New-York tribune., 1905-01-19
GAVE TO DUGAN S160,000.
SO MRS. ELIAS TESTIFIES.
Money LauishIy GiUen Her by Mr.
PLdtt, NegreSs Maintains.

John r. Platt. who is suing TO get back s6S5 600
from Mrs. Hannah Elias, received from her, so
Nanz. the lawyer. connected with the Davis di-
voree. testified yesterday some cigars a gold PEN
Gil and gold watch. Mrs. Elias the first
witness in her defence. after the prosecution had
rested its case. The negress told plain story OF
the last nine years of her relations with Platt in
which she is alleged to have extorted the $685. 600
from him Before she was called by Ex-Governor
Black several witnesses told OF remarkable rise
from the streets to af1uence
She said she forty years old. She born
in Philadelphia Nineteen years ago she met Mr..
Platt. He took her. she said. Pop Millers
place. In Twenty-seventh-st.. where he paid her
board.
His sudden affection for her said Mrs Elias.
because she looked like "A girl named Irene
whom he had met in Florida She declared that
Mr Platt called on her three or four times a week.
often her ranging from $500 TO ST. OO0 and
always paid all her bills. He advised her how to in
vest her money. From Pop AIler's Mr. Platt
took her a house in Forty-hrst-st. where she
stayed about a year. Then Mr.. Platt. she said.
went South. arranging with her that when he
wanted 10 see her he would place advertisement
in the papers. signed Papa" and addressed to
Dolly" Mrs. Elias then went to the West Fifty
third-st. house where Mr.. Platt paid the rent for
about year and a half. Mr.. Platt made her move
from there because he objected, she said. TO the
negroes in the neghborhood. He then bought
house for her in sixty-eighth-st. from where she
moved Central Park West. She said that Mr.
Platt objected TO the price paid for that house
which was SIS 600 Later Mrs. Elias bought house
in West Seventy-second-st.. to which Mr.. Platt OBJ
1ected because il was too near the home of his
daughter. The woman then moved from Central
Park West to Lenox-ave. because Mr. Platt was
afraid TO visit her in Central Park West after the
murder of Andrew H. Green. While living in this
house AR Plat she said. told her there was the
devil to pay with his realtives." and lawyer wrote
that she could keepsake money Mr. Patt had al
ready given her but not to bother him any more.
TELLS OF. THE LARGER SUMS.
Mrs Elias then testified about the larger sums Of
money which she said Mr.. Platt gave her outright
o-Did Mr. Platt tell you about the death Of his
tha4 and tod me '' Re wanted to give me money
while he was living as ne was afraid TO leave ne
After the death of his wife he gave me thousands
Odd you ever threaten to expose him? A
Q-Dfd he ever give you anything besides money!
A.-Yes: in 1903 he gave me his wife's watch and
o@What was the last sum he gave you? A
Fifteen thousand dollars in May last
for the house in West Fifty-third-st from Mr.
oIFo1 the other houses and the mausoleum:
Ayes
Mrs Elias has had four children. she testified.
none Of them by her husband. She said she was in
a disorderly house in Philadelphia. and then came
to this city. where she served month in prison
for dsordery conduct. In Philadelphia she served
four months in the penitentiary for larceny.
She was married IN 1895 TO the negro Matthew
Davis. from whom she was later divorced. When
she heard that suit TO be brought against her.
she said she drew $3.50 900 from bank which she
gave 10 Patrick Dugau. She said she had taken
SO coo Of this At time TO pay her counsel Wash
ington Brauns; $500 to pay detectives and house
hold expenses and 5000 more for Brauns. Her
counsel said that the receiver would get an order
for this money, now in possession Of Dugan. when
he asked for it Mrs. Elias said she got no receipt
from Dugan for the $500 He had her bankbooks
she said in reply TO 4 question.
TIE DEFENCE RESTS
When Mrs Elias finished her testimony the de-
fence rested its case and she left the building
corted by her prizehghter and the police
Counsel for the hanks tied up by the omnibus
order not TO dispose OF any moneys in their possess
sion belonging TO Mrs. Elias asked 10 have the
case against them defendants dismissed De
cision was reserved.
August C. Nanz said he had seen Mr. Platt and
Davis at his Office. in the Davis divorce suit and
he had indirectly settled the suit He had seen
Mr. Platt at Mrs. Elias's home on the occasion OF
the divorce. He acted godfather for Mrs
Tliass daughter Ciwendoyn. and negotiated for the
lot and Tllausoleum when the child died From
March l3 1903, to January / 1904. he said. he had
received from Mrs, Elias about $1,000. and Platt
had paid him about $780, On cross-examination
he said Patt paid for his services in the Davis
divorce.
Frank B. saterield. a negro who met her in
Philadelphia testified that he had known her in
d.sorderly house in that citv. She said he the
father OF one Of he- children. Saterheld came
here The birth certificate of this child was ad-
rnitted evidence.
Washington Brauns said that he had received
about $4,000 from the his fee. and
smaller sum meet certain expenses. Patrick A
Dugan testified as Mr.. Platt's frequent calls on
Mrs Elias and said that Mr.. Platt had given him
$500 at Christmas for three years and that for the
last eight years Mrs. Elias had given him money
averaging about $500 year