The Washington times., 1908-05-20
.PLATT ON STAND.
DENIES MARRIAGE
New York Senator Admits
Calling Mae Wood
Dear Catty."
TELLS OF VISITS;
SCORNS LETTERS
Examines Alleged Marriage Certi-
fcate and Says He Never
Saw II Before.


NEW YORK, May 2O.-senator PIatt
took the stand IN his own defense in the
trial of the divorce suit OF Mae c.
Woods against him today. He appeared
very feeble and was accompanied 10 the
courtroom by two nurses.
Senator PIatt denied that he had ever
married Mrs. Wood. He said he had
never promised TO marry her, never
wrote her any love letters, never bought
he- a ring or acknowledged that she
was his wife
Senator Platt reached the courthouse
a few minutes after II O'Clock. he was
driven IN in a carriage. accompanied by
two maze attendants, and tOEIered
teebly int the building with a man
supporting him on either side He was
taken directly To The witness stand,
where he was helped into his chair. II
was the purpose OF the lawyers 70 take
his testimony at once 50 that he might
be excused and allowed 10 leave.
Senator Platt denounced as a forgery
/ the inscription. To my darling bride.
over his signature on the back OF a
Photograph Miss Wood testified tEat
he wrote that while she sat in his laU,
and guided his band. This made the
Senator angry, apparently, and when
his lawyer asked him about il he
II Is forgery. the woman never
sat "a my lap.
Called Her "Dear Carly"
on cross-examinauon the Senator ad-
mitted he had written TO her as Dear
CaJty." lie did that. he said, because
he liked her and liked to correspond
with her. He also addressed her IN q
letter as Dearest Mae"
q
a very agreeable woman, q very agree
able woman. he said. refectivclys as
II his mind dWeit or ner past charms
The alleged marriage IN the Fifth
Avenue H0tel. be decIared was a rnyfh.
as nothing OF the Kind had ever hap
pened. When passed The sO-called mar
rlaEe certificate Re Inspected Il clt sely
and then declared II was the rrst lime
he ever saw H.
he sworc positively he did not in
frCduce two men .n Mss Wood and tell
her one of them WeE q minister. neither
vas ne preseEs wfsea one Of them per
formed the ceremony or marriage be-
tween himself and Mae Wood.
EndeaH7g Terms Used.
Did you never address Miss Wood IN
endearing terms?" he was asked.
We'll yes
What was your pet name for her?'
We'll sometimes I called her
C-a-a-t-y" The witness shortened the
pronunciation so It sounded like Cat-y,
and the spec -ators laughed.
what was the name OF your former
se-retary2"
Howe"
was Re not formerly an Episcopal
minister"
Il believe So"
Did he ever. perform marriage cere-
monies?"
'RJot TO my knowledge"
Did yOu ever marry a woman secretly
and then have il come out"
NO, I never did.
Did you ever know J. Martin Miller
Yes, ! met him frequently"
PlaIt positively denied Miller had ever
been commissioned by him TO gct Mae
Wood To surrender letters that ne had
written her He also denied he had
ever secured letters that were stolen
from her.
"Do you know Of any money being
Used?''
7 never knew until this morning that
there vas even talk OF money having
Did You not indorse a note for J.
Martin Miiler2"
Yes
What vas the amoupt?"
zone thousand dollars
NEVER EIOpOStQ.
st never made a proposal OF marriage
10 Miss Wood nor received one from
her. he said.
The letter bearing his signature. set
ting forth an alleged Acknowledgement
Of the marriage. relied on by the de-
tense TO prove its case. was simply a
blank sheet Of paper when he signed IL,
he swore he said the paper was
brought 20 him at the Arlington Hotel
IN Washington as a request for his auto
graph, and he wrote on 1t. ct. c. Platt."
One Of the vital points wIdch the Sen
ator viii have TO clear up is the fol-
lowing statement:
My Dear Mae. I am willing to ad-
nit YOU are my legal wife"
The letter. under date Of December
10. 1905. which was subsequent to the
aged politicians marriage to Mrs Lii
liam Janeway, caused a sensation when
II was filed by Miss Woods lawyers
before Justice O'Gorman in special term
OF the supreme cour-
The courts refusal 20 entertain q
motion that the case be dismissed when
the little determined woman, vino has
been on his trail for five years. left the
stand forced the aged Senator's Cuun-
sci 10 proceed with the defense This
ruling was a surprise TO the defend
ants lawyer, John 3. Stanch0eld. who
had picked big holes in the plaintiffs
testimony and had forced many dam
aging admissions from her during "A
long Cross-eNaminstlon.
Threatened to destroy" Her.
A remarkable letter written by Miss !
Wood to Abraham Hummel in which /
she declared Senator Plat had threat /
ened to destroy her if she published |
what she knew about Mrs. Janeway. his |
wife. was read during the cToss-ex- |
7 don't know how he IS to destroy /
me: whether I am 10 be murdered, or /
put out Of the way in some other man /
ner" she wrote.
Senator Platt said he first learned |
that Miss wood claimed TO be his wife /
throlIeb a publication n Chicago |
uegspl Der iT 1903. The front row in 1
the courtroom presented motley look |
ing row Of ihas-beens, who had gath |
(Conrinued on Fourth Page)