Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-11
Discharged Because Of
No Evidence Against Her.
pitiabIe Exhibition by Aged
Millionaire Plat on Stand.
Nervous and Broken Down, Hs
Couldn't ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Elias
Re- arrested on Suit to Recover $685.
o0o-Shc Furnishes $4,000 Bail.

New York. June 10.-Mrs. Hannah
Elias was discharged, late this after
noon, on motion OF Assistant District
Attorney Rand. acting for District At
torney Jerome at the conclusion of the
testimony of John r. Plat, the aged
millionaire, who caused her arrest for
extortion. Mr.. Platt had proved dis
appointing witness. To questions bear
ing directly OH the charges on which
the woman's arrest had been made, he
had answered repeatedly II don't
know" His helplessness and his weak
and apparently unreliable memory sur
prised those who attended his examina-
ton. He did not remember whether
he had given Mrs. Elias large sums
Of money during the past ten years.
IS charged. and did not remember
signing certain Of the papers in con-
nection with his charges against her.
The ordeal had been a trying one for
the aged man and his replies had be-
come scarcely audible toward the last.
AS soon as he had left the witness
chair. Assistant District Attorney
Rand said:
Your honor. I think 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
OH a charge of extortion. recommend
that she be discharged"
Il agree with YOU" said the magis-
trate. Mrs. Elias, you are discharged
Immediately afterward the woman
was rearrested on a writ in the civil
suit originally brought against her by
Mr.. Plat to recover s6SJ0OO She was
released in few minutes on $4,000
hail. and was escorted by two detec-
tives through the crowded corridors
Of the criminal courts building to the
street where her carriage was wait
ing. Several thousand persons, attract
ed by the case, thronged the building
and stood crowded In the streets out
side. Among them were MANY negroes.
When Mr.. Plat. feeble and trembling
and apparently dazed, was helped out
of the building the crowd, hooted and
Kissed. VS. t. f.s
Although announcement had been
made that only those having connection
with the case would be admitted to the
Elias hearing there was an enormous
crowd around the court building long
before the time set for the proceedings
to begin. a police sergeant in charge
of the court squad, found his force in
sufficient and had to call for an extra
detail Of men to hold the crowd In
check.
John r. Platt, the complainant,w was
the first of the principals to enter the
court room.
Mr.. Plat said he was SO years old and
had resided in this city since 1866. He
first met Hannah Elias at the time the
volunteer firemen came on from San
Francisco about is years ago. Some
time later he again met the woman nv
a Third avenue massage establishment
through an advertisement and had kept
with her had been of tender charac-
ter and he bought for her a house and
had given her large sums Of money.
''Shc was your mistress?" asked As
sistant District Attorney Rand.
"She was not my mistress" replied
Mr.. Platt
The aged witness then appeared to
become very much confused and to sew
eral subsequent questions he replied
that he could not remember and re-
ferred the questioner to his attorney.
Asked IL he had not signed paper sew
eral days ago in which he stated that
Mrs. Elias had extorted hundreds of
thousands of dollars from him, he re-
piled that he could not remember. He
had signed a certain paper several
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