Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-02-22


so much money that It serves them no
purpose but to betray their indeoeneies
and dishonestiss. Without money Harry
X. Thaw would have been one Of the un-
considered mental lightweights that make
no percsptible ripple OIL the social surface.
With II he became the prey Of a pretty
woman, as shallow pated as himself: and
as two wise heads are said to be better
than one. so two fools can make foolishness
moro foolish. With plenty OF money the
foolishness opportunity is complete.
or the whole number Of prominent
participants IN the Thaw tragedy. STAN
ford White seems TO have been the only
ono with notable measure OF intelligence.
He may have been libertine withal. but
nothing the woman Thaw has said upon
the witness stand is conclusive evidence
Of Il. What she has said Of herself in tho
telling about White settles the question OF
her own character and at the same tims
makes doubtful her statements about
tho dead man. There Is no evidence OF q
moral stamina that would prevent her ly-
Ing in order TO save the neck Of the fellow
who became infatuated with her. and
whose money saves her tho necessity OF
becoming cheap woman OF the streets.
That Stanford White made mistress Of
her mother seems apparent That he ever
wronged her seems open 10 question. On
the contrary he may have devoted both
his time and means TO safeguarding tho
youth and beauty OF girl whose mothers
weakness no knew full we'll might be
transmitted. A man with high appre-
citation Of art and culture docs not readily
become promiseuous iewd. It requires
q low intelligence In man or woman
TO become o common prostitute. Ono can
easily imagine White posing the girl In his
studio and with nothing but = manly in
tsrest In beauty. thinking % develop some
brain power by education and assoeia-
ton. and so making her his special pro-
tege. Blu, Nature. whom she Is lavish
with her gift Of beauty often forgets all
the other features that inspire admira-
ton for the species we call human. Ey-
elyn Neshi. Thaw had no,hinR but her
beauty. and this she carly learned TO
uso both on tho stage and OF. She has
been using Il lately In tho witness box.
and probably with good effect. Sho has
perhaps turned Stanford Whites fatharly
attentions To her To account with the Jury
by representing them as the in,inasias o.
a lceherous william. ANY evidence TO this
oifee, that she offers in person or thru
her tenderloin and variety stage sssoei-
atss ought to bo taken by the jury with a
large grain Of salt.
Il Is easy TO perceive how woman ol
Mrs. Thaw's mental ealibro might despiss
tho Intellectual qualities Of man like
White. and resent all his attempts Z
save her from herself and from o,hers.
Tho money Of tho millionaire fool hor
beauty had infatuated was tho thing
mos, likely to appeal to her love OF self.
ish animal qualifications and display. Sh,
may have no compunction now ahou
,radueing tho. .doad man to save tho fel.
low with tho money. II Thaw Is else.
troeu,cd. tho goose that lays tho colder
egg for her will DO killed. Tho rest o
the Thaw family Is not infatuated with
, her beauty. Sho will DO very apt to fal
To tho level where beauty without brains
and wi,hou, money must needs disport
itself.
Whether Dist. Atty. Jerome will take
this lino Of criticism when Il comes tc
summing up tho evidence In tho Thaw
case remains an interesting speculation
A great criminal lawyer makes his ropu-
tation no, as an official prosecutor OIL
criminals but as a defender Of flagran,
violators Of tho law. Attorney Jerome
has no great incentive to compass Thaw's
execution. Nobody indeed can be great
ly olatod over verdict Of guilty passed
upon this weaklinr, whose insanity, II II
be called such. has been produced by I'M
bridlnd qualifications. There seems TO be
nobody greatly concerned to defend the
character Of Stanford White. 1t is sim
Ply The People versus Harry Kendall
Thaw: ard The People" are a very ab-
stract quantity in such case. They are
being greatly entertained by the exhibi-
ton the Thaws are giving; and they
probably think that White might have
bean better employed than even seeking
to protect the virtue Of so frsil thing as
Evelyn, II he was not eontributory to her
vices.
Xxx
With the defense in the case it is differ
ent. Delmas is in tho limelight and car
add materially to his present fame a:
well as his fortune by winning this case
His strong card is the successful pose ol
his actress witness. Mrs. Thaw. before
the jury and the public. If Jerome takes
as much interest in exposing her weak
nesses as Delmas has in using them. We
may expect to read scorching indict-
ment when he sums up her evidence te
the jury.
Xxx
Mrs. HOLMAN. the mother Of Evelyn
strenuously objects to the traduoing o.
the memory White. or perhaps to the ex-