Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-20
PLATT ON THE STAND|
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told her to await my signal because l
was going to take dinner with her.
Not in Habit Of Inviting Women.
The senator said he could not remember
whether he kept the engagement. but was
| certain Miss Wood did not stay with him
in the suite that night. He said he was
not in the habit OF inviting women to the
Fifth Avenue Hotel. He could not re-
call whether his secretary. Mr.. Howe,
was at the hotel the night of November
8. 1901. nor could he say whether MT
Howe. who had been clergyman. re-
NAMED licensed minister while IN his
employ. He was sure. however. that ne
had never heard of Mr. Howe performing
a marriage ceremony during that period
Asked If Mr. Howe signed his letters IN
fs csimile of the senator's writing. the
witness said he never had seen sucn
signatures. The senator did not recall
how many times he met Miss WOOD IN
| 1902 or how many letters he wrote to her
in 1903. He went to the house OF Mrs.
Lament in West 3Sth street at times. he
meet him there He was not permitted
to answer a question as to whether he
| used an assumed name when visiting AT
the Lamont place
WAS there secret arrangement be-
| tween You and Miss Wood as to a mar
rage" he was asked.
THAT is absolutely false" the senator
replied
Met Miller frequently.
The senator said he had met J. Martin
Miller frequently but he denied any
knowledge of the plan for obtaining his
letters to Miss Wood. which was told Of
in the statement purporting to be signed
by Miller which was introduced In the
case yesterday.
| Did you obtain letters written by your
self to Miss Wood in 1902"
| II did not
when did the letters come to your at
| tention?"
Il don't recollect that I ever had the
letters"
What part did j. NJ Miller have in Sc
curing the return of those letters?
| II don't recall that he had anything to
do with it, the senator answered And
he denied also that Miller ever demanded
money from his son Frank for similar
purpose He did. however. indorse one
| thousand-dollar note for Miller. he said
| This now has been almost entirely paid.
| he said.
His Marriage to Mrs. Janeway.
The senator said he married Mrs. Lii
liam Janeway in October, 1903. He was
not permitted to answer when asked II
there had been previous secret marriage
At the conclusion of the cross-examina-
ton he was asked If he recalled receiving
a letter from Howe & Hummel in refer
ence to case which they contemplated to
bring against him. He replied that he
did. At that time he gave his son. Frank
| Plat. $4,000 to secure the return of GER
tain letters in this case. He understood
the case was brought for Miss Wood. he
said
| Replying to questions by Mr.. Stanch-
| field. Platt said that when he had pre-
viously paid money for the letters he
meant that he had paid none to j. Martin
Miller.
| Senator Platt was excused at this point
AS he was helped out OF his chair by one
of the attendants his son, Frank H. Plat.
came forward. patting him on the back
and congratulating him on his bearing
| throughout the examination.
Statement Credited to Miller.
statement, which was introduced yes
terday after the court had denied a mo-
ton by counsel for Senator Plat to dis
miss the complaint bears what purports
to be the signature of ]. Martin Miller.
and Miss Wood said that while she did
! not see the signature affixed she was as
| sured by Mr.. Miller that 1t was genuine.
The statement was prepared by Miller at
her request. she testified It declared
that Miller was asked by high govern
ment officials in Washington and New
York to get possession Of Senator Platt's
| love letters; that the papers when OBJ
| tanned were not to be given to Senator
| Platt, but were to be turned over to Mr..
Loeb. in washington" and that when the
plan to get possession Of the original pa
| pers failed a scandal was begun In the
| newspapers to force Miss Wood to come
| to terms.
/
era. started the ball to rolling by get
ting a New York newspaper to print the
article as it first appeared" says the
statement. which concludes:
Il was gotten into the conspiracy By
powerful officials whom dare not to dis
please from a newspaper or political
| standpoint l consulted Mr.. Howe, Sem
ator Platt's secretary. frequently, and
acted at all times under the direction of
Loeb and Platt.''
Former Postmaster General Robert
Wynne is the present American consul
! general to London J. Martin Miller. a
prominent newspaper man. until recently
was consul at Rheims for France.
did Miller say anything to you about
the letters?' asked the examining attor-
ney of Miss Wood. who had been on the
witness stand in her own behalf since
! early yesterday.
"Platt Would Never Get Them"
Yes" she replied: "he. said that II he
got the letters the Platts would never get
| Them,
What was he going to do with them?"
Hold them over Platt's head, I be-
lieve.'' she answered.
The letter purporting to have been
signed by Miller bears the date of Octo-
Der 15 1903 1t reads:
II was asked by high government Off
Gals in Washington and New York to get
possession of Senator Platts love letters
to Mae c. Wood. In order to do this
had to pretend swould get out a book.
| for which she gave me the manuscript
| October 8. 1903. 1t was agreed by all
| parties interested that l was to get her
to New York and get the papers out Of
| her room.
Mr.. Loeb called up Plat in New York
and told him Miss Wood was suing him
for breach Of promise. Then Platt said
| he would be a party to the scheme. /
failed to get possession of any original
documents or letters. We then began
| the scandal In the newspapers to force
| her to come to terms Wynne first assist
ant postmaster general started the ball