Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-20
CROSS EXAMINATION
OF MRS THAW BEGINS
jerome PaVes Way Toward Throw
ing Search|ight Upon The
Girls Life.
CHEERFUL AND READY ANSWERS
Defense Sprung Surprise by Recall.
ing Prisoners Wife Yesterday and
She Was on the tsand During the
Greater Part of the Day-contnues
With Her story.
(By Associated Press. J

..
NEW YORK, Feb. 19.-Mrs. Eve.
lyn Nesbit Thaw today entered upon
the ordeal of her cross examination
and before District Attorney Jerome
had had the witness in charge for an
hour he, had secured from the court a
ruling which apparently opens the
way for the bringing into the trial OF
Harry K. Thaw. all manner OF pvi.
dence which may tend to discredit the
defendants wife. Heretofore il has
been held that the rules of evidence
protected young Mrs. 'rhaw and that
regardless of whether her story was
true or false, the fact that she had
told 1t to.-her husband was the one
essential point Mrs Thaw had been
allowed to repeat the story so that
the jury might judge as to its effect
in unbalancing the mind of the man
on trial for the murder of Stanford
White
BY Simple Question.
Mr., Jerome, by simple question,
opened the way for the introduction
OF testimony tending TO show the
truth or falsity of Mrs. Thaw's story.
He asked the Witness:
Was the story you told MIR. Thaw
true?"
IL WIS Snes replleQs firmly.
MIR. Delmas.; ThaW,s leading attor-
ney,tohjectef strongly TO the question,
but Justice Fitzgerald held it to he
competent as tending to show the
credibility of the witness.
Whether Mr. Jerome, intends to
take advantage of the ruling in an
attempt to throw doubt upon the
truth of the story or whether Justice
Fitzgerald intended his ruling to
cover the whole subject of Mrs.
Thaw's evidence, the future conduct
of the case alone can determine.
pelmas Will Fight
Mr.. Delmas will continue to fight with
constant objections of any introduc.
ton of any testimony as to events in
the young woman's life, but the cred.
Utility is a wide one and Justice FitZ-
gerald early today indicated that he
would be lenient in his Interpretation
of the rules in that respect.
Mrs. Gains Testimony.
He allowed Mr.. Jerome to bring
out from Mrs. j. ]. Cain, of Boston,
a friend of Mrs. Thaw, who took the
stand during the morning session,
many material points as TO the move
ments of Harry Thaw and Evelyn
Nesbit following their return from
Europe in 1904. including the publish
ed incident of their being elected from
tho Hotel Cumberland in this city,
the proprietor insisting that they
should register as man and wife or
leave the suites which adjoined.
In bringing out these facts, Mr..
Jerome denied that he was attacking
Mrs. Thaw, and said he was simply
testing the credibility of Mrs. Cain.
Continuing his questioning. Mr.
Delmas asked:
Ibid you and Mr. Thaw often speak
of these girls?"
Yes. There was 4 constant con.
versation. ] could not possibly tell
you every place and every time we
discussed 1t. He told me something
ought to be done about the girls. |
told him could not do anything. He
then said could help him. I tried
to get his mind on other things and
then he would say was trying to get
out of It, He said Stanford White
ought to be in the pen" that he got
worse and worse all the time and
something had to be done"
Letter to Comstock.
Mrs. Thaw identified q letter from
Thaw to Anthony Comstock. MIR. Del
ih'o ieou Tic uOCuUlGnt. III IL InaW
described the studio in Madison
Square Garden tower He said it
was filled with pictures and should be
raided. He also described the studio
at % West Twenty-fourth street,
which he said was "consecrated TO
debauchery" and was used by gang
Of rich criminals.
The letter claimed that the place
was run by gang Of rich criminals"
but was frequently visited by young
men who did not know its character.
1t also called attention to another
house. saying. you may also abolish
another place mt % East Twentv-sec-
ond street. a house used secretly by
three or four of the same scroundrels.
Young girls are taken there 10 per.
form a felony"
His Practices "UnspeakabIe."
Cone more question and then am
through" remarked Mr. Delmas. He
turned to Mrs. Thaw: pardon me
for asking, Mrs. Thaw, but did Mr..
Thaw tell you that any Of Stanford