The Washington herald., 1907-01-20
THAW FAMILY UNITED
Affecting Scene as Countess
Meets Her Brother.
HAS ALLEGED CONFESSION
jerome in Possession of Letters In
Which Evelyn Thaw Says Husband
Forced Her 10 PrevaHcate AbOut
Stanford White-HOward Nesbit to
Defend Victims Memory.

New York, Jan. 9--Wlth the meeting
to-day Of the Countess of Yarmouth and
her brother, Harry Thaw. in the grim
corridors Of the Tombs. the Thaw family
is again united Harry Thaw goes to his
trial next week for the murder Of Archi-
tect Stanford White comforted by the fact
that all the members of his family will
be with him during the ordeal The visit
of his titled sister cheered Thaw inn
mensely, and his spirits, which have been
more or less low of late, were perceptibly
raised.
Dressed in plain black. heavily veiIed.
and looking not at all like the wife of
the owner of one Of the oldest titles in
England, the Countess of Yarmouth vis-
tied her brother for the first time to-
day. The countess arrived yesterday
from Europe. She was accompanied by
her mother, Mrs William Thaw. and Mrs.
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw to the Tombs
Party Face Kodak Battery.
great crowd of reporters. newspaper
photographers, and others collected around
the entrance to the city prison before the
women arrived When they finally drove
up in a closed electric brOugham, the
crowd was so great that two traffic po-
Hcemen had to force a pathway for them
across the sidewalk and up TO the big
iron doors.
They were admitted at once, and as
there were no other visitors in line. they
gave their names 10 the doorman and
We're shown 10 the matron's room, where
they We're searched. Then they were es-
corted by a keeper up the narrow iron
stairs to the cell on the second tier. where
Harry Thaw is impatiently awaiting the
day Of the trial
The prisoner had been standing at the
door of his cell, his face pressed against
the bars, for an hour waiting for them.
When he finally caught sight of his sis
ter his face lightened up and he shouted
a fond greeting.
Countess Meets Brother.
She rushed ahead OF the others to the
cell and kissed him through the bars
They embraced as best they could WIlh
the bars between them. and commenced
10 talk at the same time The mother
and wife looked on at the meeting with
tears in their eyes.
The visitors stayed the limit allowed
When they returned to the matron's s
room, where they were again searched.
They We're all wiping their eyes
As they left the prison the countess was
approached 10y the reporters. but she re-
fused to be interviewed
The prisoners mother was dressed in
the same deep mourning that she has
worn ever since her hasty return to New
York last summer. after the murder of
Stanford White. Evelyn Thaw wore the
long coat which her husband gave her as
Christmas present
This is the first time in the history Of
the Tombs that "A titled woman has ever
entered its portals
Did Not Urge Lunacy Plea.
The Countess of Yarmouth, il is stated
by Thaw's lawyers. made no attempt to
influence him To accept the findings of a
lunacy commission. The countess herself
and Mrs. William Thaw and Evelyn Mes
bit Thaw declined to talk about their
conversation with Harry Thaw
The countess did not go 10 the Tombs
to argue with her brother" said Lawyer
Peabody, who is associated with LAWYER
HaTtridge in Thaws defense. There
was no effort TO get Mr.. Thaw to consent
TO a plea Of insanity. II is quite true that
the members Of the family are as one as
TO Mr. Thaw's defense. The countess
came over merely 10 be at her brothers
side in the coming ordeal"
Il is fairly certain that Thaw viii be
brought TO trial before Justice Fitzgerald
in the Supreme Court. criminal branch
on next Wednesday. He will be ar
raigned, however, on Monday.
jerome Has Evelyn Thavv's Letter.
Pittsburg, Pa. Jan. IA sensational
chapter is added to the romance and
tragedy of the lives Of Harry Kendall
Thaw. Evelyn Nesbit. and Stanford
White. through the publication by local
paper of new phases bearing upon the
case. Chiefly it constitutes the defense Of
Mrs. Charles Holman, mother of Evelyn
Nesbft Thaw. against her as a mother.
II also tends To clear the character Of
Stanford White.
The story is the first detailed statement
% inside facts relating 10 the case 1om-
ing from the Holman family, and can be
said to be authoritative.
The letter is said to have been written
BY Evelyn Nesbit Thaw. containing what
is described as confession Of wrongs
against her mother, written when she
thought she was on her deathbed in the
Hotel Cecil, in London, after she had
run away from Harry Thaw in Paris is
the basis of the story. The letter, il is
stated. is now in the possession Of Dis
trict Attorney Jerome, of New York. and
viii be used il an effort is made by
Thaws attorneys TO blacken the character
Of Stanford White and make the "uu-
written law their defense. This letter
ii is predicted, viii prove JerOmes trump
card if there is need to play it.
Says Thaw Forced Her to Lie.
Mrs. Thaw, 1t is said detailed how she
told untruths about her mother. and is
said to have asserted in this eight-page
letter, that Harry Thaw compelled her to
prevaricate against her mother and
White. Il was q letter written at a time
when she thought the grim hand Of death
would separate her from all earthly
things. and she did not want to die with
written lie against her mother As
sistant District Attorney Garvan of New
York. it is stated. has a Photographic
copy not only OF this letter and its en-
vclope, but copies of all the letters that
were exchanged between Mrs Holman
and her daughter and her son, Howard
Nesbit
Some of the letters are said to be in a
safe deposit vault in this city, while a
number of the more important ones are
IN the hands of the lawyers who will
prosecute Harry Thaw
Members Of the Nesbit family have
made all preparations TO do everything in
their power TO defend an attack on
Whites character and to show that Mrs.
Holmans treatment Of her daughter was
anything but unworthy.
Her Brother VIII Defend White.
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