The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-02-12


Judge, Jury and spectators-Early
Years of Poverty Followed by Earn
ing of Livelihood as Model Fol
Artists and graphers-Accepted
Stage Friends Invitation to Luncheon
Where She Met Arohitect-He Gave
Her Presents and Sent Her Mother
Back to Pittsbure, Saying He Would
Take Care of Giri-Defendant Sobs
as Wife Gives Testimony.
New York, Feb. IL Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw, the young wife OF the man on
trial for his life here on the charge OF
numbering Stanford White, resumed
the witness stand to continue the ties
timony whose first installment shocked
even New York accustomed as the me
tropolis is generally believed to be to
such sensations.
In the first part of her testimony
Mrs Thaw told the story of the shoot
inc substantially as it had been re-
lated by other witnesses
AS the former chorus girl answered
readily the questions put to her every
one in the courtroom leaned eagerly
forward SO as not to miss word that
dropped from her lips. The pitiful
story she told moved every one in the
room Men wiped the tears from their
eyes, while the morbid women who had
come to hear the revolving testimony
sobbed aloud. 1t was one of the most
ffota in
court
70 save the life Of her husband she
barred to the world the innermost Sc
crets of her soul 1t was the same sto-
ry 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 insurmountabe bar
rier to her ever becoming the bride of
the man she loved and who loved her.
Early Years of Poverty.
AS the young wife unfolded the mar
rative of her eirlhood and told the ear
ly struggles of herself and her mother
to keep body and soul together, of how
gaunt poverty stood ever at the door
and how she finally was able to earn Il
livelihood by posing for photographers
and artists she won the murmured
sympathy of the throng which filed
every available space in the big court
room. She told of her fathers death
when she was eight years old.
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 lux
urious furnishings within, of a velvet
covered swing in which one could
swing until slippered toes crashed
through the paper of japanese para
sol swung from the ceiling, the story
of glass of champagne, of black,
whirling sensation and of mirrored
bedroom walls. In short she told all
the story of her ruin in the studio in
the tower OF Madison Square Garden
the building designed by White and in
which he met his death. Her story
gave horrifying details of the manner
in which White drugged her and then
accomplished her purpose.
After the familys advent in New
York came her stage life here and
eventually the acceptance by her moth,
er of the thrice declined invitation of
girl of the theater to meet some of heI
friends at luncheon. The girls moth
er told Evelyn's mother they We're peo
pie in New York society and perfectly
proper, else she would not let her girl
go with them.
Tells Story of Downfall.
This was in August, 1901. HE was
big and fat and ugly. l remember him
meeting us at the head of three flights
of stairs" she continued. HE gave
me presents, and my mother let me
go to other parties. Then he said my
mother should visit some friends in
Pittsburg. She said she could not
leave me- He said it would be all
right; that he would look after me-
Finally she went. Then came an in
vitation to party, but no one else was
there, just us two. They all seem to
have turned us down. he said Then
when we had dined and wanted to
go home he said l hadn't seen all of
the apartment, and we went to the
bedroom with the mirrors all over the
walls"
Thus the story ran, with just here
and there an interruption by Mr.. Del
mas to advise the girl to fix the dates
OF the various 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 thai
she had told everything to Harry
that she was permitted under the rules
of law to give her story to the jury.
In the sympathy impelling story Of
the girl, the girlish fascination OF
voice of softest quality, yet ringing
clear In enunciation, the courtroom lost
view df the prisoner. Rut when there
came halt in the girls fight against
the tears the people who had gazed
INCREASINGLY at her lowered their eyes,
as if the relief from their stare might
bring her the composure she finally
won. Then they saw Harry Thaw
again.
Story Affects Husband.
His whole frame shaking, he sat
with his head buried in his hands, a
handkerchief covering the eyes. Where
the defendant sits he is all but shield
ed from the jury. Bent over the table
as he sobbed he could not be seen tit
all. Thus Thaw sat for many minutes.