The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-09-12
HARRIS AND PLATT ON TRIAL.
The Alleged Blackmailers of E.
E. Crandall in Court.
Judge Ross Excuses Friend Of Har-
ris From the Jury.
Tho Events Leading Up to the ssnsa-
tIonaI Arrest OF tho Defend anita
Related at Leneth-Ths
Days Tostimony.

uirbILCb COutt yoetoruay peiOIc JuuBo
Ross and q jury, and promises TO be
full OF Sensational incidents.
The events leading up to the arrest OF
the defendants are still fresh in the
minds Of newspaper readers. The pros
ecuting witness, e. Z. Crandall, has
been one of the most prominent mer-
/ chants OF Los Angeles.
AS will be very we'll remembered, @.
D. Plat WAS engaged in the jewelry busi-
ness in this city for several years, and
Emil Harris has bsen resident for
years. was at one time chief Of police of
the city, and at the time of his arrest
was conducting private detective
agency.
Harris and Plats were indicted by the
last federal grand jury on charge of
conspiracy to defraud Mr.. Orandall. and
apart of the conspiracy was in the I'M
lawful use of the mails by sending the
following letter to Mr.. Crandall:
SANTA MONICA, CAL, Aug. 3, 1894.
Friend Il. Z. c.
Emil Harris was down to see me. He
says they have reprint or copy OF all
letters, etc. 1t was a woman who was
in the next room at Illioh's. and heard
what WAS said. know her.
You're, G. D. PLATr.
Over-I am offered a good sum to
make the cuts on wood. Harris made
offer.
Addressed 1908 South Main, room So.
E. E. Crsndall. esq, Los Angeles. CAL"
The defendants were arrested as they
were coming out OF Mr.. CrandalPs room
= NelI
Main street, where he had set q trap for
them.
Since the charge was made Harris has
been out on bail. but Platt either could
not or would not give bail, and has re-
manned in the county jail. He looked
sleek and we'll groomed as unual yester-
day morning when he took his seat in
the court room. as also did Emil Harris.
The latter has for counsel Henry Gage
and w. I. Williams, while ex-Judge W.
A. Cheney is counsel for Plat. The
| government side of the case has District
Attorney Denis and Mr.. Will Harris az
| counsel.
| The work of empsneling jury was
somewhat tedious and occupied the en-
| tire morning, being enlivsned some
| what by an unusual incident toward the
close. Eleven jurors had been sworn
and both sides had exhausted their per-
| emptory challenges. The next jlror
| called was Main street cigar merchant
named Sanders. He admitted being &C.
quainted with both the defendants, and
particularly Emil Harris; said that the
defendants brother, Max Harris. had
had desk room in his place several years
ago, and that the defendant has dropped
in every day or 80 since his arrest; but
insisted that he had no strings on him
and could give the defendant an impair
tial trial.
Judge Ross listened carefully to the
answers of the Juror and finally took q
hand in the matter. He said the per-
emptory challenges of each side were
exhausted. 1t was the purpose of the
court to see that there was fair trial {;
he did not believe the Juror should sit
in the case, and he therefore, OF his own
motion, excused him.
The jury as empaneled, special
venire being required. is as follows: E.
J. King. Frank s. Hicks, Robert w.
Pierce, Porter H. Matthews, Daniel P.
Riley, John II. Jones, George H.
Heuck, Charles II. Salisbury. George III.
Norton, w. W. Widney, Charles F.
Stamps and Alvin Rosecrans.
| Il. IIs
a keen, successful business man, was
called to the witness stand as the first
witness. shortly after o'clock, and his
tive manner. His memory was thor.
oughly under control, and he remem-
bered the substance of numerous con-
VIBRATIONS in quite remarkable man
ner.
In August. 1892, ct the time of his re-
ceipt OF the letter which forms the basis
OF the indictment, he was living at the
Calderwood. At that time he had
known both Plat and Harris for several
years, the latter only by sight. The
letter quoted above being handed to
Mr.. CrandAll, he identified it and testi-
fed: re,
81 received the letter the Sd or 4th oil
August. | got it out OF my private let
ter box. The letter was sealed when
received it. Some time in July. 1892,
before l received the letter, had con-
versation with Plat. After receiy ing
the letter l had conversation with Mr..
Plat at Santa Monica"
Mr.. Gage objected to the line OF ex-
animation. He insisted that the gov
| eminent must establish the conspiracy
as the first step.
After a statement by Mr.. Denis that
they would connect the defendants, the
objection was overruled and Mr.. Gran
dali continued:
cater receiving the letter went to
Santa Monica to see Platt about it. He
said Emil Harris had been to see him
about reprints and cuts to be printed in
the Police Gazette-about two columns
there would be. This was at Mr. Platt's
residence in Santa Monica.
"Aitcr that l went to see Mr.. Harris.
l went to his Office. Failed to find him
in. | met him on the street. / had
never spoken to him before that. told
him my name was E. Z. Crandall, and
wanted to ace him about matter oil
business. He said he knew what
wanted to see him about, and it was
something he supposed ! would not
want to talk about on the etreet.
II went to his Office and handed him
the letter. He read it and said that he
had great deal of information in his
possession that would be of injury tc
me. But he would auppress it if paid
him for so doing.
81 told him that it looked like black
mail, and he said l ought not to call it
that.
Before receiving the letter. the middle
OF July, was at Santa Monica one Sun
day. Mr.. Platt was at the pavilion. He
was sitting down, He motioned me Il