New-York tribune., 1908-05-19
PLATT CASE BEGINS
LETTERS READ As HIS.
Mae c. Wood on Stand IN Action
against Senator.

lt0l, began NesTerGaN
Justice O'Gornan. Letters whi~h she testihed ~eie
written TO her by the aged Senator during their
brief courtship and the equally brief psTioo "he.
she saws their hearts beat as one were reao J"
court. Unfortunately. she charged in sun sue
started some time ago the alleged orlglnal le''e4S
were taken from her by intimidation. ano SO 'le
court yesterday obliged to be content with Only
alleged copies. &c.
When the suit was begun before Justice oGor-
man the room was quickly filed when wofd "as
,,assed +rrourh the corridors that the long awaited
case had really got under way The plaihuH- VINO
admitted she born in 1856 was the hrst VII
ness called. She is a small. rather fran looking
woman With eyeglasses. a determined Jaw aho
rav of speal,ing Quickly with an air Of fnalty-
She wore black and white checked dress PLAIN
hat. and altogether presented the appearance Oh
business woman. She said that al various times
in her life she had been school teacher, re-
r,orter on The Omaha Bee and New York news
papers a lawyer in Nebraska and an employe OF
the Postoffice Department besides having been
etenographer and then having been interested IN
8 mineral water.
Joseph Day Lee and Charles F. lie Barber acted
as counsel for the plaintiff and o'Brien Boardman,
Plat Dunning Mr- Platt's lawyers Of record.
with John B. Stanchfied trial lawyer The
plaintiff, after giving her name as Mae c Wood
Plat said that she Senator Patt in April, 1901.
and that after that she often saw him at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel or in his office No. 49 Broadway
The proposal, she testified. came in August of that
year, when she with the Senator at Manhattan
Beach She promised, she said, TO talk the matter
with him, and that later he told her:
Il want keep the marriage secret, because
old man and people Will make fun of me-
At another time she said. he refused TO let her
have a woman witness because ne philosophical,
according 10 the witness ~ hat two women know
is no secret She said that she had two
documents 10 prove her assertion that she
ried to the Senator. but these taken from her
under threats by Abe Humnei and j Martin
Miller who represented himself a in the
49,
she said. was letter from Senator Plat acknowI-
edging the marriage and the other contained in
struction the details planned for the secret
wedding She submitted what she said an
almost exact copy Of the latter, which in part
as follows:
My Little Bride To BE.
have made all srrsngements. You are not TO
structons implicitly nciose ca card & to the ho5e5 tel
rtsp en- e. dovinrl1' grq 'u' S'-0' TOM
The other letter was note telling her that the
writer might get the hotel until o'clock. but
for her 10 wait in her for him She said she
followed instructions Justice oGorman then
asked:
What transpired from the time you arrived there
until the ceremony?'
i waited in my room, according 10 directions;
knock came at the door, and l opened 1t. He came
in an embraced me and said: Mae, ] knew you
wouldn't faE me- Two gentlemen came with him.
and he made some sort Of introduction. One Of the
men said: We VIII 90 on -
Wei, what happened?
'T took his hand. and one of the men began the
civil ceremony"
What did he say"
e" You take this woman to be your lawful welded
wife and you take this man TO be your lawful
welded husband "
DID he give you anything
Yes: q wedding ring" was the answer.
Asked if she possessed the ring. she removed her
glove and showed q plain gold band without an in
Gba aid sbe
room and that a man she supposed was a witness
arose from a desk greet her. She believed the
man who performed the ceremony vas a clergy
man she said. She testified that afterward Mr.
Pa-r gave her wedding certificate saying: Here
,sl,- is something for you Plat, she said
wanted her live in the next room 10 has and pass
herself as his secretary. but she refused 10 do So
Mr. Stanchfeid showed her paper, which was
moi read and she said the signature was hers "A
conv Of one of the alleged letters was then admit
ted dated At Washington. in November. 1901:
Nv Dear Little One: Yours received 1t Is so
most reconciled TO OdeIIs election; You needn |
mGTGE } 1 ano"7 They are real nice anyway 1 gave
them TO understand from the start tI!t am ne
hso ma IaasSG = & - lft 10 he equally divided between
th s1e nov beTs and myself ] told them ! would not
touch 2 penny OF il. and turned my share right
oI s;ge5 % an f income Of $4,000 yesr counsel etc
Tor corporations whose interests l look after
Harry married a rich wife, and his company re
ceiVes a large from the loanlng OF the New
control 69Th S'3 and i' II ann T resied as intend
II 10 be this VIII stiT remain under ny control
Edward is taken Of in the United states t1h-
press so ] feel that have the right 70 have have
The liberty fe do as please the rest OF my hIe;
and I love you, you. YOU and send sou a tnousdn9
kisses for the one YOU sent me, and thousand
AfWavs lovingly yours. faithfully yours.
A photograph of the Senator was then submitted
.s evidence on the back written To my
nttle Wife
On eross-exarnination Mr.. Stanchfeld brought
out that after April. 1903 she and Platt patched
IN so that We were amcabe." and that the last
tine she saw him speak 10 him was on August
1s 1853 in the house Of Mrs. La Mont, in west
gstb street Nr Stanchied then presented TO her
several letters and asked her TO identify them
IN evident amazement she said: How oid you
come by then2"
Never mind replied Mr.. Stanchheld We VIII
come 10 that later. madame"
7eti,ion fled by her in the District Court of
douglas COUNTY, Neb acans: Robert J. Wynne,
William Loeb and J. Martin Miller TO recover the
-~snuscrirt ana originals Of The Love Letters of
q Boss which she alleged had been taken from
her through conspiracy. The point of this peti-
fior as evidence was that in il the plaintiff had
said She was engaged 10 marry Nj Piatt, and
thai because Of the conduct Of said suItor the
said engagement was about 10 be cancelled on
April Il, 1873.
You Esv YOU married Platt in November. 1907
You say the engagement VS. about 70 terminal
in April 1875? Which is rght?' asked Mr.. Stanch-
field.
The witness seemed confused. and said she
thought the laper WAS ''nonsense.''
Senator Platt married Mrs. William Janeway in