The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-21
Her Case Against Senator Platt
Is Dismissed.
And the Plaintiff Is Under Ar
rest for Perjury.
PLATT'S son ON STAND
Testifies That He Burned the
Senator's Letters
Bought From Lawyer Abe
Hummel for $4,000.


New York, May 21-The complaint
in the Wood-Platt divorce has been
dismissed and Mae c. Wood has been
arrested and held in. $4,000 on a
charge of perjury. ~
New York, May 21-Frank II.
Platt. son Of the United States Sena-
tor Thomas c. Platt, testified today
in the suit for divorce brought against
the senator by Mae c. Wood, declared
that he believed none OF the letters in
troduced by Miss Wood as evidence
in her suit were true copies of those
written by his father. He had ex-
amined carefully the original copies
of letters written by the senator to
Miss Wood which were turned over
to them by Abraham Hummell upon
payment of $4,000, he said, and
there were no such communications
among them as the alleged copies
produced in court. Mr.. Platt also
testified that none of the letters re-
cefved from Hummell contained any
reference to a marriage between
Senator Platt and Miss Wood. He
said that after reading the letters, he
personally destroyed them by burning
them in a CRATE in his office.
Frederick E. Hafely, president of the
stationery firm which sold the blank
form upon which the alleged. certificate
of marriage was. prepared, in deposit
ton read in court today, declared that
that particular blank form was not
placed on sale until February 1902,
three months after the marriage OF
Miss Wood to Senator Platt is alleged
to have occurred.
Lawrence Hill, reporter for a New
York paper, was called as a witness
today. He testified that he met the
plaintiff in the latter part of October,
1903, when he went to the Manhattan
interview her regarding the marriage
of Senator Platt with Mrs. Janeway.
Miss Wood, according to the witness,
said she had no interview to give out
tor Platt's ventures. Said she knew
Senator Plat and had the greatest re-
spect for him. Asked if she was go-
ing to sue the senator for breach OF
promise she reiteraSeds that she had
no interest in the seARtor. .,s
Frank H. Plat, ? the senator's son,
followed Hill on the stand and told
of having received letter from the
office of Howe & Hummel saying that
they had been retained by a young
lady to sue him.
Hummel later told him he had been
retained by Mae c. Wood to sue the
senator for breach of promise OF mar
riage. The letter from Hummel was
terview took place a day or. so after
the letter was received.
"What letters did Hummel have o.
was asked.
the handwriting of my father sets of
proofs of a paper and some hOto-
graphic plates of the letters"
Mr.. Platt said that his attorney,
Delaney Niccol, had previously agreed
with Hummel that $4,000 be paid for
10 oco m
given to Niccol, who turned it over to
Hummel, the witness SAID, and he got
| in return signed release from Miss
Wood
Mr.. Platt said he examined all the
letters carefully before burning them
| in the CRATE in his Office. He was then
shown the typewriter letter, begin
ming, my little bride to be- ana ask
ed if there was any such letter in the
No Such Letters.
There was not was the reply. All
the copies Of the letters that Miss
Wood alleged to have from the sena-
| tor and as she averred, got by her
from Hummell, were shown the wit
ness and he declared there were no
such letters received from Hummell.
Mr.. Pratt said that none of the let
ters contained any reference to mar
riage. Miss Wood who was present in
court asked permission to personally
cross examine Platt. Her request
was refused. Miss Wood Is mem
Der Of the Nebraska bar.
On cross examination Mr.. Platt
said many of the letters from his
father to Miss Wood were brief notes
of invitation. He was willing to pay
$4,000 for their return, he said, be-
cause his father was about to be mar
ried to Mrs. Janeway and he and his
father thought 1t would be best to get
rid of Miss Wood.
hot object dpGtrnV-
ing some of the letters?" he was
asked.
''Wer, the plaintiff was writing for
the letters and going to the news
papers and did not think she had
STAYED bought and destroyed all but
a few of the letters. There was no
suggestion of marriage or divorce or
disgrace in any of the letters I de-
stroyed."
The witness was asked about the
testimony of the witness Roland, who
was the senator's former valet and
how he knew about the letter in
which the senator is alleged to have
admitted the marriage to Miss Wood.
well, on Christmas day, 1906, my
father got a letter from the plaintiff
and while we were talking about it
the telephone rang and I answered it.
A voice that said she was Mae Wood
replied that she wanted to talk with
my father I told her she could not
| talk to him and If she had anything
to saw to come downsto my Office and
say it to me. Roland was in the room,
overheard the conversation and then
| told me about the two women going
| to fathers room in Washington, and
| asking for his autograph on the blank
sheet of paper.
MUST END TO-DAY.
The Court Served Notice ON the At
| tOrneys.