Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-01-19
Cd Man Platt S'lowered Riches
on Negress With " honl he
Was Infatuated.
fHE STORY OF HANNAH LLlAs
An Extraordinary Narrative is Related
by t':e Woman or the Witness Stand.
Elevated From the Lowest and
Mos: Vicious Surroundings Suddenly
&C Position Of Atftuence.
(By Associated Press.)
CIV Associated PresA.)

..- lbS Associated Press)
(By Associated Press.)
NEW YORK. Jan. 1S-Hannall
Elias. the neSress whom aged John r.
llatt is suing &c, compel her to return
$GS5s0cu which lie claims she exto.ted
frcn, him during ar acquaintance or
twenty years, today told the story oG
her life before Justice O'Gorman III the
supreme Court where the suit is on
trial.
1t vas an extraordinary tale of sud.
den elevation from the lowest and
most vicious surroundings to posi-
tcn Of attluence where money was lit
orally rained nIon her and where she
had everything that great wealth coald
provide.
Nothing so Conceal.
SIZE declared that she had nothing to
conceal aud insisted that every dollar
that Flat gave her had been given
voluntarily. She believed. she said,
that she was under no obligations to
return any rart Of the money which
she Now possesses How much money
Platt gave he, she could not say. even
approximately. as she never kept any
account of his gifts which were mad.
III large sums atsfrequcnt intervals
during their entire acquaintance.
Piatt Was Generous.
(, Mr.. Platt was very generous. she
said. bat he became more so after.the
death Ct his wifi. in 1893 He told her
It that time~thal he wanted to pFop1yl
fer her handsomely and explained & Jsisee
II he mentioned her in his Will a. con s.
test might result. He, had dcciaGi
therefore. TO give her a great deal az
money while he was yet alive He adj
Nlsed her 10 invest this NOR y.earefu1.
y and suggested that it might be we'll
for her to place q considerable portion
Of it in savings hanks.
Gave Her His Wife's Watch.
Six months after his wife's death no
gave the witness Mrs. Plalt's watch
aid pocket book. She identified these,
articles wien they were. produced, by
Mr.. Black sa:,.5
Hannah Elias apparently made no at
tempt TO cover the details Of her early
life. She. answered readily every cues.
,lon by her counsel as to her methods
ri life i'll Philadelphia ard Immediate
ly after coming to this CITY and admitted
That she had served two terms In pri.
son. one in Philadelphia for larcsny.
and tho other in this city for disorder.
II conduct
The Lawyers Profitad.
II developed during the examination
Of witnesses today thatthe woman had
distributed her easily acquitted wealth,
with free hand among these who
mad been Of assistance tc her. LAWYER
Angus, G. Nanse said she had ljaid
him $50 900 in fees; Lawyer Washing
ton Erauns rec eiyed from her nlcrs.
than $4,000 in fees. She paid more.
han s6o.ooo to one firm for carpets
and furniture. A man who actet! as
.shfnther at the christening Of he:.
chill! rtceive! a present Of $1,000 and
when the Child died it was places. in
y mausoleum which was erected at a
cost Of $4,000. It appeared from the
t@rIclnny also that John r. Platt had
paid Lawyer ,Nnnse 33,5n0 in connct:-
ficn with one OF the Elias suits In
which the lawyer was interested.
Papa and Dolly.
Fatrick w. Dngan, an upholsterer
WHO lid much work fer the woman, said
rat F:att made him present Of !
$500 bill every Christmas fer .tl,raa
wears because he had bccn encd to
Folly 'Ic explained that Dolly was
tie ranc bv which Mr. Plat always,
addressed Hannah She called him
Papa.