New-York tribune., 1904-10-18
JOHN R. PLATT SELLS.
Rockefeller Gets Home of Man
Suing Mrs. Hannah Elias.

That William Rockefeller IS determined that h.s
plans to protect the residential character Of Fifty
foUrth-st. between Fifth and Madison aves shall
not be further upset was clearly shown yesterday.
when he bought No. East Fifty-fourth-st. four
story dwelling house, on lot 25x1005 feet, through
William A White & Son. John r Platt. the octO-
genarian who IN last May brought suit against
Mrs. Hannah Elias. the negress to recover from
her the sum OF S6S5.OoO which he alleged she had
extorted frcm him by fraud and threats of bodily
violence, was the seller.
Mr.. Platt has occlpied the house for a number
Of years. With this purchase NJ Rockefeller and
other property owners who have heen prominent
with him in the movement against the Hotel St
Regis occupying large plot at the southeast cor
Eer Of Fifty-hfth-st. and FIfth-ave.. have bought
property valued at nearly half million dollars to
attain their object The lot which the Platt
house stands is assessed at $500 and the house
and lot at Sic3000 Il is thought that Mr.. Platt
obtained a much larger sum for the property than
he would have got # the St Regis controversy
dead issue
The line Of resistance formed by property owners
in Fifty-fourth-st. against possible effort 10 gain
an entrance in the street for the St Regis or an
other hotel now appears 70 be impregnable The
house occupied by Nr. Rockefeller is az the north
east corner of kifty-fourth-st. and Fifth-ave. He
owns the Fifth-ave house adjoining his home, and
besides he holds the feet to the premises Nos 8
and East FIity-f0urth-st Those parcels form a
plot having frontage Of about 80 feet IN Fifth
ave and ll5 feet in inc street. No East Fifty
fourth-st. is owned by Andrew Z. Douglass No. II
by DR. Robert = Weir. and the premises Nos.
l3 and Is John r. DreXel Is building a house for
his own occupancy IN bIfty-iifth- St a plot ad-
joining the 81. Regis site was bought 10y the prop
erty owners who want 10 preserve the residential
character o. the block. and later sold By them II
was agreed, il is said. that the purchaser should
pulld dwelling house on the parcel. On the eELst
half OF the parcel Il dwelling house built, and
on the west Aals Al. addition 10 the hotel Is said
be under way. The dwelling house on the plot will
prevent, II ls thought. further extension Of the
hotel toward the east and the Fiftyfourth-st line
Of resistance the blding OF a Fitty-fourth-st. ad-
dltlon 10 the hotel. So far us known Colonel Astor
however. has no iutentIon Of trying build such
additions
The next thing the property owners hope 70 do
IS 10 nave the HQuOs license of the hotel revoked
Il is three years ago since Colonel John Jacot
Astor bought the Old Thorne property the south
east corner Of Flfty-hth-st. and Eifth-ave. and
SAID ne would build hotel on the site The an
noGncenel!t aroused the property owners TO action
ana they have never Jagged or given up hope Of
one day being successful When the question a.
70 whether or not the hOte! could get a liquor
Incense arose surveys We're made which showed
that the tifth-aye entrance of the hotel and the
entrances 10 tho Fifth Avenue Presbyterian
Church, diagonally opposite. were not 21) feet
( apart. Then addition the hotel was built I'm
Fifty-fifth-st that a main entrance there would
be outside OF the 200 feet limit. The F1fth-ave
entrance was closed. It IS stil coutented that the
liquor license should be revoked az the Fifth-ave
entrance, though closed is yet the main entrance