COLUMN 5.

Letter Follows an Attack Recently Made Upon Private Detectives by Detective William J. Burns.

Letter Follows an Attack Recently Made Upon Private Detectives by Detective William J. Burns.

LEHON TO TAKE CHARGE IN ABSENCE OF BURNS

Reported That Extraordinary Motion for New Trial for Prisoner Will Be Filed This Week.

Defending the connection of the Pinkerton detectives with the Frank case, a letter has been received by The Constitution from Allan Pinkerton, head of the noted organization, in which reply is made to Detective William J. Burns' repeated attacks upon private detectives who were associated with the Phagan murder investigation.

The letter states that the Pinkertons are not now connected with the case in any phase, and have had nothing to do with it since the trial and conviction of Leo Frank.

The attacks of Burns, so far as they are intended to refer to the Pinkertons, are branded as "absolutely untrue."

The Pinkerton headquarters in New York, the letter reads, has been informed by officials of the Atlanta branch that "parties now on the case" contemplate making an "unjustified attack" through the press on evidence gathered by his competitors.

Now of Court Record.

"Any evidence Pinkerton attach s have on the case," informs the letter," is a matter of court record and those employees will be available whenever required by the court for any testimony they can give."

The letter in full is as follows:

"Editor Constitution:

We inclose herewith a copy of an article published in The New York Sun of Saturday, March 21, relating to the Mary Phagan murder.

(The Sun's article is):

"'Burns says that private detectives are doing their best to hinder his investigation.'"

"Inasmuch as Pinkerton's National Detective Agency performed considerable service on this case in behalf of our clients, the National Pencil Company, and as a detective at present making an investigation of the matter is alleged to have said that 'private detectives are doing their best to hinder his investigation,' we desire to state that we are not now retained in the matter, nor have we been since the trial of Mr. Frank."

"We are writing at this time that we may not be misquoted or misrepresented, as our local representative in Atlanta advises us that he has just been informed that parties now on the case contemplate making an unjustified attack through the press on evidence gathered by his competitors."

"The published reference to private detectives, so far as they may be intended to refer to this Agency or our employees, are absolutely untrue.

Any evidence our employees have is a matter of court record and those employees will be available whenever required by the court for any testimony they can give.

Yours truly, "PINKERTON'S NATIONAL DETECTIVE AGENCY, "ALLAN PINKERTON."

Burns Goes to Gotham.

Detective Burns left Atlanta Monday morning at 11:01 o'clock for New York, where he goes to investigate with Leonard Haas, mysterious phases of the Frank case that have developed in Gotham and other places.

He will return, he stated, within three days.

Upon his departure he assured newspaper men that whoever was guilty of the murder of Mary Phagan would be convincingly disclosed by his investigation.

Dan Lehon, who will take charge of the investigation while his chief is on the present journey, will arrive in Atlanta some time early this morning.

He would have come Monday, except for a day's stopover, which he made in Mississippi.

Guy Biddinger, assistant manager of the Burns Service, will come to Atlanta during the latter part of the week.

Just what particular phases of the investigation Burns will assign to these experts he will not state.

It was rumored Monday that the extraordinary motion for a new trial for Frank will be submitted to Judge Ben Hill during the latter part of the week, although the convicted man's attorneys say they have not decided upon a definite date.

Application Nears Completion.

It is known that the retrial application is nearing completion, and lacks only a few finishing touches.

The return of Reuben Arnold substantiates, in a degree, the probability of an early filing of the motion.

While in New York, Burns and Attorney Haas will interview H. F. Becker, the ex-pencil factory employee, whose name is said by the defense to have been inscribed in one of the murder notes found beside Mary Phagan's body.

Tuesday, 24th March 1914: Allan Pinkerton Defends Agency In Frank Probe, The Atlanta Constitution

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