Evening journal., 1905-01-19
PLETT WAS VERY
GENEROUS TO HER
Hannah Elias, the Negress,
Tells the Story of Her
Life in Court
SAYS SHE HAS N0TRlNG TO HIDE

New York, Jan. 19.--Hannnh Elias.
the negress whom aged john r. Platt
is suing to compel har 10 return $685.
900. which he cinims she extorted
from him during an acquaintance OF
20 years. told the story OF her life
before Justice O'Gorman in the SUI
preme court, where the suit is on
trial. II was an extraordinary tale
Of sudden elevation from The lowest
and most vicious surroundings TO q
position Of afluence, whore money
was literally rained upon her. and
where she had everything that great
wealth could provide. She declared
that she had nothing to conceal, and
insisted that every dollar that Platt
gave her had been given voluntarily.
She believed. she said, that she was
under no obligations to return any
part of the money which she pos
sesses. How much money Platt gave
her she could not say, even approxi'
mately. as she never kept any ac-
count Of his gifts, which we're made
IN large sums at frequent intervals
during their entire acquaintance. Mr.
Platt was very generous. even from
the first, she said, but he became more
so after the death Of his wife, in 1898.
He told her al that time that he want
ed to provide for her handsomely, and
explained that If he mentioned her
in bis will a contest might result He
had decided. therefore. 10 give her a
great deal Of money while he was yet
alive. He advised her 20 invest this
money carefully, and suggested that
Il might be well for her TO place a
considerable portion Of It in savings
banks. She said that the old man
always had been very kind TO her
but that he was even more tender
after the death Of his wife, and show
ed her many little attentions that had
been lacking before. Six months after
his wifes death he gave the witness
Mrs. Platt's watch and pocket-book
She identified these articles when
they were produced by Mr. Black.
Mrs Elias apparently made no at
tempt to cover the details of her early
life. She answered readily every ques-
tion by her counsel as to her methods
OF life in Philadelphia andzimmediate-
ly coming to this city, and admitted
that she had served two terms In
prison, one in Philadelphia for larceny
and the other in this city for disorder
iy conduct
It developed during the examina.
ton Of witnesses that Mrs. Elias had
distributed her easily acquired wealth
with a free hand among those who
had been Of assistance to her. Law
yer August c. Nanse said she had paid
him s20.0OD in fees; Lawyer Washing
ton Brauns received from her more
than $4,000 in fees She paid more
than 100000 70 one firm for carpets
and furniture. A man who acted as
godfather at the christening OF her
child received a present OF $1,000. and
when the child died Il was placed In
a mausoleum. which she erected at a
cost of $4,000. Il appears from the
testimony also that John r. platt had
paid Lawyer Nanse $500 in connec
tion with suits in which the lawyer
was interested
Patrick W Dugan. an upholsterel
who did much work for Mrs. Elias
said that John r. Platt made him q
present Of a $500 bill every Christmas
for three years, because he had beer
good TO Dolly" He explained thai
Dolly was the name by which Mr.
Platt always addressed Mrs Elias
She called him papa. Platt had offer
ed him more money when he called Al
his ONCE to tell him about Mrs. Elias
but he declined it. He said that OF
the occasions Of those visits Plat hat
told him that he thought a great dea
Of Mrs. Elias. Dugan said that Mrs
elias had given him about $500 a yea
in presents during the past eigh
years.