The Springfield herald., 1907-02-15
STORY OF WRONG
EVELYN NEseiT THAW ON THE
WITNESS STAND.
STANFORD WHITES CRIME

Wife Of the Man on Trial Tells Why
He Hated the Man He kiiled-her
Confession Awakens Much Sym
pathy.
New York.-Evelyn Nesbit Thaw
told her story on the witness stand
Thursday. 70 safe the life of her huB-
| band, she barred 10 the world the in
| nermost secrets OF her soul
1t was the same story she told Harry
| Thaw In Paris in 1903, when he had
| asked her to become his wife-the
confession OF one who felt there was
an insurmountable barrier to her ever
becoming the bride of the man she
loved.
In the big, witness chair she ap-
peared but slip Of a girl. and she
told a pitiful story OF her eventful
young life in frank, girlish way.
When tears came unbidden to her
big brown eyes and slowly tricklcd
their way down scarlet cheeks, she
strove in vain to keep them back.
She forced the words from trembling
lips, and by a marvellous display OF
courage, which took her willingly to
her staggering ordeal. she shook on
depression which once threatened to
become an absolute collapse.
AS the young wife unfolded the mar
rative of her girlhood and told the
cary struggles OF herself and her
mother to keep body and soul to-
gcther; of how gaunt poverty stood
ever at the door, and how she finally
was able to earn livelihood by pos
ing for photographers and artists, she
won the murmured sympathy of the
throng which filled every available
space in the court room.
| Then came the relation OF the wreck
OF that girlhood at sixteen years OF
age. 1t was the story of her meeting
with Stanford White. the story OF
| the sumptuous studio apartment,
whose dingy exterior gave no hint OF
the luxurious furnishings within; of
velvet-covered swing in which one
could swing until slippered toes
crashed through the paper Of Japa-
nese parasol swung from the ceiling;
the story of glass OF champagne, of
black, whirling sensations. and of mir
rored bed room walls. In short. she
told all the story.
Don't scream so. 1t Is all over. 1t
is all right"
And this was Stanford White?"
| The question came from d. NJ. Del
mas, now conducting the defense.
Yes, sir"
The stiffness of the great crowd was
Its own tribute to the effect of the
girls story.
Into the narrative there entered
nothing Of the woman OF the world.
A girl in face and figure. Mrs. Thaw
was still a girl as she withstood an or
deal which might well have startled
into terror a woman OF mature years
and harsher experiences than hers.
Thus the story ran. with here ami
there an interruption by Mr.. Delmas
to advise the girl to fix the dates OF
the variou happenings and always to
tell Just what she had told Harry
Thaw when he asked her to become
his wife. 1t was through the fact that
she had told everything to Harry"
that he was permitted under the rules
Of law to give her story to the jury.
The letters which were eventually Of
fered In evidence after much objectinK
by Mr.. Jerome and a flood Of arGu-
mcnt by opposing counsel are re-
garded as corroborative of Mrs.
Thaw's testimony, which she often de-
clared in response, to objections by
! the district attorney, was q repetition
OF the reasons she had given Thaw for
refusing to become his wife.
They also were offered as tending to
show the state OF mind OF the defend
ant Just after he had heard from her
own lips the story of the girl he loved
and her relations with the man II Is
claimed he killed as a reuslt Of insan-
ity inherited in part, and induced by
| q stress of circumstances.