The Washington herald., 1908-05-19

New York. May 1s.-self- possessed. glib
with explanations TO reconcile her nuner-
GUS contradictory statements and afida-
wits, the plaintiff in the suit of Mae
Catherine Wood Platt VS. Thomas Collier
Platt" occupied the witness chair all day.
to-day. before Justice O'Gorman. in spe-
eial term. part 3. Of the Supreme Court, at
the opening Of the trial Of her suit for d.
yoros from the aged United States Sena-
tor.
She was still on the stand when an ad-
journment was taken until tomorrow.
John B. stanchheld. who is conducting
the trial for Mr.. Plat, had not finished
her cross-examination.
Makes Good Impression.
Mae Catherine Wood has been. accord
ing to her own testimony. a stenographer.
a newspaper woman. an empioye of the
Post-oflce Department. in Washington,
and q lawyer, as well as a seltzer water
stock company promoter.
She has much Of the appearance of the
typical country sChoolma' am. with. how
ever, considerably more self-conadence
and knowledge Of the world than most
sehooIma'ams can boast. For that mat
ter. she did teach school at one time.
Save for a feminine tendency to argue
with counsel occasionally. she made an
excellent witness, provided one were will
ing to accept her explanations Of how
she came 10 subscribe her name to a
sworn statement, setting forth one state
of affairs, and then testify orally 10 quite
a different condition OF things.
Chief among these discrepancies may
be mentioned her several suits, in which
she made affidavit that Senator Platt had
only promised 10 marry her, and had
broken the engagement. and her present
suit. in which she testified to-day that
he actually did marry her on November
g. 1901. long before the aforesaid suits
were begun.
The supposed marriage. according 10
her version. took place in Senator Plett's 5
rooms. in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, before
two witnesses, whose names she forgets
or never knew.
Alleged Love Letters Introduced.
Most interesting Of the days proceed
ings was the production and reading in
court by Charles E. lie Barber. who is
trial counsel for the plaintiff. of letters
which she identified as having been sent
her by Senator Plat. IN these the old
statesman described himself as ian old
fool" and her as his "June-November
bride" That goes with her name. Mae.
In another letter the provisions made
for the Senator's three sons were re-
feIred to for the purpose OF assuring the
/ recipient that the writer considered hini-
self at liberty to do as ne pleased with
out reference 10 the wishes of his chill
dren. Love and kisses formed the bulk
of the letters. one of which started OF
with the naive statement that the re-
ceipt of a previous letter from Miss
Wood as she was then at all events, had
so cheered him up that he was almost
reconciled TO oden's election"
Senator Platt has always denounced
these letters ss forgeries. has maintained
he never married the Wood woman. noT
gave her any encouragement 70 believe
he would marry her. and has repeatedly
denounced her suits Of various kinds as
hold-ups or blackmailing schemes.
Promised to Establish Case.
She has as steadily persisted in her
litigation. replying only that when the
time came that she could so on the stand
and tell her story, she would be believed,
and the Senator's denials discredited.
One thing, at least. is certain and is
admitted, that through the good offices OF
Delaney Nicon and Abe Hummel. the
former representing Mr.. Piatt and the
latter Mae Wood. the Senator gave her
$4,000 70 get back from the woman GER
tain letters and other documents or
which she was preparing her book. ''The
Love Letters Of a Boss"
She said to-day she only got a small
portion Of the $1,000. how much, she
aid not tell, and wasn't asked. The re-
! lease she signed in HummeFs Office was
signed under duress,r she said to-day
and IN fact. she sai6. eooliy and calmly
| that because of the duress she signed
anything and everything Hummel put be-
| fore her, besides telling him she did not
take any stock in anything she signed
under such circumstances.
That was on October Il. 1905. nearly two
years after the supDOssd marriage.