Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-08
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STOR'5II'|FMR
{ VEIL YIN
I H AW
fearful Wife, to Save Husband
From Death Chair BareS to
World InnermoSt Secrets Of
Her Soul,
TELLS OF W0MANHOOD
WRECKED BY WHITE
Drugged Champagne and
SumptuouS BanQuetS Incl
dents in Downfall of Beauti-
full Artists Model.

NN'ltO ~ CVU llbll VI ONCAUl
full Artists Model,
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased wire.l
New York, Feb. 7.-EVelyn Nesbit
ThaW told her life story today TO save
the life of her husband charged with
murder. she barred to the world the
innermost secrets of her soul. It was
the same story she told Harry Thaw
in Paris. in 1903. when he had asked
her To become his wife-the confess
sion of one who felt there was an in
surmountable barrier to her ever be-
coming the bride of the man she
loved
In the big witness chair she ap-
peared but slip of a girl and she
told the uitful story of her eventfu,
young life in a frank gir.lsh way.
When tears came unbidden TO her
big brown eyes and slowly tmckled
their way down scarlet checks, she
strove in vain to keep them back.
She forced the words from trembling
lips, and by a marvellous display of
courage. which took her willingly
to her staggering ordeal, she
threw off a depression which once
threatened to become an absolute COZ
lapse.
AS the young wife unfolded the mar
rative of her girlhood and tu!d the
early struggles of herself and her
mother to keep body and soul to-
gether; Of how gaunt poverty stood
ever at the door and how she finally
was able TO earn livelihood by pos
ing FOR photographers and artists, she
won the murmured sympathy Of the
throng which filed every available
space in the court room.
Then came the relation of the
wrecked girlhood at 6 years of age.
IL was the story of her meeting with
Stanford White; the story Of the
sumptuous studio apartment, whose
dingN exterior gave no hint of the
luxurious furnishings within: of a veil
vet covered swing in which one could
swing until slippered toes crashed
through the paper Of a Japanese par
asol swung from the ceiling. the story
Of a glass of champagne. of black.
Whirling sensations and Of mirrored
bedroom walls, In short. she told all
the story
Don't scream so, II Is al over. 1t
is all over. 1t is al right"
And this was Stanford White %
The question came from d. NJ Dell
mas, now conducting the defense.
tS, SIT.
The stiffness Of the great crowd was
its own tribute to the effect Of the
girls story. Into the narrative there
entered nothing Of the woman of the
world girl in face and figure, Mrs.
Thaw was still girl as she with
stood an ordeal which might we'll have
startled into terror woman of ma
ture years and harsher experiences
than hers
Into the narrative she injected many
little touches of a young girls hopes
and disappointments. or her early
life she related how her mother had
gone from Pittsburg TO Philadelphia
to secure assistance. and how she and
her brother Howard were placed on a
train by friends and sent on to their
mother She recalled that the two lit
tie travellers had trouble with the con
ductor, who wanted to put their cat
out of the car. But she naively add
ed, they held fast "of IT," She told
of her arrival in New York, Of her
life here, and eventually the accept
ance by her mother of the thrice re-
fused invitation Of a girl Of the thea
ter to meet some of her friends at
luncheon. The girls mother told Eve
lyn's mother they were New York So
ciety people and perfectly proper, else
she would not let her girl go with
them
when she came for me in the hau-
SOM said the witness. i remember
hoping we were going to the Waldorf.
had heard SO much Of IT, and wanted
to go there. The hanson stopped In
front of dingy looking building in
West Twenty-fourth street. and | was
told 10 get out. Mother had dressed
.atst Int g.. al..,
tops then"
This was in August, 1901.
He was big and fat and ugly
mani remember him meeting us at
the head OF three flights Of stairs"
she continued.
He gave me presents. and my
mother let me go 70 other parties
Then he said my mother should visit
some friends IN Pittsburg. She said
she could not leave me- He said 1t
would he all right that he would
look out for me Finally she went
Then came an invitation to a party.
but no one else was there-iust two
They all seem to have turned us
down he said After we had dned
| wanted TO go home He said | had
not seen all OF the apartment, and we
went to the bedroom with the mirrors
all over the walls
Thus the story ran, with here and
there another interruption by Mr. Dell
mas to advise the girl 10 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. I; was through the fact that
she had told everything to Harry
tina, she was permitted under the
rules OF law 70 give her story to the
jury,
Thaw sal pale but brave-faccd.
beside his counsel when his wife took
the stand. The two exchanged glances
and the falntcst OF smiles played
about the firmly set lips of the girl.
In the mpathy-impelllng story Of
the girl the glrllsh fascination of
voice Of softest quality yet ringing