The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-14

I have been INDICATED in the criminal
proceeding i am glad to tell you all
about It.
I'm the first place, 1 am, as you
know and as everybody knows, ne
gress ! am sorry that l am, but II Is
not my fault / wanted to be White
woman, but l couldn't be, so l did the
next best thing. l tried TO conceal my
blood and to acquire the ways OF po-
lite society / have done a great deal
in that direction and l think ] have
improved. Let me show you what /
have done"
Mrs. Elias took several copy books
from a drawer and showed what she
had accomplished in penmanship. The
books were dated and the writing,
which began with a miserable scrawl,
ended with specimens that would do
credit to any woman of average edu-
cation.
Il studied French, too" Mrs. Elias
continued. To show her proficiency in
the tongues she uttered several
phrases. 'Oh, l studied so hard, and
l learned to deport myself as became
a woman of refinement. l also stud
! led table manners, and / did all this
for my own sake, because / wanted to
be as nearly like a white woman as l
could. l hate negroes, and l never
even wanted them for servants. That's
the reason / employed japanese"
Questioned about her criminal life
in Philadelphia, Mrs. Elias wept.
! please don't ask me about that" she
begged, for l have tried so hard to live
! il down / was a bad woman God
! knows that is true, but my sins have
been washed away. l have atOned for
my wicked life by giving to charity. l
have given freely and without question
to all who have come to me and l never
gave less than s.. l have looked up de-
serving cases. There was a white man
whose family was starving because of
his drinking. / not only had the father
cured of his habit but got him work,
and he is made man to-day and mis-
family is happy. 1t cost me thousands
but l didn't care for that. l think my
charity has washed out my Philadel-
phia life.
Now about Mr.. Platt. He loved me,
and l believe he still loves me. He
would be calling here if it wasn't for
bis family. They have him in duress,
and he cannot get away. He often told
me loved me as much as If were his
wife, and he would clasp me in his
arms and call me his Queen of Sheba.
He said | should be decked out in ORR
entail style, and he forced money on
me-
why, he couldn't be stopped from
giving it to me, and ! never asked him
for cent or used a threat to him in
my life. Many times ] told him if he
couldn't afford to give me so much, or
If his presents involved him in any
financial trouble, he should not give it
to me. told him l would care just as
much for him, and l would have done
so. too. But he took me in his arms
and said / was the only one who was
true to him and 1 should have it all.
lone day he went down in his pocket
and pulled out a large roll of bills. tied
with a string. There was $4,000 in it,
he said, and he handed it to me. There,
dear, he said, I collected that on a
few outstanding notes. Take it and get
yourself something nice with 1t.
Il told him it was too much, and that
he was too liberal, and gave it back to
him. l said he could buy me a pres
ent, but l did not want so much money
then. He threw the money on the floor
at my feet and the string broke. An
electric fan was going nearby and blew
the bills in every direction. He would
not pick it up and neither would 1.
81 touched a bell and Kato came in
with a dustpan and broom. He took
the money up in the dustpan and then
dumped it in a drawer of my secre-
tary.
Mr.. PIatt was deeply interested in
the furnishings of the house. 1 would
go out and buy rugs, tapestries and
furniture, but he never liked to close
the deal until he had seen the things.
/ never sent a word to his brother Isaac
in my life. Those who did that trick
were a doctor and lawyer" (she mem
toned their namesl who had already
blackmailed me and him out of thou
sands OF dollars. and with their dirty
fortunes slowed away, went to Mr..
Platt's brother and told him all. The
They would send in medical bills for
mythical services, and if they were not
paid the doctors wife would come
around and make threats.
"And the lawyer was just as bad. He
got 100000 from me and $4,000 from
Mr.. Platt. ] can't tell just now what
the doctor and his wife got, but they
received thousands from me. paid one
bill of $4,000 myself
"All j have to say further is that l
am going to fight to the end. 1 have
plenty of money, even if they have the
bulk of my cash tied up. I'll not set
tie under any circumstances, even IL
they offer to accept ten cents on the
dollar"
1t was asserted yesterday by the at
torneys for Mr.. Plat that the civil ac-
ed with vigor, They also said they re-
garded her acquittal on the criminal
charge as a victory for them, as they
had not wished her arrested. One of
the lawyers intimated Mr.. Platt's be-
havior on the witness stand was in lire
with his desire to stop the criminal
prosecution, and that when he testified
in the civil suit a great improvement in
his mental condition would be found.
Those who saw the old millionaire
on the witness stand, however, refuse
to believe he was simuating mental
weakness.
'The District Attorneys office cannot
be blamed because the case fell
through" Assistant District Attorney
Lord said yesterday. when 1 visited
Mr.. Plat in his home he was able TO
swear to sufficient facts TO warrant the
issuing of the warrant He was 4
changed man on the stand. but of
course we could not help that