The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-05-24
THE SEAMY SIDE OF LIFE
PLATT AND HARRIS WILL PLEAD
TODAY.
A Sensational Case That VIII Doubtless
be Fully Investigated in tho In
terest of Social Purity-The
Witnesses subp@naed.

1nls morning anOCnor scene IN tne
somewhat famous case against ex-Chiel
of Police Emil Harris and @. d. Plat
for using the mails for improper pur'
poses, will be enacted in the United
States district court when the two de-
PENDANTS will be srraigned.
Those who have followed the detsile
of this sensational case will rememb Der
that in addition to the above charge,
which is based on letter alleged to
have been written by @. D. Platt to E.
| E. Crandall. we'll known citizen, and
signed "a Lady Friend" that there is
likewise criminal charge of conspiracy
pending against Platt and Harris in the
| justice court. This case is set for hear
ing on June 10Th, and it is anticipated
that the trial of both OF these causes
will develop some rather startling fea-
lures in the way of testimony.
There are plenty OF tales going the
rounds with regard to certain features of
the case, md the arrest of Plat and
Harris has caused more general rat
thing of dry bones than any event that
has transpired in the City OF the Angels
for 10, these many years. As the case
hOW pe0hAot uAAs LIZ IL OAoANall3 WIZ
has presented such a determined front
to Harris and Plat, is the only party
who has been brought into the broad
glare of publicity thus fer in connection
with these cases. Mr.. Crandall is the
defendant in a civil suit brought agsinst
him by his wife, who at about the same
time brought suit against one Mrs.
Thompson, alleging she had slienated
her husbands affections. 1t was relative
to these supposed marital troubles that
it ia claimed Harris and Plat ineffectu-
ally tried to put the thum bscrews on
Mr.. Crandall.
A well-known gentleman who has
been closely watching developments of
the Platt and Harris cases, from a social
purity standpoint, said yesterday: IF
these parties are guilty of blackmail
they should be severely punished, but
there is another feature that should not
be overlooked. There have been lots OF
stories ahoat in Los Angeles about we'll
known persons whose names have been
dragged into the business that should be
either proven or dieproven. Ii they are
true then everv one VINO has been Grim
inally culpable should be prosecuted to
the fullest extent of the law. | have
frequently heard the story that we'll
known man in Los Angeles has been
guilty OF running two young girls en-
ployed in public place much frequent
ed by young girls. If this story be true
the relatives OF those girls would lose no
time in loading up that smooth tongued
erudite scoundrel with lead, but
it is equally to the point that he
should be put on the public
rack and given the full penalty of
the law. There are other allegations
equally as abomineble that are ahoat,
and it is the duty of all God fearing
Christian men and women to urge that
these Villains who pose as conservators
OF mora,e in the business and social
world should be unmarked in all their
incarnate rottenness. The courts should
&c deep into this matter. According to
what has developed Plat and Harris
had long list of persons, as they
claimed to Crandall, that they had ION
the list" for future operations. For this
reason there should be a general clear
ing up Of the moral atmosphere, in Or
der that the guilty may be- punished,
and the innocence of those whose names
have been wrongfully dragged into pub
licity made clear as the noon day SUM-"
1t ia said that large number of those
who were summoned as witnesses be-
fore the grand jury. which has just in.
dicted Platt and Harris, had received
letters supposedly from these two wor-
thies. The witnesses who were exam
ined by the grand jury are E. E. Gran
dali, N. H. Flint, W. L. Harris, Elias
Berman, E. D. Gibson, F. NJ. Arnold, E.
B. Tufts, J. A. Smith and Officers Boz
qui, Benson and Goodman. When the
case was up for hearing before United
States mmissoner Van Dyke. the fol-
lowing witnesses were summoned by the
United States attorney: George A.
Dobinson, president OF the board OF
directors of the public library; Major
w. 9. Furrey, ex Sheriff E. D. Gibson,
Mrs. E. a. Preues, Mr.. and Mrs. NJ. S.
Severance, Mr.. and Mrs. W. F. Cosby.