Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1908-05-28
PLATT WINS SUIT.
Mae Wood Is Committed for Perjury
in Divorce Case.

LII OASO4SS SooC
Mae G. Woods divorce suit against
Senator Thomas c.. Plat was dismissed
by Justice O'GOrman in the New York
Supreme Court Thursday afternoon and
Immediately afterward the justice com
mitted Mrs. Wood to the TOmbs in de-
fault of $1,000 bail on q charge of per-
jury. This startling end to the case
was 10 less sudden than sensational.
The taking of evidence over, Justice
O'GOrman had asked her a few ques-
tons concerning her claims and had
then listened to a short address by her
counsel in opposition to a motion to dis
miss the suit on the p~leadings and evil
dence.
The lawyers apologize argument
ended, Justice O'Gorman leaned for
ward in his chair and delivered himself
of this short but positive opinion:
The court cannot credit the plaintiffs
evidence as to the alleged marriage, and
the testimony in the case impresses the
court with the belief that it is a most
wicked design to support a fictitious claim
by forgery and perjury. The court can
not believe from tho evidence that there
ever was a marriage. On the merits of
the case every issue has resulted in the
courts impression hat the plaintiff has
committed willful perjury in this case.
Being impressed with plaintiffs guilt of
perjury, the court commits her TO the city
prison unless she furnishes bail in $1,000.
Delivered with all the impressive
ness that goes with a black silk gown
and a judicial position, these words fell
like thunderboIts on the Wood camp.
The case was one Of the most remark
able suits even to come up in New
York City. 4 United States Senator.
a feeble man of % years, the president
of the United States Express Company,
q grandfather, the father of adult sons,
the husband of a second wife whom he
married five years ago-such a man be-
ing sued for divorce by 4 woman who
claims to have secretly married him
nearly seven years ago. The woman
who brought this astounding action is
MIS-. -Idt \. hOOt, VI hOOOI tdJls SS
she calls herself. The defendant was
Thomas Collier Platt, for decades the
political boss of the great State of New
York and now representing that COM
monwealth in the upper house of Con-
gress for the third time.
Mrs. Wood. who was herself divorced
by Albert Wood years ago, began her
suit for Il divorce from Senator Platt
on the ground of his marriage to Mrs.
Janeway, and it was the trial of this
suit that resulted in her commitment to
Jail as Il perjurer. The two most i'm
portant links in her chain, the mar
riage certificate and the confession"
were made her own worst ~accuserS
when the defense finally displayed its
hand. Months of patient detective
work, weeks Of microscopic study by
Handwriting experts, and day after day
of testimony taken by deposition in va
riOus cities and States, demolished the
carefully built fabric of evidence Mrs.
Wood had prepared. The marriage GER
tificate was traced to the S%tatiOners
who sold it; from them to the lithO-
graphers who printed it. 1t was shown
~c~onclusively that this certificate, pur-
porting to have been drawn on Nov. 9,
1901, was not printed until 1902. The
other link in Mrs. Woods chain, the
confession" in which Platt was made
to acknowledge her as his wife, seemed
to almost cry out for itself that it was
all impudent fraud.