The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-07
STORY y.lovES TFEW JURORS Mo- ITS Recital Leaves Deep Impression. MAY SAVE YOUNG SLAYER Woman Anxious to Tel of Family's
 Hereditary Faint. Harry.s Mother Bears Up well Daring short Examination, Teiis of son's Sorrow ana Struggle to Save
 Girl He Loved.
 
MAY SAVE YOUNG SLAYER

E
 New York, March 6.--Another dram atsc chapter was added to the history of the trial of Harry K. Thaw today when the mother of the defendant took the witness stand to contribute what she might toward saving her son from the death danger which menances him. Mrs Thaw's stay before the jury was brief When MT. Delrnas had definite ly limited her Examination to the change she had noted in her sons con dition following hts return from Paris in 1903, after Evelyn Nesbit had told him her life story, and when Dis trict Attorney Jerome had, with great consideration, conducted short and intellectual cross examination, the mother love sweiled strong in Mrs. Thaw and she felt she had not done her all She was loath to leave the witness chair.
 There h the question of heredity," she protested when both Mir. Delmas and Mir. Jerome told her she might step down.
 T have asked you, madam, all that is considered necessary" said Thaw's attorney with the utmost oeference
 Mrs. Thaw half rose. hesitated and was about to sit down again when the leading counsel for the defense of- fered her his hand to assist her from the stand.
 sorrow HaIts Recital.
 Twice during her recital of the events which had, caused her to fear that all was not right with her son. Mrs. Thaw broke down and was un- able to proceed; her face flushed and she made an effort to speak, but tho words would not come. After few moments. Justice Fitzgerald asked soI- icitously if she felt able to proceed. and Mrs. Thaw, evidently m4ch thagrined that her grief had overcome her strong will of resistance. nodded in the affirmative She declined e glass of water and made an effort once more to proceed but failed. Justice Fitzgerald then interposed a relief for which the elderly woman must have been deeply grateful He said that as many of the witnesses remarks had been uttered in low voice 1t would be necessary to have the stenographer read all her testimony up to that time to tine jury. when the reading was ended Mrs. Thaw had reualned her coniposure ana was able to pro- ceed to the end of her narrative
 She said that when Harry came home in 1903 he semed depressed and had apparently lost all interest in life He passed sleepless nights. would of- ten leave the table at meals and go into the parlor to play upon the piano, the music growing softer and softer until, 1t finally died away. She told in q motheriy way of her soiicitude for the boy.
 He told me wicked man-probably the wickedest man in all New York had ruined his life"
 Son Keeps story Secret.
 It was not. until some time after he had offered this explanation of the change in him that she learned the story of the young woman who was to erhf hfav -it,-l -lowu Thaw told of her son breaking down at church in Pittsburg and afterward complaining that 1t was all because of the sorrow which prevented the young woman he loved being at his side Mrs. Thaw told of coming to New York to meet Evelyn Nesbit and of giving her consent to her sons marriage-the one condition being that the girls past life in New York should be closed book. never to be referred to in any way. Then came the story of the marriage in Pittsburg in April 1903, the honey moon trip and then a happy sumrher spent at the mothers country home in the mountains.
 This was all. Mir. Delmas ended her testimony abruptly. The District At torney was taken by surprise and be- gan to cross-examine Mrs. Thaw in a very low voice. He asked the condi- tions surrounding the increase in her sons allowance, but MT. Delmas ob- jected. He asked what the sons in come amounted to. Mrs, Thaw said it was moderate and nothing like the sum the newspapers have so often reported. Mir. Jerome next trod upon what he must have felt was the thinnest ice lest he put himself In the attitude of attempting to harass the pathetic fig ure in black on the witness stand. He asked the mother what she knew of her