The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-01-21
PLATT WAS GENEROUS
Hannah Elias Tells Story Of Her
Life in Court.
SAYS SHE HAS NOTHING TO HID

Declares Every Dollar Millionaire
Gave Her Was Voluntarily and She
is Under No Obligation to Return
Any Of It.
New York. Jan. l9.-Hannah Elias.
The negress whom aged John X. Plat
Is suing to compel har to return $GS3'
000 which he claims she extorted
from him during an acquaintance OF
20 years. told the story OF her HE
before Justice O'Gorman in the SUI
preme court. where the suit is on
trial II was an extraordinary tale
Of sudden elevation from the lowest
and most vicious surroundings to a
position of aIluence, where money
was literally rained upon her. and
where she had everything that great
wealth could provide. She declared
that she had nothing to conceal. and
insisted that every dollar that Plat
gave her had been given voluntarily.
She believed she said that she was
lnder no obligations TO return any
part Of the money which she pos
5esses How much money Plat gave
her she could not say. even approx
matcly. as she never kept any ac-
count Of his gifts. which were made
in large sums at frequent intervals
Turing their entire acquaintance. MI.
Plat was very generous. even from
the first she said. but he became more
50 after the death Of his wife, in 1898.
lie told her at that time that he want
al 10 provide for her handsomely and
explained that if he mentioned her
in his will contest might result He
had decided. therefore, to give her a
treat deal OF money while he was yet
alive. He advised her to invest this
money carefully and suggested that
IL might be we'll for her 10 place a
considerable portion OF il in savings
banks. She said that the old man
always had been very kind TO her
but that he was even more tender
after the death OF his wife. and show
ed her many little attentions that had
been lacking before Six months after
his wife's death he gave the witness
Mrs. Platts watch and pocket-bOok.
She identified these articles when
they were produced by Mr. Black.
Mrs Elias apparently made no at
tempt to cover the details OF her early
lie. She answered readily every ques-
ton by her counsel as TO her methods
OF life in Philadelphia and Immediate
Is 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 disorder
~ conduct
II developed during the eXamlna-
ton of Witnesses that Mrs. Elias had
distributed her easily acquired wealth
with a free hand among those who
had been of assistance TO her. Law
yer August c. Nanse said she had paid
MIN D-N.VNN lu lffNf Id " , ~ " dohAhS
ton Brauns received from her more
than SIO.00O in fees She paid more
than 100000 TO one firm for carpets
and furniture. A man who acted as
godfather al the christening of her
child received a present Of $1,000 and
when the child died il was placed in
a mausoleum. which she erected at a
cost OF $4,000 II appears from the
testimony also that John r. Platt had
paid Lawyer Nanse $500 in connec-
ton with suits in which the lawyer
was interested
Patrick w. Dugan, an upholsterer
who did much work for Mrs. Elias,
said that John r. Plat made him a
present of a $500 bill every Christmas
Tor three years, because he had been
good to Dolly" He explained that
Dolly was the name by which Mr..
Platt always addressed Mrs Elias.
She called him papa Plat had offer
ed him more money when he called at
his Office to tell him about Mrs. Elias,
but he declined IT, He said that on
the occasions Of those visits Plat had
told him that he thought great deal
OF Mrs. Elias. Dugan said that Mrs.
Elias had given him about 5000 year
in presents during the past eight
years.