The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-11
HANNAH ELIAS
WAS DISMISSED
PLATT WAS WANDERING
IN THE TESTIMONY HE GAVE
AGAINST THE WOMAN.

Aged Millionaire Who Caused the
tiOn, Could Give no Testimony
Warranting Her Being Held on
Criminal Charge - Relations BE-
tween Accused and Her Accuser.
Hannah Arrested on the Civil Pro-
cess.
New York, June 10.-Hannah Elias, a
negro woman, was discharged late this
afternoon on motion of Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Rand, acting for District
Attorney Jerome, at the conclusion of
the testimony of John r. Platt, the
aged millionaire who caused her arrest
for extortion.
Mr.. Platt proved disappointing wit
ness. To questions bearing directly on
the charges on which the womans an
swer had been made he answered re-
peatedly: Il don't know" His help
lessness and his apparently unreliable
memory surprised those who attended
his examination. He did not remember
whether he had given Hannah large
sums of money during the past ten
years as charged, and did not remem-
ber signing certain of the papers in
connection with his charges against
her.
The ordeal was a trying one for the
aged man and his replies became
scarcely audible toward the last As
soon as he had left the witness chair,
Assistant District Attorney Rand said:
Your honor, thing the parties to
this miserable scandal ought to be al
lowed to stew in their own grease.
There is no evidence before you that
will possibly serve to hold this woman
on charge of extortion. I recon-
mend that she be discharged"
The magistrate thereupon discharged
the woman.
On Another Writ.
Immediately afterwards Hannah was
re-arrested on a writ in the civil suit
originally brought against her by Mr.
Platt to recover $65s,OO She was re-
leased a few minutes later on $4,000
bail and was escorted by two detectives
through the crowded corridors of the
criminal courts building to the street,
where her carriage was waiting. Sew
eral thousand persons, among them
hundreds of negroes, attracted by the
case, thronged the building and stood
crowded in the street outside.
When Mr.. Platt, feeble and tremblipg
and apparently dazed, was helped out
of the building, the crowd hooted and
hiSSed
Mr.. Platt in his testimony said he
first met Hannah Elias about fifteen
years ago. Some time later, he again
met the woman at a Third avenue
massage establishment through an ad-
vertisement and had kept up the ac-
quaintance since. His relations with
her had been of a tender character
and he had bought for her a house
and had given her large sums of
money.
'She was your mistress?" asked AS
sistant District Attorney Rand.
'She was not my mistress" replied
Mr.. Platt.
Gave Her $500 Last Month.
The aged witness then appeared to
become very much confused and TO sew
eral subsequent questions he replied
that he could not reBlember and refer
red the questioner TO his attorney.
MT. Fldtt would not give direct an
swer to a question as to whether he
had paid the woman more than $780,
600 since. January. 1896. but did re-
member that he gave her $500 last
month. This payment was made, he
said, because she told him she was
being sued and would have to go TO
court and expose him unless the money
was paid. She told him that IL she was
taken to court she would be Obliged
TO testify as to her relations with the
witness.
What we're those relations?" asked
Mr.. Rand.
Business.
Ibid you not pay her because OF re-
lations of more tender character than
doctor and patientg"
Il had relations with her and paid
sums Of money" replied Mr. Piatt.
II gave her. the money because she
said she would be put out"
did you give her the money will
inRlv7'
YES"
Mr. Osborne. attorney for the wom-
an. admitted that she had received the
81. 800 mentioned IN the complaint, but
said that II was not given her By rea-
son Of any threats.