The herald., 1895-03-23
AURDERDaND THEN BURNED
Ind;as on Trial for the Killing
of Mrs. PIatt
IATTIE LESLIE'S EVIDENCE
The Child Gives Testimony Damaging to
the Defendants
There Was Money In the House and
the Indians Knew 1.-THE
Charred Bones


charged with the murder of Mrs. Mary J.
Platt on the night of September Goth,
last, was commenced. Judges Ross and
Wellborn occupied the bench. The prose-
cution was conducted by United States
Attorney George J. Denis and the defense
by NJ. W. Conklin.
1t will be remembered that the murdered
woman Mrs. Mary J. Platt, was the
teacher at the school on the reservation
near Temecula. Mrs. Platt and her neice,
little Hattie Leslie, lived by themselves
in one portion OF the school house. On
the night of the Goth of last September the
school house was burned down ana the re-
mains of the school mistress afterwards
found among its ashes. Little Hattie
Leslie escaped and it was through the
information given by her that the three
Indians on trial were apprehended.
esterday morning was taken up in
impaneline a jury. In the afternoon
the court room was thronged with large
and interested crowd, many of whom
were friends of the dead woman.
The first witness placed upon the stand
was NJ. j. Shaul of Fallbrook. He testi-
fled that he had known Mrs. Platt for
many years and had seen her only a few
days before her death. On the morning
of September Dist he received news of
the burning of the buildings and that the
teacher could not be found. He at once
drove to Temecula and saw Hattie Leslie
lie heard her story and after lunch
drove to the school house, taking Hattie
with him. The coroner arrived too late
to hold an inquest that night, but i'm
paneled jury which met the following
morning at o clock. Mr.. Shaul stated
that his notice was attracted to peculiar
pile OF ashes in what had formerly been
the kitchen and that he saw the stays Of
corset protruding, also the bones of an
arm. When this heap was investigated
the remains OF the woman were found
underneath. On top of the ashes lay a
long smooth river-bed stone weighing
about eight pounds. pair OF glasses
mains OF a watch and revolver in the
bedroom.
Dr. Wainwright, who is the reservation
surgeon, stated that the most careful eX-
animation OF the surrounding, was made
before the ashes in the interior were
searched. From this it was discovered
that the kitchen door was unlocked.
while the lock on the front door was
found to have been fastened. 'The
school building y continued the Doctor
was built of redwood, which when
burned leaves dark ash. The school
mistress used oak wood as fuel. Oak
wood, when destroyed by fire, leaves a
the place where the body was found was
a mass of these white ashes, proving
that the body OF the school teacher had
been covered with oak wood and then
burned The remains OF the body We're
found in the Kitchen under this pile Of
white ashes. 1t lay between where the
table would have been and the remains
of the stove. The head rested under
one oi the feet on the front of the stove
and the limbs extended toward the kitcE
EN- door. lhc body was almost entirely
destroyed. The back of the skull and
part of the backbone were found together
with the eytremities Of the large bones
and few OF the smaller bones of the
hands and feet On the top OF these ashes
was found the stone which has been men
toned before The Doctor identified
the eyeglasses. watch and revolver, but
stated that no money OF any kind had
been found. He thought that if there
had been any it would have been discov-
cred, the search was so thorough.
DR.. William s. Ruby of Riverside, the
Coroner testified to the finding of tile
remains and identified the relics recov-
cred.
Little Hattie Leslie, the niece of the
deceased woman, was then called to the
witness stand. Hattie is only ten years
old ana has a sweet face, surrounded
with curling brown hair, from which
look out Il dair of bright brown eyes. The
little lady was remarkably sef-posses5ed
for one SO young, and said when asked
if she understood the nature of an oath
that it meant that she should tell the
tr;th District Attorney Denis told her
to tell what happened and she proceeded
as follows:
II lived with my aunt who taught the
school at Pichango. The last time | saw
her was between s and 9 o'clock on the
evening of Sptember 10th last.
That afternoon the three Indians came
to see my aunt. They were Antoine.
Francisco and Mateo Pa. Mateo Pa
couldn't talk English, and the others in
terpreted for him. He told my aunt that
Antoine had come back from the Perris
school because he could not get enough
to eat. Mateo Pa said he wanted to go
to Ferris and see about the matter, and
he asked my aunt to give him some
money. Then he wanted my aunt to go
with him at once. She said she could not,
but il he would wait until Saturday she
would go. He said he couldn't wait, and
my aunt told him to go alone with his
horse and wagon. Mateo then said he
wanted to go by train, and demanded
money, saying she had promised to give
him some. Aunt said she had never
promised him any money, and she
dian or white man. Mateo then said
he would close up the school, and aunt
said the only one that could do that was
the Government. Mateo then went off,
got into his wagon and drove away very
mad.
"Antone and Francisco stayed around
the school building, and after dark they
came in and sat down in the sitting
room, where my aunt was reading by the
machine.
"Some time between and o'clock |
went to bed, and | don't remember any
thing more until ! woke up with fire
burning one of my feet. When | looked
around saw the bed was on fire. | went
into the kitchen and saw another heap OF
fire between the table and the stove.
went outside and called my aunt but
could not find her. Then | went past the
fire in the kitchen. back to my room and
got my doll and some Indian baskets and
then went out of the house. | went across
to an Indian house and got into bed with
some Indian girls | knew The school
house was all burning up by that time.
When | had been in bed about ten min
utes Mateo came in and said the school
house was burning and that they couldn t
find my aunt. | stayed there until the
next morning and went to Fallbrook.
When went to bed there was no pile OF
wood between the table and stove in the
kitchen. Yes aunt had some money; she
had check and several silver dollars and
smaller change. She kept it in the toI
drawer of the bureau in her bed room.
| When | went out of the kitchen after
woke up | found the door unlocked
The testimony of the child was wonder
full in its clearness, and could not be
shaken by the crosse eXamin nation.
If.lt H.. Il. l.