The herald., 1895-03-16
ASHES TELL no TALES!'
But Bosom Friends Nearly
Always Do
PERJURY FREELY CHARGED
Mrs. Julia Knox Is Given Her
Liberty
But hrs. Plat Is Put Upon Her Defense
to 0isprove the Serious Charge
Of Arson

tention of Justice Young all day. 1t is
not concluded yet and the defense will
this morning cndeavor to clear away the
cloud which still hangs over Mrs. Platt.
AS to Mrs. Knox she was ordered dis
charged upon the conclusion of the evil
dcncc for tho people.
While the prosecution has introduced
a weight of evidence which may easily
induce the committing magistrate to hold
Mrs. Platt 10 answer, yet it was the con-
sensus OF opinion of those In
the lobby sufficiently disinterested to
Judge impartialy. that unless the prose-
cution can strengthen its case n jury
would hardly convict the accused woman.
The proceedings would undoubtedly
have been much accelerated had it not
been for the frequent and protracted out
bursts of General Pierce, of counsel for
defense who conducted the cross exam
ination of the principal witness for the
people very much as If it were a personal
matter, and tn, reby incurred severe re-
proof from the bench.
The defense has relied very much upon
its theory that this was an examination
for arson. and not one in which the
charge was that of defrauding an insur-
ance company out of the amount OF a
policy. For that reason strenuous efforts
were made on Thursday and again on yes,
terday morning to keep out of the record
the inventory and affidavit of loss sworn
to and subscribed by Mrs. Platt and upon
which the adjustment with the company
was based.
Yesterday morning the document was
identified by c. A. Stewart assistant
manager of tho American insurance Com
pany of New York, and admitted as an
exhibit for the prosecution. The most
important witness of all was then called
to the stand. 1t was Mrs. Minnie Dun
ham. who swore to the charge. She admit
ted being 80 years old. She stated that
she runs lodging and boarding house at
72s South Los Angeles street. In August,
1894, Mrs. Platt told her that she had
rented a house on Pico Heights because
rents were cheaper there. In reply to
question put to her by witness as to why
she was going away out there Mrs. Platt
answered: 'You will see.
A few days after Mrs. Durham had
moved on August 49, from Temple to Los
Angeles street, Mrs. Platt told hel that
she had furnished the Pico Heights resi-
edehoef for the purpose of burning it and
getting the insurance. Witness told her
friend to look out or she would get into
the penitentiary. The reply was that Mrs.
Platt knew what she was about, and that
Mrs. Knox, whose speciality it was to burn
houses, knew also what to do. Three
days after Mrs. Durham had moved to
the house on South Los Angeles she found
q bundle in the clothes press under the
''airway which Mrs. Platt claimed as her
property. 1t contained home made bed
robe and ladies' underwear. In August
the witness found ostrich plumes and
wearing apparel, which Mrs. Platt adj
mitted to be heavily insured. Mrs. Dun
ham had once found, between the mat
tresses. in one of her bed rooms which
had been occupied by Mrs Platt, hand
some bed robe which defendant afterward
presented to her niece, Lulu Dunn.
After the fire, on July 81 Mrs. Patt
came to witness house and told her they
(Mrs. Platt and Mrs. Knox had burned
the house by pouring two cans of kero-
sene on the floor; she also said that the
insurance company had paid her $780, of
which she had paid Mrs Knox $50, her
attorney $3.50, and $50 to sister in San
Francisco. After that Mrs. Platt would
call often and beg Mrs. Durham for
secrecy. One day an officer called, and
while witness answered the door Mrs.
. Platt burned the ostrich plumes and told
Mrs. Durham that ashes tell no tales
During the croSS-eXamination General
Pierce elected from the witness that she
had been a4medium. Mrs. Durham and
the attorney for the defense INDUCED in
interminable arguments, in the guise of,
questions and answers. General Pierce
accused the witness of being too rapid" ~
1t only increased her volubilitv without
ability. 1t was drawn out from her. how
ever, that she had been induced by the in
surance people to swear to the charge of
arson. She admitted that all she knew
about the alleged crime was what Mrs.
Platt had impaired to her She dis
claimed expecting Il Gompensa tion or q re-
ward.
General Pierce inquired why witness,
knowing that Mrs. Platt had burned her
house. had not told the officers. Mrs
Durham replied because she was afraid
that defendant might then burn witness
own property too.
II don't think she could do that"
sneered counsel.
Assistant District Attorney Williams
sprang to his feet and objected to his wit
ness being '.bullyragged:'
Yes, yes, General, " said Justice Young,
III have to ask you to quit that. You
have no right to bullyrag a witness in
that manner, and / will not permit it. -
General Pierce's denial was strong.
81 think the language of this court is en-
tircly too personal, sir. ] am member
OF this Jar in good standing, and | have
rights which even this court is bound to
respect. This prosecution is an infamous
piece of business. The agents OF the in
surance company are trying to send these
ladies to the penitentiary by the black and
blistering, periured testimony of this wit
ness, nearly every word of which is false -
lie eNCtaIL1eu
We'll, sir, answered Justice Young
''this court understands his business. sir.
and will not permit any more such eXhi-
bitions."
Garfield Zeller. a boy who lived across
the way from the burned dwelling had
seen Mrs. Platt move into it. While he
did not say that he had seen all the fur
niture that was moved in. he swore that
he had himself only seen two beds, two
trunks, a sewing machine and an oak
stand carried III. He had never seen a
light in the place after dark. He was not
allowed to answer whether he knew if
any one ever slept in the house. On
cross examination he said that Mrs. Platt
might have slept there, but he did not
think that she stopped at the house at
all.
Frank Dunbar, the son of the COM
planning witness. swore that one day
when Mrs. Platt had called upon his
mother, he went into his bedroom, which
adjoined that of his mother, and heard
the defendant say Il did rot burn the
house. Mrs. Knox burned the house."
The ostrich plume burning episode had
also been witnessed by him. AS he ran
into the room Mrs. Platt was showing the
feathers into the stove. He asked her
what size was doing. and she answered :
Ashes tell no tales Young Durham
said that defendant Platt had brought
numerous packages to his mothers house
and that he himself had seen her conceal
one in closet Even while being under
direct examination witness got hopelessly
enlang]ed as to OATS and he fOundered