Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-02-21
Thaw's Wife Says it Was Con.
secrated to Debauchery and
Ruin Of Innocent Girls
INCIDENT OF GIRL
IN PIE REFERRED TO
Life Story Of Woman Whose
Early Life Made Husband
Murderer is Continued

Early Life Made Husband a
Murderer is Continued
New York. Feb. 19.-Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw was the first witness in the
Thaw trial today Mrs Thaw looked
pale and serious She wore the same
simple sirlsh costume she has worn
every day since the trial began At
torney Delmas handed Mrs. Thaw for
ty-two letters which she identified as
having been written by White.
Mrs. Thaw testified that May Mac
kenzie told her white said the love
between ThaW and mis- wife would not
last, that he would get her back When
she told this to Thaw, the latter said
he had already heard it from Miss Mac
Kenzie. Thaw was very excited and
nervous as he always was when on the
subject of White.
The witness said she had a second
operation performed in 1905, Thaw
making the arrangements and paying
about $4,000 for it. The nature Of the
oPSie be1o4 W oSo lob SOuC l1IO.
Mrs. Thaw said her husband after
their marriage talked almost constant
ly about the incident in her life con-
nected with White. That he would
often awaken her at night and sobbing-
ly talk about this terrible thing"
White Tried to Embarrass Her.
Mrs. TLaw related how while she
was visiting the sick bed of May Mac.
Kenzie IN 1904, White came into the
room and tried to embrace the wit
ness snd wanted me to sit beside him
on the bed" Mrs. Thaw said she told
Thaw Of this incident. Thaw always
attributed her i'll health and the neces-
sity of second operation, ETC., to
White. The witness said she and Thaw
had discussed the fates Of other young
women at the hands of White and that
their names were the same as men
toned in the codicil to Thaw's WILL
The Girl In the Pie.
Regarding the fate of the "pie girl"
Mrs. Thaw told the story as related to
her by White as follows.
There was stag dinner. he said.
The girl was put in big pie with a
icS VI O1luo. NohS "uS SCly yOu1lE2,
about Is years, / think he said He
also told me the girl had a beautiful
figure and wore only a. gauze dress.
He helped put her in the pie and fixed
it. He said it was the best stunt he
ever saw at dinner. When the girl
jumped out of the pie the birds flew
all about the room"
At dinner party at the St. Regis
in 1904 when Mrs Thaw and another
man were present guest told the
story Of the pie girl.
t'He said" Mrs. Thaw continued,
that White and another man had
trouble about it, trouble to keep it out
of the newspapers. He said they went
on their knees to the editor of one of
the newspapers to keep the story out
of the paper and finally through the
influence of friend they had it sup
pressed"
What paper was it?" was asked.
The American was the reply
After their marriage Thaw told the
witness he had investigated the story
and found it to be true The pie
girl had died in poverty and disgrace,
after having been married, Mrs. Thaw
testified. Thaw, in speaking of these
girls. had said that White should be
in the penitentiary; that he was get.
ting worse and worse.
Debauchery in Studio.
The witness then identified several
papers, including a letter from Thaw
TO Anthony Comstock, in which he
described Whites studio.
MI
ed to debauchery, were used by a
gang of rich criminals and that girls
we're taken to them to perform fell
ony"
Pardon me for asking, Mrs. Thaw,'
said Delmas, "but did Thaw tell that
any of Whites practices on young
women were unnatural?'
"Yes,' was the reply.
Can you describe them?"
Mrs. Thaw flushed ooh no. she
said in shrill little voice, they are
unspeakable."
Now you may take the Witness
said Delmas to Jerome.
The latter said, 81 will ask permits
sion to reserve my cross examination
of this witness until can determine
whether cross examination is needfu
on issues raised in this case"
"We will assent to that said Del
mas, and Mrs. Thaw left the stand.
MiIliner on Stand.
Mrs j. ]. Game, Boston milliner
then took the stand
When Mrs. Game was taken in hand
by Jerome he began a searching in
quiry into her acquaintance with the
Thaws and asked her all about Their
movements, directing his questions
particularly to the trip which ThaN
and Evelyn made to Europe. He
! brought out the fact that Mrs. Nesbit
had not accompanied her daughter or