The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-19
Mr. P|att Was Very Generous,
 Giving Her Thousands
SHE WAS IN HABIT OF
 CALLING OLD MAN "PAPA''
Woman Distributed Her Newly Ac- uuired Wealth With Lavish Hand Among Those Who Were
 Kind to Her.

New York, January 1s.-Hanna Elias, the negress whom aged John R. Platt is suing to compel her to return $6S5O00, which he claims she extorted from him during an acquaintance of twenty years, to-day told her story before Justice O'Gorman in the supreme court where the suit is on trial.
 It was an extraordinary tale of sudden elevation from the lowest and most vicious surroundings to position of af- fuence, where money was literally rained on her. and where she had everything that great wealth could provide. She declared that she had nothing to con- ceal and insisted that every dollar that platt gave her had been given voluntar- fly.
 She believed. she said. that she was under no obligation to return any part of the money which she now posses How much money Platt gave her she could not say. even approximately, as she never kent any account of his gifts, which were made in large sums at frequent intervals during their entire acquaintance.
 Was Very Generous.
  the first, she said. but he became more so after the death of his wife in lSsS. He told her at that time that he wanted to provide for her handsomely, and ex- nlained that if he mentioned her in his will a contest might result. He decided, therefore. to give her a great deal of money while he was yet alive. He ad- vised her to invest this money carefully. and suggested that 1t might be well for her to place a considerable portion of 1t in savings banks. She said that the old man always had been very kind to her, hui that he was even more tender after ,he death of his wife and showed her many little attentions that had been ,oo,,ire before. Six months after his vyife,s death he gave the witness Mrs. platt's watch and pocketbook She iden- tiAed these articles when they were pro- duced by MT. Black
 Mrs. Elias apparently made no attempt to conceal the details of her early life. She answered readily every question by her counsel as to their methods of life in Philadelphia, and immediately after 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 disorderly conduct.
 Distributed Her Money Freely.
 It developed during the examination of witnesses today that Mrs. Elias had dis tributed her early acquired wealth with a free hand among those who had been of assistance to her. Lawyer August C.. Nanz said she had paid him s20.000 in fees: Lawyer Washington Brauns re- ceived from her more than Sl0.000 in fees. She paid more than $60000 to one firm for carpets and furniture. A man who acted as Godfather at the christening of her child, received a present of 5000. and when the child died it was placed in mausoleum which she erected at a cost of s60Oo It appeared from the testimony also that John R. Platt had paid Law yer Nanz $3500 in connection with one of in Elias suits in which this lawyer was interested.
 Patrick w. Dugan. an upholster. who did much work for Mrs. Elias. said that Rlatf had made him present of $500 ev-