The Washington times., 1905-01-19


fourteen to be a servant in the home of /
a wealthy family.
The picture of wealth and ease the |
young girl saw in the home in which i
she worked impressed itself on her |
mind. Although handicapped by condi- /
ton and color from equal position, the /
girl determined her life would not be |
one of drudgery, and she had not been !
in her first position three months be- |
fore she made attempt at emulating /
the manners and dress of her employ |
eTS. /
Wore Mistress Gown at Ball
There was ball in Philadelphia |
which was attended by the colored aris- |
tocracy of that town. If she could not |
rise to a position of equality with white |
folk, the young girl-it was Hannah f,
Elias-determined at least to be on
par with the highest of her own race. |
She decided to attend the ball. and in
dress. if not personality, outshine her
sisters.
So she helped herself to the wardrobe
of her mistress and went to the ball
Her success was instant Flattered
by the men and enyied by the women,
her cup of happiness was full She de-
cided not to return to the home of her
mistress. The result was she was ar
rested and convicted Of larceny AMI
sent to the penitentiary for four months.
But her term in prison did not dampen
her ardor to shine. Her life for the
next six years was one of degradation
She met Frank Sajterf1eId, porter.
They lived together as man and wife.
but he got tired of her and came to
this city She followed him and ac-
cused him. There was a quarrel which
resulted in Hannah Elias being sent to
Blackweifs Island for a month When
c Ha r. >syr7e t1n- OH
second one) and she returned TO Phil
adelphia.
Great Incident OF Her Life.
About year later she returned to
this city and went to live in :. cheap
negro boarding house in West Twenty
seventh Street Friendless and alone,
she walked the streets for ten days.
consorting with whomsoever she could
find
On the tenth day she was standing at
Fourteenth Street and Sixth Avenue
when there occurred the meeting that
was destined to change tie entire cur
rent of her life. There came walking
toward her man, gray bearded and
Jovial- She accosted him and he re-
sponded
They met again the next day. At
the second meeting the man gave her
500 and told her to buy good clothes
and millinery, as he wanted to see her
look well
That man was John r. PIatt, then al
most sfxty-hve years old, millionaire
glass manufa cturer, and a man of the
highest standing in the business com
munity.
There was no more poverty for the
young negress. Step by step she ascend
ed the ladder of fortune until she be-
came the owner of a large house In
West F'ifty-third Street.
The prodigality of the white man
however. did not change the nature of
the coiored girl. When he was not
around she went among negroes on the
lest Side and caroused with men of
her race
She. became enamored of Matthew
5'aY1s. a porter on Pullman car and
the two were married. Davis however
permitted his wife 70 keep I'D her as
ISOLATION with Platt and shared the
money she received. she said
Got a Divorce.
Then came quarrel with the hus-
band. She left him and obtained a
divorce. She said he was paid well for
permitting her to get the decree
Bess8 Davis, as she was known then.
bought a house in West Sixty-eighth
Street. in which she lived.
negro quarter she still maintained reIa-
tions with men of her race. One day in
a quarrel her head was laid open with
an ak From that time on she would
have nothing more to do with negroes
About that time there happened the
second great event in the career of the
young negress. The wife of her million
aire provider died and he began TO
lavish all his affections on her.
Sc strong WAS his regard for ner he
gave her his wife-s gold watch and
purse to carry Then came more real
estate purchases. until Hannah Elias
reached the zenith of her glory. She be-
came mistress of mansion in Central
Park West, one of the costliest houses
III that section. and of a retinue of SER
wants such as few not in the millionaire
class could afford.
But the rise Of Hannah Elias was not
accomplished in selhshness. AS she
ascended the ladder of fortune she en-
riched those about her.
Her lawyer she gave fortune, for her
physicians she bought horses and car
riages: TO Eer servants she made pres
ents that represented fortunes 10 them;
a clerk In the employ of a carpet house
got In last May sl52,0O9 to mind her. and
she did not trouble herself to get a re-
ceipt: She was not sure yesterday
whether the amount was s152.o30 or S162-
GEO. so small a sum as $4,000 having es-
capped her memory
Gave Money to Churches
She contributed literally to churches.
charities, and even to an art associa-
ton She sent girls to Europe to have
their voices cultivated, and when she
got into trouble she retained q former
governor of this State, Frank S. Black
to fight her case, paying him a retainer