Connecticut western news., 1907-02-21
MRS. THAW'S ORDEAL
District Attorney Jerome After Details of Her Past Life.
CROSS EXAMINATION BEGUN.

Prosecutor Opens Fire by Asking
 Whether Story Told to Husband Was
 True-Clash With DeImas-Witness
 Tells of Whites Alleged Misdeeds.
 New York, Feb. 2O-With the re- sumption of the cross examination of Evelyn Nesbit Thaw, the young wife of the man charged with murder for shooting Stanford White, began what many consider the most interesting and important part of the battle for the life of Harry K. Thaw
 The opening questions of District At torney Jerome indicated his purpose of probing deeply into the past life of Mrs. Thaw. Before MT. Jerome had had the witness in charge half an hour he had secured from the court a ruling which apparently opens the way for bringing into the trial of Harry K Thaw all manner of evidence which may tend to discredit the defendants s wife.
 Jerome Begins Questioning.
 MT. Jerome by a simple question opened the way for the introduction of testimony tending to show the truth or falsity of Mrs Thaw's story. He asked the witness:
 'Was the story you told, Mrs. Thaw, true?'
 ''It was," she replied firmly.
 MT. Delmas, Thaw's leading counsel, objected strongly to the question, but Justice Fitzgerald held it to be compe- tent as tending to show the credibility of the witness.
 He allowed MT. Jerome to bring from Mrs. J. J. Caine of Boston, a friend of Mrs. Thaw, who took the witness stand, many material points as to the movements of Harry Thaw and Evelyn Nesbit following their return from Eu- rope in 1904, including the published incident of their being ejected from the Hotel Cumberland in this city, the proprietor insisting that they should register as man and wife or leave their suits, which adjoined. In bring ing out these facts Mr. Jerome denied that he was attacking Mrs. Thaw and said he was simply testing the credibil- ity of Mrs. Caine.
 Mrs Caine testified that Thaw had told Mrs. Nesbit he would provide for her and her son always if she would consent to her daughters marriage to him. Mrs. Nesbit promised to do her best to have Evelyn consent.
 The district attorney seemed reluct- ant to begin the cross examination of Mrs. Thaw.
 Might Waive Gross Examination.
 "After have looked further into the matter I may decide to cross examine Mrs. Thaw," MT. Jerome stated to the court, Tor I may waive my right. If when all the testimony as to the insan- ity of this defendant is in I shall be honestly of the opinion that he was insane at the time this act was con- mitted do not propose to take up the time of this court and this jury in. con tending''-
 MT. Delmas here interrupted MT. Je- rome. He wanted to know if the dis trict attorney meant that if he was honestly convinced that Thaw was in sane when he shot Stanford White he would abandon the prosecution.
 "I promise nothing" retorted the prosecutor.
 May Seek to Have Thaw Examined.
 The reluctance of the district attor- ney to subject Mrs. Thaw to cross examination again lent color to the ru- mors that MT. Jerome still contem- plates moving for the appointment of a commission in lunacy to test Thaw's state of mind at the present time. There are many evidences of i'll feeling existing between MT. Jerome and MT. Delmas. The latter intends to protect Mrs. Thaw in every possible way.
 More Charges Against White.
 In completing her direct testimony Mrs. Thaw had told of the conversa- ton she and her husband had had re- garding the fate of other young wo- men at the hands of Stanford White. One of these girls was known as ''the pie girl" She was fifteen years of age and wore only a gauge dress when she sprang from big pie at stag dinner. Mrs. Thaw said Stanford pie and that it was "one of the great est stunts ever seen at a dinner"
 The witness declared that May Me Kenzie had told her that Stanford White when told she and Harry were very happy together had remarked Pooh! It won't last. I will get her back
 Harry Thaw's letter to Anthony Comstock describing three houses o1 studios where, he declared, Stanford White and "other scoundrels'' lured young girls was read. Among the places described was the house in West Twenty-fourth street with the velvet swing and the mirrored bedroom
 Jerome questioned Mrs. Caine closely and brought out many statements from her with regard to Harry Thaw an6 Evelyn Nesbit. Among these was the fact that Mrs. Nesbit had not accom- panied her daughter and Harry Thaw to Europe in 1904-the second triI abroad. He also brought from Mrs Caine the fact that Evelyn Nesbit told xsal1 Grr