The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-05-22
MEMORY
Fails Aged Senator Plat
When Cross-Exan1ina-
ton Becomes Sharp
WAS ONLY A FRIEND


men as crutches, Thomas Collier Platt,
senior United States senator for the
state of New York, handled into
Justice O'Gorman's court today to
deny that he had ever married Mae
Catherine Wood. For nearly two
hours he occupied the stand, and un-
der direct and cross examination, and
then he was lifted from the witness
chair and practically carried out of
the court room.
What he did not deny, he could not
remember, save that he identified
some letters he had written to the
Wood woman. "An agreeable woman,
very agreeable woman" he describ-
ed her, and one with whom, for a
while he found it a pleasure to cor
respond and meet socially. But fur
ther than that he would not commit
himself, and his denials of any more
intimate intercourse with her than
was indicated by his admitted let
ters, was quite emphatic in tone,
though never more expressive in
MOlu IudI q SlulplG ulu uOly
or an absolutely and positively no."
At the same time his faulty memory,
to which his counsel, John B. Stanch-
field, drew the attention of. Justice
O'Gorman, led the aged senator in
to some curious cul de sacs of testi-
mony at the end of which he could
only turn at bay and fall back on
his 'I don't recall; if it were SO, l
think l would remember it; but l
| don't remember any such thing"
Senator Platt made a pathetic figure
in the witness chair. His thin, trans
parent fingers, resting on his narrow
tenuous knees, fidgeted constantly,
sometimes with the trouser cloth,
again with his chain suspended eye
glasses. Somewhat vain efforts to
cross his legs and get into a more
comfortable position marked every
few minutes of his testimony, and
once ne dropped his eys glass case
and was quite unconscious of the fact
till Mr.. Stanchfeld handed it back
TO him.
But above the sem;-derelict body
foated a head and brain that was
bright and clear, even if memory did
sometimes betray him. His calm,
white bearded face was in constant
repose, his wide open eyes shining like
steel grey lamps from the cavities in
which age has sunk them. A careful
attention to his dress and personal
appearance may be due more to the
kind hands that look after him, but
there was back of it a personal pride
that showed he knew he looked well
and would not have permitted himself
to appear in public otherwise. 81
Most interesting of all were the oc-
casional flames of Vigor, and espec-
tally during his cross examination
Annoyed and almost angeTed by the
constant repetition of question, he
would force forward the upper part
of his body seize his eye glasses
shake them in the direction of his
questioner, and exclaim in no trem-
olous or uncertain voice, but with the
tirmness and loudness Of a man ac-
customed to brook no such contumely
Il have already answered that ques-
tion, sir. What you state is abso-
lutely false"
There spoke the "boss," or his liV-
ing memory.
One curious part of his testimony
on cross examination, showed that he
had never known, as he said, till he
came into court today, that $4,000
of his money had been paid out tc
get from the Wood woman the let
ters she held which he had written
her during tie course of their &C.
quaintance. Not until Mr.. Stanchfielc
examined him again on this subject
on redirect, did it transpire that the
senator had left all the Wood case
to his son, Frank, who had effected
the settlement, got the letters, ant
then told his father that it had cost
| $4,000. The senator said he paid the
money without asking any more ques
tions and never laid hands or eyes
on any of the letters which his Sol
had purchased.
AS to the supposed typewriter con
fession which Mrs Wood produced IL
evidence, the supposed letter dated
in Washington December 10, 1906, ant
purporting to admit that she was hii
wife, and that he had obtained hel
papers and letters by dCress, the sen
ator stated very positively that HI
had been asked on that day, by hi
valet, to write his autograph on {
blank piece of paper for a lady whC
was waiting outside his rooms in
the Arlington. He signed his nam,
as requested, but he was sure tina
the paper was blank, and that tn
typewriter matter must have beeI
added later.
Following the testimony of the sen
ator, his valet, Edward Rowland ant
his nurse, Mrs. Abel and her husband
al testified that two heavily veileC
women had presented blank piece
Of paper on which they wanted tn,
autograph of the senator to add Il
a collection already formed in Wash
ington.
West End Druggist Assigns.
b. c. Kibler, druggist formerl