The daily sentinel., 1907-02-13
"THE SPIDER
AND THE FLY"
Fvelyn Thaw's Awful Story and
Other Phases Of the Famous
Trial as Viewed by AL
fred H. Lewis

The famous novelist, Alfred Henry
Lewis was present at the Thaw
trial during the days that Mrs. Eve
lrn Nesbit Thaw was unfolding her
terrible story. In an interview with
one of the New York City papers
Mr. Lewis gives his Impressions as
follows:
With no wish to pose as a prophet.
| am still moved to say that l regard
the liberation of Thaw as sure. At
the worst-for him-will come a dis
agreement, with present chances fav-
oring a finding of not guilty.
There has never been moment
since the jury sat facing the defend
ants mother and wife, with wan
faces and pleading. frightened eyes,
That have looked for conviction.
Now that Evelyn Nesbit Thaw has
testified. to anticipate less than vic
tory for the defense would be to read
human nature backward.
Since the far away day of Phryne
no jury has been beyond the leading
influence of what Goethe calls the
eternal feminine"
While the battle is between man
and man. humanity looking on, that
is male humanity, will with some
thing like successful dispassion hold
evenly the scales. Let a woman
and the more If she is young and not
wanting in attractions of looks and
atmosphere-be thrust into the con-
troversy and her effect as a quantity
in the question will be instantly felt.
This last is what has happened in
the pending case of Thaw. The trial
began with the state against Thaw;
II has changed to Evelyn Nesbit
against Stanford White. Also Thaw
no longer a defendant charged
with murder, but the champion aven-
ger OF girl who had been and might
again become the prey of satyr.
Mr. Delmas, a great advocate and
greater actor, managed the bust
ness dramatically. He called Evelyr,
iAaw-she pronounces it Eevelyn-
70 relate not her hideous betrayal by
stanford White, for the careful law
u evidence does not permit that, but
Snat she gave as the reason why
sibe. ~ ''po'
Evelyn Thaw must not" saws the
law tell what passed between White
ana her but she may relate the
-''F she told Thaw of what passed
Tween White and her as throwing
"sn' upon Thaw's motive when he
'o,a'ea that grim pistol Of death. -
"o 'ale' whether from the witness
s'and or from some less irving ros-
N- r-'n' was ever more effectively told.
y. ,o' a dreary, hopeless word was lost
A.. 'l'ied to bite into the souls of
"v,e who listened like an acid.
no.'y -'e'yn Thaw is not altogether the
SO lavishly described bv
~ lmpressionabIe space-writers.
uey speak of her "nun-like face ).
Il. eyes shining like strange lew
h, Il, her "ehiseled nose and rose
T,,l ps and rounded. baby chin"
4 cans Is 'he more to their glory. be-
prot not one in six of them can see
4 mon, nav as she gives her testi-
ba.. one sits to the left of the
5. .-se our Froissarts-tbe maior
ob,snua u ihem-to the right. with an
raD, us lug forest of chairs, desks and
rsnbs.- .4''es and clerks and stenog-
s,. .ue's and court oeicia,s a1,
'psque, between '"''' All
1o,., "u. If Evelyn Thaw be wanting in
er ana ioViiness. she possesses 9TH
rros, aau more weighty elements or
sse S,n, cs.l, For one convincing matter
holn,arries ,-rries that impression Of utter
World i,ess' IS beholding which the
r.r,s becomes one giant rasono
you 500 ana an. as she tells her story |
Offers ~ 81. that she is honest; that she
effort 49,. evidence reluctantly. with
she Is N. una :, because she must: that
is brolan mat she is weak; that she
NY NY at the stem. 'roNen--like
Of AZ done one could disbelieve ,o,
pathy Mol. no one could fail of sym.
Of v,,,a,o most of all it was the story Il r.
overthrowing innocence.