Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-06-22
SORRY SHE Is A NEGREss.
Elias Woman Tells How She Tried to I'm
prove Herself.

New York, June 14.-Hannah
Elias, the negress, accused by aged
John II. Platt of having blackmailed
him out of $6S5,000, having been
freed from the criminal charge of ex-
tortion. spent yesterday at her home,
No. 236 Central Park West, getting
ready to take an outing for the sum-
mer.
Her bedroom and parlor on the
second floor have been luxuriously
fitted up for the few days she will
occupy them before going out of
town.
An entirely different air prevailed
in the house. Instead of mystery
chained and barred doors, every.
where there were smiles, mods and a
general desire to talk. Kato, the
japanese major domo Of the estab.
lisbment was much in evidence
dancing about. Callers were freely
admitted and Mrs. Elias, in and ex.
uberance of triumph, gave an inter.
view regarding Mr.. Platt, who now
has pending civil suit to recover a
portion Of his fortune. Mrs. Elias
wore light blue negligee gown,
trimmed with extensive lace, and
Oriental slippers.
"About Mr.. Platt ?" she said, "Oh,
he loved me and | believe he loves
me yet, though his senility makes his
affection pathetic. He would be
calling here yet if it was not for his
relatives. They found he was giving
me money and decided to stop it. l
am afraid they were fearful of their
inheritances. He often told me his
relatives were trying to have guar
dian appointed for him.
s'Mr. Plat told me he loved me as
much as though was his wife. He
would clasp me in his arms and call
me his queen of Sheba, and he said
! should be decked out in all the
Oriental splendor of Sultana.
"l1e forced money on me. He
couldn't be stopped from forcing it
on me, and | never asked him for
one cent. He frequently told me /
should have his fortune, and often
times urged him not to give me ex-
pensive presents and money.
zone day he came and pulled from
his pocket roll of bills amounting
to $4,000. | refused to accept it
and he threw it on the floor. The
cord with which it was tied broke
and an electric fan scattered the bills
over the floor like leaves from a tree
over the lawns. He wouldn't pick it
up; neither would |. | touched a
bell and Kato came in with dust
pan and dumped it in drawer Of
my secretary.
81 only sent for Mr.. Platt when |
wanted his advice. | never sent
word to his brother Isaac in my life
1t was doctor and a lawyer, both
of whom got more than 100000,
who played that contemplate trick.
These two blackmailed not only me,
but Mr.. Platt as we'll. am seeking
complete vindications and | would
not settle the case against me for 10
cents if the opportunity was offered"
Regarding her earlier life and her
efforts to disguise the fact that she
was a negress, Mrs. Elias said :
81 am a negress and everybody
knows it. | am sorry that l am, but
its not my fault. would like to be-
white woman, but | couldn't be
and l did the next best thing. ]
tried to conceal my blood and to
improve myself in the ways of re-
fined society,""
She took from desk number of
copy books such as are used by chill
dren in many of the schools. Turn
ing the pages, she showed her early
efforts in learning to write. Letters
and words were as laboriously writ
ten as though by seven-year-old
child. Finally the copy books were
as well written as by graduate of
fashionable finishing school.
"And, | studied hard, too" the
woman said. "I can speak French,
and studied department and table
manners and other little things that
go to make up refined woman. |
did all this for my own sake because
[ wanted to be as near white
woman as possible. hate negroes.
have never had them, even for SER
wants. My Japs do all my work. /
have nothing to say as to my Phila-
delphia life. l admit was q bad
woman then, but | have repented
and atoned for my transgressions by
charity. have given freely and
without question and to anyone who
called / never gave less than IS. |
have sought out deserving cases. To
one white man whose family was
starving because of his habits | put
him in a cure for drunkenness. When
he came out | secured employment,
for him and now he is made man,
his family is happy and | take great
credit that / was thus able to help
them"
Regarding the parentage of her
last child Mrs. Elias would say moth
ing. She denied that the girl from
Philadelphia, who claimed to be her
child, was her daughter.
Magistrate Ommen has said thai
he was disgusted with the way the
Elias case was presented by the Dis
trict Attorneys staff. Assistant
District Attorney Lord and Ker-
nochan, who had charge of the case,
insist that all the blame rests with
John II. Platt, who they say was a
different man on the stand and at
his home the night the complaint