Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-19
A New York Lawyer Cross Examines
Mr.. T. G. Platt.
His NOVEL WAY OF DOING IT
Testimony in Libel Suit Against
New York World.
I II E seen E P1CTU RED

~ OH know your questions neither
pertinent nor proper. but that they are i'm
pudent and insulting" Senator Thomas {.
Platt uttered these words this morning and
locked squarely into the eyes of Mr.. ]. w.
G!rard, jr., of the law firm of Bowers Il
Sands of New York, an attorney who was
examining him in his ROOM No. 223, at the
Arlington Hotel. Mr.. Girard represented
the New York World the defendant in
libel suit brought by Gen Charles II. L.
Cells. former commissioner of public works
OF New York. The alleged libel was con-
taired in an article published in the World
October q, 1887. headed Coils and P;att
Work Huge Grab and which declared
that in issuing contracts for public work,
particularly asphalt paving. the contractors
were compelled to employ the Fidelity and
Deposit Company of Maryland, of which
Senator Platt's two sens are officials, as
their sureties
Examined in His Room.
Owing to the inability of Senator Piatt to
go to New York, United States Commits
sioner Corcoran Thorn of this city was
authorized to preside at a hearing here. and
it began at $50 this morning in Senator
Platt's big reception room at the Arlington.
Gen. Coils was represented by Mr.. Henry
only Others present We're Stenographer Bos-
well and a reporter for The Evening Star
and one for the World. After Senator Plat
was sworn by Commissioner Thorn, Mr.
Wise interrogated him. Tho $, nator, in re-
ply to the usual questions. stated that he
was resident of Tioga. Oneida county
n. Y: that he was born in 1855, and that
his chief business he regarded as the eX-
press business, being. president of the
United States Express Company. When i'll
tCrrCgdteG about the article in the World
he SAID he had never read it, and thereupon
Mr.. Wise did So
The senator said he had never had any
relations whatever with General Coils.
Asked whether he had any interests in the
Fidelity and Deposit Company. he replied:
Il have never had and have not now any
interests directly or indirectly in that com
pany, except the indirect interest l must
naturally have On account of my sons con-
nectiOn with il.
No Interest in Contracts.
He was asked whether he had any in
terest in the contracts mentioned in the
World article, the latter having alleged
that the boss gets his share on almost
every contract"
The boss is presumably yourself re-
marked Mr.. Wise. and the article also
declares that the Fidelity and Deposit
Company is merely another name for
Thomas c. Plat, because his two sons are
in it How about those contracts?'
Il have no interest. direct remote, in
those contracts, never knew of them and
never heard of them until now
Did you ever, directly or indirectly, have
any correspondence with Charles H. T.
Coils regarding these contracts or the
sureties of the contractors?" asked Mr..
Wise.
Never responded Senator Plat prompt
ly.
CrOss-ENnminatiOn
This closed the direct examination and
Mr. Girard began the cruss-examination.
The lawyer evidently did not propose to
ask any questions at all relevant to the
actual issues at stake. When Mr.. Wise
objected to his very first question, which
was: Senator, what position do you Oc
cupy in New York politcs?' Mr.. Girard
made the point that only the court in New