New-York tribune., 1908-05-21
MR.. PLATT TESTIFIES
DENIES . WOOD CHARGES.
Aged Senator Says He Didn't
Marry WomaH Seeking DiUorce.

r.,.-or Thomas Collier Piatt took the stand in
-. own defence yesterday in the suit for divorce
,-ourht against him by Mae Catherine Wood
plat" before Justice oGorman, IN the Supreme
,-,,,-- The Senator denied that he had ever pro-
.s5 10 her had ever married her or had ever
Lii money 10 Abe Hummel 10 force her 10 give
=, alleged love letters of his. Likewise. he denied
living knowingly signed a typewritten .confes-
.,on- that he had married her and wanted her
.n wait patiently until he could right her wrongs
-. said on examination, however that he
xom.tires used endearing terms the plaintiff
The most interesting feature of the defence came
o,t when the Senator admitted the signature the
.rreprtten confession his. but declared he
- signed his name on the paper when il was
blank and had been sent into his the
Arlington Hotel. IN Washington, by a
whom ne did not see and who told his valet 10 ask
him 70 give her and her woman companion his
sutorraphs for their collection. The defence later
introduced witnesses and read dispositions from
others corroborate what they assert the
manner which the autograph procured by
she plaint~. The plaintiff her testimony told
of going the Arlington tn December. 1906, to
gel her rights, and sGid a Mrs. Dunning accom-
rsnied her. Mrs. Dunnng's deposition. read yes
t.rdav tells Of their sending 10 the Senator for
his autograph while they waited in the hall out
ride his
The defence had resumed yesterday morning with
he reading of dispositions. when word was brought
that Senator Platt had arrived at the Chambers
street entrance Of the building A big crowd quick
from his carriage by his secretary and Gustav
Abel. with whom he lives in West 11tt street The
Senator. although bowling and smiling. sup
porred between them and seemed merely 10 go
through the motions OF walking. with his feet
.csrcelv on the ground Behind the trio followed
Mrs. Abel. the nurse. who looks after Mr.. Plstt's
health. The crowd parted before them. and Mr
Flstt raised his hat 10 the spectators he en-
tered the elevator.
The plaintiff. who has that he called her
Dearest May and once sent her by mail "a
thousand kisses. not IN the courtroom he
was carried down the aisle and lifted 10 the wit
ness chair. In fact. she did not appear all day.
aud the only present Mrs Abel who
testified later the defence. Senator Plat1. in
response the questions Of his counsel. John B.
stznchheld. Iold in clear though rather weak
voice that he was seventy-five years old. that his
first wife dieo in ,s1. that he had first met the
plaintiff in that yeGr and remembered having had
some correspondence with her.
Then came the DEFENDANTS denials. He said he
saw the plaintiff at the Oriental Hotel, Man
haitian Beach. never proposed TO her there or any
where else. and Hss never married to her at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel on November 2. 1901. al
other time or place. Likewise he denied in detail
her story.
Asked when he first heard she had declared she
his wife, he replied:
7 don't recall ! first heard OF il through Chi
osgo newspaper. I can't recall dates.
The witness began show the strain of talk
ing and his voice became weak and husky He
said he thought the Chicago story published
IN 1879. Nj. Stanchfeld asked # the date June
i. 1895, but still the Senator's memory failed him.
He remembered, however. that he never the
plaintiff wedding ring The alleged marriage cer
tihcate being shown him. he looked it over, face
and back. Then he said he had never given it 10
1he plaintiff. that none of the writing it
his that he had never before seen il, although
he had seen photographs Of it
He denied authorship Of the letter beginning My
Little Bride To Be Other similar letters
also disowned by him.
The witness said he could not recall the date he
uas staying al the Arlington in Washington in
1876. but said he often requested by persons
70 give them his autograph, and that he signed
for these collectors IT c. Platt, New York Mr.
Stanchheld then handed 10 him the alleged con
fesson-' in typeRritins, and asked: is that your
signatureg'
1t is" replied the witness. scanning the paper
which s follows:
Washington, December To- 1906.
Mae c. Wood. Washington ..
nv legal vie and vii sign such a staie1nent and
under the law TO- in any way, the papers signed
hy YOU on October i. 1893; as | know the same
rsss Further than this an PoTeress TO right
silent little longer. when all will be well, and
T c PI-ATT. NeY York,
After Mr. Platt had finished reading It Mr..
stanchfeid said:
Was the typewriting on it when you signed
that"
1t was not II was blank sheet Of paper"
Did you ever knowingly sign such document"
y never did; never in my life
The witness when the photograph Of himself
inscribed with To My Little Wife handed
TO him exclaimed rather sharply: Il never wrote
that in my life. It's forgery He said he did
not know the plaintiff vas the Arlington Hotel
in December. 1906, the time she says he signed
the confession
This ended The direct examination after thirty
five minutes and the Senator settled back feebly
II MS chair as Mr.. I,e Barber started cross
examine him. Asked if he called her by the
name Of Mae Catherine, the witness said:
Il called her catty-"
''Is that pet namec"
The Senator nodded his head in the affirmative.
Did she have any pei names for you?"
No"
How long after YOU met her did you realize that
she was an agreeable woman" asked Mr. lie
Barber.
I can't testify said the Senator feebly.
Did you call her 'dearest'?'
y can't recoilect that l did
Mr- lie Barber then read a letter dated Septen-
ber Is, lso2 beginning Dearest Mae" and ending
Peace and pleasure be with you, T. c. p Mr..
Pstt said he thought the letter was genuine.
snd that he believed he il. Mr.. lie
Barber handed il 10 him, and the Senator then
admitted II in his handwriting
iis secretary that time, said. Thomas
Howe, Methodist Episcopal clergyman. He
didn't recall whether Howe in his suite on
November 2. 1901 To the question TO how the
Rev. MIR Howe came 10 leave the ministry 10 en-
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