The San Francisco call., 1908-05-21

year. He denied he had ever given
/ her a wedding ring.
NEVER SAW CERTIFICATE
His lawyer handed the senator the
alleged marriage certificate and Platt
said that he never saw the paper be-
! fore in his life although he had seen
a photograph of it.
rs there any handwriting of yours
on that paper?" The senator looked
! the paper over. back and front, and
answered: There is not"
Lebarcier read a letter alleged to
have been written by Platt to Mae
Wood in 1902, calling her dearest
Mae saying she must not expect much
| from him, as his time was occupied
and life is hardly worth living" Aft
er the convention it said he hoped to
meet her 1t ended peace and plenty
be with you
L don't think it is a genuine letter" +"
Platt said. Il would not write a let
ter in such a tone to her now or at
any time"
.'why did you send Miss Wood word
] TO occupy a certain room in the Fifth
Avenue hotel?"
I don't understand why I did it.
told her TO await my signal because
I was going to take dinner with her"
MEMORY FAILS PLATT
/ The senator said he could not re-
member whether he kept the enga ge-
ment but he was certain Miss Wood
did not stay in his suite that night.
He said he was not in the habit of in
vitng women to the Fifth Avenue ho-
/ tel
The senator did not recall how many
times he met Miss Wood in 1902. He
went to the house of Mrs Lamont in
West Thirty eighth street at times. he
/ said. but never sent for Miss Wood to
meet him there. He was not permitted
to answer question as to whether
he used al assumed name when visiting
at the Lamont place.
Asked il he recalled receiving a let
ter from Howe & Hummel in reference
to the case which they contemplated
I to bring against him, he replied that
/ he did. At that time he gave his son,
Frank Platt. $4,000 to secure the re-
turn of certain letters in this case He
| understood the case was brought for
/ Miss Wood he said.
In support of Platts contention that
his signature to a statement acknowl-
1 edging Miss Wood as his legal wife was
obtained by deception, counsel for
Platt today submitted TO the court an
affidavit by a Mrs. Dunning in which
she said that she secured Platts auto
graph by sending a book to his room
/ in the Arlington hotel with a request
for his signature. Mrs. Dunning said
she gave the autograph to Miss Wood
and that Miss Wood was delighted
with il.
TELLS OF MEETING PLATT
A deposition by Thomas r. Porter. a
newspaperman of Omaha, which was
given in evidence by Platt's counsel
today gave the substance OF an inter-
view which Porter had with Miss Wood
Porter quoted Miss Wood as saying
that she was at work for Leslies pub
| lication in New York in 1901 and was
sent to interview Platt. who gave her
an interview and invited her to call
when she wanted another.
Later when she wanted an appoint
ment as a teacher in the Philippines
she went to see Platt again with a
woman friend. who also wanted an ap-
pointment. Afterward this woman,
Miss Wood was quoted as saying, made
/ herself so disagreeable that Platt
thought we would have to eIope to
escape her. But my sense of humor
would not permit me to elope with a
20 year old groom, whom I would have
to support as he walked"
Miss Wood added, II could not af-
ford to antagonize such powerful in
terests as Senator Platt, and was
OB4i6tQ " put up VIII IlIl 10 a GER
tain extent. I'd like to have any one
who thinks him a matrimonial prize
to have been in my shoes for about one
day"
Porter also testified tRat on April 2,
| 1905 Miss Wood stated to him:
Il was afraid the senator might beat
me out by agreeing to fulfill his prom
ise and marry me; and If there is one
thing that would be more humiliating
than suing this old man for a breach
of promise, it would be to be obliged
/ TO marry and live with him"
Porter also stated that Miss Wood
told him that she had become engaged
/ to marry Senator Platt in 1903 and
shortly afterward he wanted to break
the engagement, but that she finally
broke it on account of Platt's atten-
tions to Miss Janeway his present wife
In a deposition by Frank Haight, a
Chicago reporter, which was read in
court today, Haight quoted Miss Wood
as having told him in an interview that
/ she was unable to find Edward w. Rice.
whose name was signed as officiating
clergyman to her marriage certificate.