Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-04-13
DELMAS' PLEA
TO SAVE THAW
Appeals 70 "Unwritten Law" and
Lauds Prisoner as Hero.
FAMOUS CASE NEAR AN END


the California lawyer. concluded bis
exhaustive summing up address to the
jury District Attorney Jerome will
close In a three or four hour address
and is expected 10 make a plea which
viii be accounted one Of the best ef.
forts OF his life. Justice Fitzgerald
would not say whether or not he
would charge the jury directly follow.
Ing the district attorneys closing re.
marks. but the general impression is
that be viii do so. In this event there
seems little doubt that the case will
be turned over 10 the Jury by this
TUESDAY evening.
With the exceptions OF moments
when be was reading from testimony
Mr.. Delmas speech was one of sus
tanned oratorical effort He threw
about the form OF Harry Thaw the
cloak OF chivalrous knlghthood.
Why" he shouted. should we who
admire the chivalry Of the knights OF
the middle ages who went about re.
dressing wrongs and rescuing maidens
In distress. withhold our sympathy
from this brave MANI"
Bitterly Denounees White.
Bitterly the attorney again assaulted
Stanford White. He declared White
sought 70 play with the girl so long
as her beauty remained and then
would have thrown her away like a
dirty rag 20 float down lifes sewers
20 grave in the Potter's Field. g"
Again he said: Harry Thaw had
snatched the girl from the old lecher
who saw in her but a toy to crafty
n moments lust and then be cast aside
TO 20 her way down the paths OF fall.
en- women"
With dramatic emphasis Mr.. Del.
mas cried out that when Harry Thaw
beheld Stanford White on the Madl
son Square roof garden the story OF his
wifc's wrongs overcame him. lie pic.
tured In an instant--as a dying man
may picture his past life - all that
Stanford White had done-"the ruin
he had wrought. and he struck: struck
as the tgress strikes In defense OF her
young; struck for the home. struck
Tor American womanhood, struck for
humanity and Stanford White fell"
"Ah, gentlemen" the advocate went
on. III Harry Thaw believed he was
the instrument OF Providence. who will
say he was Mistaken"
Mr.. Delmas discussed but briefly the
testimony OF the expert witnesses. de.
vlaring that whatever weight might
attach 20 their utterances was on the
side OF the defendant. lie declared
the burden OF proof as to Thaw's san.
ity at the time OF the homicide rested
with the prosecution. which had failed
10 make out its case.
II was in discussing Thaw's mental
state that Mr.. Delmas came at last 10
the 'unwritten law" He declared the
experts had been az a loss to classify
the form Of insanity from which Thaw
suffered
"Oementia Americana"
Il Will suggest its name" he decIar.
ed. 81 would call II 'Dementia Ameri-
cana II is a species of insanity
which has been recognized in every
state of this union. 1t is that species
OF insanity which makes the American
man believe his home, his wife. his
daughters. are sacred, and that who
soever stains the virtue of his thresh-
old violates the highest Of human law"
Bringing into play all the eloquence
at his command, Delmas pictured the
martyrdom OF Evelyn Nesbit when she
refused the hand OF Thaw and the
broken heart of Harry when his offer
OF marriage was spurned.
He drew IN almost glaring colors the
storm that was gathering in the four
corners OF the clouded horizon" when
Evelyn told Harry that because she
loved him. because she did not want TO
see the finger of scorn pointed at him.
because she would not tear him from
his noble mother and dear sisters. be-
cause she did not want 10 tie her I'm
fortunate existence to his, because she
wanted to go back and make her own
living and go down in the world where
so many. many others had gone be-
fore her, and disappear from his life
forever. she. Evelyn Nesbit, could not
become the wife of Harry Kendall
Thaw."
This sacrifice he characterized as
sublime renunciation," and 10 Il he
attributed the restlessness which soon
thereafter became manifest in the con-
duct OF Thaw.
Mr.. Delmas had no.hesitation In call.
Ing Evelyn IAN angel child" and Harry
Thaw "a noble. honorable lover. with
only one purpose. to make Evelyn Mes
bit the little girl he loved. his hon
orable wife"
Calls Humnnel Perjurer.
That Evelyn Nesbits story was true
and was told TO Harry Thaw formed
the subject of the argument for more
than an hour. Mr.. Delmas declared
the only evidence the district attorney
had to bring against the girl was the
~miscalled affidavit" procured by Abra.
ham HummeL Speaking OF HummeI
Mr. Delmas again drew heavily upon
his bitterest invective and declared
that 1t would require more than the
word OF perjured man to send Harry
Thaw to an ignominious death. Hum.
mel was accused BY Mr. Delmas OF ]