Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-04-11
IN THAW'S DEFENSE
Attorney Delmas Makes Opening
Argument in Noted Case.
WIFE's STORY BASIS OF PLEA
Speaks for Over Two Hours With the
Young Woman's Evidence as
the Only Foundation.

New York. April 9.-The trial Of
Harry X. Thaw. charged with the muir
der of Stanford White, is nearing the
end. Attorney Dolphin NJ. Delmas,
the California attorney, Monday after
noon began his closing address to the
Jury and after he had spoken for more
l2urned. Mr., Delmas expects to CON
clude before the luncheon hour is
reached today. District Attorney Je-
rome will make the closing address of
the trial on Wednesday and Thaw's
fate will be in the hands of the jury
by Wednesday evening.
Declaring he would o base his
plea upon the "unwritten law" be-
cause his client found ample protec-
tion in the written statutes of the
state of New York, Mr.. Delmas made a
striking appeal to the %sympathies of
the jurors and so far as ne progressed
the subject of ThaW's insanity al The
time he committed the homicide was
not ever limited at.
Mr.. Delmas based his argument sole
ty upon the story of Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw. With flushed checks but dry
eyes, that young woman heard her life
history repeated to the men who are
to judge her husband and bowed her
head as her mother was denounced in
the bilterest tones the eloquent law
yer could command.
Deserted Her Daughter.
even a beast protects its young"
he declared with scornful emphasis,
"hut this unnatural mother deserted
her daughter In this city of millions
to be betrayed by a false friend, to be
iured into a gilded palace and there
left the victim of a gray haired man,
wounded. bleeding and devoured."
Mr.. Delmas went with great detail
into the life Evelyn Nesbit had led ND
to the meeting of Harry Tlaw. In all
Of his remarks he referred to her rs
this child" for child he said she was
today. He told of Thaw's great love
FOR her and his efforts to rescue her
Aicti tiG u .oihIiiolh w lillt.
whose achievements in his profession
the attorney declared were an ag.ra-
gation IF his crime"
Mr.. Delmas before beginning his at
tack upon Evelyn Thaw's mother,
poured out a torrent OF denunciation
upon the architect who hecamc the
victim OF Thaw's pistol. He accused
Min, pf tI,n orir1a pf ..,.,,n' ,,1 +J,o,,
declared that President Roosevelt had
said in his message 10 1877 thar
such a crime should be visited with
death. This was one of the suggestions
which Thaw himself made 10 his cour.
sci for his summing UP speech-one
OF the suggestions which played so i'm
portant a part in the proceedings be-
fore til. lunacy commission.
Thaw Her Only Protector.
The attorney declared that Thaw is
his Wife's only protector-that he
came into her life when she was on
the downward path. told her that no
matter what the world thought of her.
she was to him an angel. He took her
TO be his wife. ready to share the
burdens that a mother had helped to
place upon her daughter.
That Evelyn Nesbit's story was
true and was told 10 Harry Than
formed the subject OF the argument
Cor more than an hour. Mr.. Delmas
declared the only evidence the district
attorney had to bring against the cir!
was the "miscalled affidavit" pro-
cured by Abraham Hummel. Speaking
Of Hummel, Mr.. Delmas again drew
heavily pom his bitIerest invectivc.
and declared that ii would require
more than the words of a perjmrcd
man 10 send Harry Thaw to an ieno-
minious death. Hummel was accused
ny Mr.. Delmas OF having committed
deliberate perjury upon the stand in
the present trial when he swore he
was not acting as Evelyn Nesbit's
counsel. and that no action was ON
templated in her behalf. He said the
so-called affidavit itself convicted tho
man Of these f~alsehnods.