The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-19
As HANNAH ELIAS TELLS IT.
pttTT GAVE HER MONEY FREELY
Avn HIS DEAD WIFE'S WATCH.

she Is Confronted With Her Past In
n,e, anc Prisons and Vno Black
predecessor or P,atts-4ho Flung
thc old White Mans Money About
trcrN-RIO 600 in Currency as Frank
Hacks 900 Cached
lust Before PlRtt Sued-Testimony
All In and Briefs 10 BE Submitted.
The testimony in the case Of Plat against
ri,ss vas finished in Part ~. OF the SUI
rrsre Court yesterday afternoon. Justice
nGorman directed the attorneys TO present
o,iefs 10 him on Jan. 30. after which he will
de,ide whether or not John r. Plat is
entitled 10 impress with trust the money
he ,Aowered upon the negress for which
a receiver has already been appointed.
Hannah Elias was witness for herself.
and pretty good one. There was no
attempt 70 hide her past and she admitted
hat she had been the mother OF four chill
dren who could claim no name but her
ovn When she told Of her relations with
tho old glass manufacturer she could see
him for he sat beside the rail, evidently
snnracinriye OF all that was going on, yet
',nroncerned as an ancient man about town
ought 10 be.
6nlv once did she show signs of dis
,,rh,nce That was when Franz P. Safer
sald A robust negro of the Pullman porter
,vne told how she had taxed him with
ia parentage OF one of her children Rnd
they had fought about IL In public wlth
,he result that she was sent TO the Island
FOR thirty days. They had been a little
iay'bet6 each other. he said but he hadn't
considered himself alone in any such re-
snonslbility. He surveyed Mrs. Elias with
admiration and admitted that he could
hardly recognize her, she had changed 30
much IN twenty years. She looked at him
with disgust and finally began TO weep.
For a lady who had enjoyed such promi-
hence. this coon and his ghosts we're just
little too much.
There was thu expected jam in the Court
House Old Mr., Platt and his retinue ar
rivpd early, and soon Mrs. Elias came in,
accompanied by her maid and a tall young
man who acts as guard. She wore a
black lace hat trimmed with ostrich feathers,
A Persian lamb coat ornameuSed with
squirrel, a heavy veil and black dress.
Plat had a stick olasped in his long nailed
fingers and seemed intensely interested in
the proceedings. Kato, the vomap's
Japanese butler, sat near him. Ex-Gov.
Black, looking unusually rosy, as II from
brisk walk, arrived at 1890 A. NJ, and
minute later. when Justice O'Gorman came
in, the day began.
Anew BANKS SHE PArRoHIZED.
Lyman f. Warren, Platt's chief counsel,
offered transcripts showing the deposits,
drafts drawn md balances OF Hannah
Elias with the Mercantile Trust Company,
the Lincoln National Bank, and these saw
ngs hanks Washington. Harlem. New
York Empire City. United States. Metro
politan. Union DIME. German, Greenwich,
franklin. American, North River Excelsior
and West side. The record ran from 1897
TO May p last,
Pop Julius CFsar Miller who is a light
colored negro, put on his hat when he was
called "a the first witness and was repri-
handed in chorus by the court officers.
He said he lived at 22i West Forty-fourth
street and worked for "a first class gent
He knew Hannah Elias only as Beesie
Wetherll. She cooked at his place in West
Forty-hrst street in 1895, when his wife
had ten lady boarders,
Charles IL. Studin. lawyer, who had
Dr.. De Kraft's claim for 81 7ls gainst Mrs
Elias testified that the check in settlement
vas delivered to him by Mrs Elias's lawyer
Nanz. The check was signed by Mrs
tlias
IIRERA1. CLIENT TO NAME,
Sanz, himself clever witness, told OF
his dealings with Plat, In the interest OF
Mrs Elias. whom he met first in 1898. He
introduced himself to Plat at the suggestion
Of the negress, and told the old man that
Matthew G. Davis. Hannn's husband, had
brought suit against Plat for the aliena-
ton II her affections. NAM settled Daviss
claim. foF $50, and later secured divorce
for Hannah Nanz acted pa godfather
~ tho child, Gwondolyn Togo Elias, ar
ran led for its funeral bought the lot in
Wooclawn for 5000 and figured In the pur
cnase Of the MAS leum which cost $1,000.
After that, saii Nanz. he saw nothing Of
Mrs Elias until he murder OF Andrew II.
Green. he nds present when Platt and
Mrs Elias had talk about De Krafts bill.
she did not ask Flat for money Nanz
testified. He insisted on paying the bill
! was frequently at Platt's office. From
March IL, lsq5, until Jan. !, 1904 Mrs, Elias
paid me $4,000 Of which disbursed s., 500.
Plat paid me about SO 500, for my services
to him.
Did YOU render bills to Mrs. Elias?'
NO, she was very liberal. She paid well.
She gave me a present of $1,000 after / *aB
godfather for her baby. / never knew
what amounts she was getting from Mr.,
patt
Under Mr. Blacks questioning. Nanz
said thai Plat liked to have him como to
Pau's Office at 4a Broadway to hear the
news about Mrs. Elias.
PIATT SIMPLY oozEp MONEY
The morning after Mr.. Green was shot
NAM testified, PLAT went to Mrs. Elias's
house at II O'Clock This perturbed Mrs
Elias. and she sent for me and told me
10 warn Platt 10 keep away. Platt told
me he was very sorry for her predicament,
adding that she had always treated him
squarely. and that he was anxious to help
her She had been his friend for eighteen
years. he said, and he was anxious to see
her. Relative to giving money to her, he
sad something TO the effect that he wanted
10 see her well provided for. that he was
capable OF using his money as he cav fit,
and that his brother Isaac was trying TO
get commission appointed for him. He
said II vas nobody's business whether he
gave money to Hannah Elias
BURNED HANNAH's LETTERS TO PIATr.
Nan1 said that he had persuaded Judge
Warren to act as attorney for Platt. Mrs.
Elias he said. wanted TO fight the De Kraft
claim. but P!att said; ~1f you fight II my
name will crop out. and would rather
have it settled
Nir Warren tackled Nanz about the
letters written by Mrs. Elias which NAM
got from Platt.
Some Of them were about unpaid bills,
Said Nam I told Mrs Elias that Platt
was getting old, and that IL would be a
good thing to get the letters. / told Platt
the same thing, and he gave me the letters,
which J destroyed in the presence Of Mrs,
tias was responsible for the letter
episode She followed my advice. She
taif she did not care about herself; that
she wanted TO protect Mr.. Platt and did
not want the letters TO get into the hands
o. Designing people.
Frank 4. Lord Of the District Attorney
once testified about his interview with Mrs