The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-24
THE PACIFIC COAST.
Sensational Evidence in
a Murder Trial at
Los Angeles.
INDIAN ANTONIO'S STORY
Relates the Confession of Mateo
Pa, Who Said He Killed
Mrs. Platt.
INDIAN ANTONIO'S STORY
VENGEANCE LED TO THE DEED
The Murderer Had Been Refused
Money, and Then Plotted and
Executed the Crime.

LOS ANGELES, March 23.-If any doubt
exists in the minds of jurors sitting in the
United States District Court that Mateo Pa
on the night of September 20 of last year
brutally murdered Mrs. Mary J. Platt, the
former teacher of the Pichango reservation,
it can only be mere shadow of distrust.
Sensational testimony was produced to-
day in the case, which not only clears the
mystery surrounding the crime, but also
tightens the hold of the law on the surly
Indian captain, who is now on trial for his
life
Mateo Pa, Antonio Ashman and another
Indian had been arrested on the charge of
having committed the crime, but on Fri
day United States District Attorney
Dennis dismissed the cases against the
latter two. This proceeding was looked
upon as significant, and the events of to-
day proved it to be of particular value to
the prosecution.
Antonio Ashman went ON the witness
stand this morning and related the con-
fession OF foul murder made to him by
Mateo Pa.
''The day before the fire. he said, "Mrs,
Plat had talk with Pa about going to
Perris. Pa wanted money for railroad
fare and Mrs. Platt had none to give him
"They had quarrel and that night the
fire occurred. Mateo Pa told me that he
had done the work, and threatened TO kill
me if l betrayed him. I was very much
afraid, and did not tell anybody about it
at that time"
Pablo Corales was another important
witness. He testified that he had over
heard Mateo Pa say to Ashman, II did
the work, but don't say anything about it
or will kill you"
AT the close of the case for the Govern
ment the defendants attorney made a
motion to discharge the prisoner on the
ground that the court had no Jurisdiction.
The motion was based on technical
points of law, and the court promptly de-
MED it. Several other witnesses were then
introduced for the defense, and the case
was continued until Monday.
The murder of Mrs Platt was most re-
voting. The teacher was an old lady, and
had spent many years of her life among
the semi-civilized tribes of Indians. She
lived in little cottage of her own on Pi-
change reservation, near the town of Tenn
escal
One day several of the tribe came to her
anu IHdue some unreasonable request,
which was denied. Mrs Platt reasoned
with the Indians, but they went away in
dissatisfied mood. At the old lady's cot
tage Hattie Lewis, the 10-year-old niece of
deceased, was staying.
The little girl went to bed as usual on the
night following the visit of the Indians,
leaving her aunt in the front room read
ing. After time she was awakened by
the smell of smoke and rushed out of the
bedroom. She looked everywhere for her
aunt and failing to find her ran out into
the yard.
As she passed through the kitchen she
saw large pile of fagots in the center of
the floor, but did not stop to examine the
place. The house was then enveloped in
flames. Mrs. Platt was never again seen
alive. A search was made through the
debris after the fire, and in the place where
Hattie had seen the fagots piled on the
floor were found pieces of charred and
broken bones, which were undoubtedlv
those of the reservation teacher. The
skull looked as though it had been crushed
with some hard instrument and the find
ing OF rough rock near by showed con-
clusively that fiendish murder had first
been committed and that the body had
then been consigned to the flames