The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-21
HANNAH ELIAS KEEPS MONEY.
COURT or APPEALS SAYS SIZE CAN
RETAIN y. r. PLATT,S s6Sf,OOO.

since the Payments We're Voluntary and
for an Immoral Purpose IL Can't De
Recovered-Murti OF Andrew H.
Green by Mistake for Him Recalled.
ALBANY. Nov. 2O.-Hannah Elias, the
negro woman, can retain the s6S4 900 which
the family OF John r. Platt as been trying
through the courts TO compelher to disgorge.
This Ia the amount she got from Platt from
1895 to 1904.
The Court OF Appeals was asked to reverse
the decision OF the lower courts, which dis
missed the complaint in an action brought
by Platt's family to recover the money on
the ground tina undue influence was pIao-
tised by Hannah Elias upon Plat, in that
she threatened him with exposure when he
was inclined to refuse demands for money.
On behalf of the Plat family il wasinsisted
before the Court Of Appeals that upon the
findings OF the trial court a cause Of action
was shown and that the complaint shouldn not
have been dismissed. The contention of the
Elias woman has been that the evidence
does not prove the charges of blackmhil
and extortion and that Plat In his W
testimony on cross-eNamination admitted
that he gave her the money without fear
or coercion.
Judge Willard Bartlett. who wrote the
opinion Of the court, says:
While it may seem unfortunate that the
effect OF the present Judgment IL to leave In
the possession OF Hannah Elias a very large
sum OF money which ahe obtained from Plat
a. his mistress. IL II TO be observed that the
courts below have found in effect that the
Payments were wholly voluntary. II It be
! tru. thai they we're induced by the sexual init
macy bet een the parties a court OF equity
could rot interfere at the instance OF the donor
20 enable him TO recover his money. ,inasmuch
a. the gift has been fully executed and the
consideration was plainly immoral,
Where Illicit sexual intercourse is the con-
stdcrat'Hh for the payment Or money, and ths
! the donor 20 recover Il back any more than
they would enforce In behalf of a woman the
unexpected promise OF a man TO pay her
money in consideration of such intercourse.
The SC andal concerning join r. Plat
and Hannah Elias broke on May 81, 1904,
when the retired glass manufacturer
brought suit in the Supreme Court to recover
1855, 1856 that he alleged he had lavished on
the negress since he became intimate with
her in 1895.
The films of Platt's suit cleared the name
| OF Andrew II. Green. known as the Father
! of Greater New York" who was shot to
/ death in front of his home, 81 Park avenue,
on the afternoon of November 10, 1908, by
Cornelius Williams, q negro furnace tender.
Williams declared that he had shot the
white man who had lavished money on
Hannah Elias, or Bessie Davis, as she was
| known to him.
Williams had lived in the woman's house
on West Fifty-third street in 1895 when
Platt first took up with the mulatto. The
woman had ordered Williams out Of the
house when he objected to seeing a white
man call on her. Williams resolved to
have revenge and in his crazy way got
John r. Plat confused with Mr.. Green.
Plat first met the negrees in the sos
while entertaining a lot of visiting Cali
fbrnia vamps. Mr.. Platt was the last
president Of the New York Volunteer Fire
men. He met the woman in a place run
by Pop Miller in West T~wenty-seventh
street. He didn't see her again until 1925,
when he went to a Third avenue massage
parlor 10 be treated for rheumatism and
found her there. He became infatuated
with the woman, who he says declared she
was not "A negress, hut q ~Spaniard, and
set her up in the house on West fIfty-third
street. She was then Bessie Davis, wife
of a Pullman car porter. The woman soon
got a divorce from Davis and Plat fitted
up a fine home for her in West ~Sixty-fifth
street. From there she went TO live in
West Eighty fifth NJ reset. and finally settled
in her last home al 236 Central Park West,
where she had a Japanese butler, a French
maid. a coachman and footman and other
Injuries.
Platt IN MS SUIT alleged DlaCkmall. Inc
case was taken up by the District Attorney
and on the night Of June 7 Assistant District
Attorney Lord and IA squad Of detectives
broke into the house and arrested Mrs,
Elias. She Rad refused 10 admit subpoena
servers. Mrs. Elias was locked mp in the
Mercer street police station and discharged
in court two days later.
Mrs. Elias had accumulated much prop
erty through the money she got from Platt.
She had a country place at Long Branch
also. Plat, who Is now SO years old, testi-
fed that he had ~squandered nearly all Of his
fortune on her, and he brought the suit, he
said. 80 that his two married daughters
could get the money. The suit was heard
before Justice OhCorrran in the Supreme
Court AMI on the stand Plstt admitted that
he gave she money voluntarily.
Mrs. Elias was born in Philadelphia and
is now u years old. She was one of nine
children. Her father was a half-breed
negro, having been the son of an Indian.
Mrs. Elias has been a frequenter Of the
racetracks this season. She has been
treated by dermatologists until her fac
now has something of a green hue.