The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-04-24
EvEnYN,s MOTHERS STORY.
Ssae Breaks the Silence Kept at Her
Daughters Request Since the
Murder.

Pittsburg, April 17.-Mrs. Evelyn
Florence Nesbit Holman the mother
OF, Mrs. Harry Z. Thaw, today broke
the silence which she has kept strict
~ since the murder Of Stanford
White. In statement, which is pub
Ished in the Pittsburg Leader, She
defends her attitude toward her
slaughter, and declares that she kept
silent at the young woman's request
that she did not aid District Attorney
Jerome, and that her home will al
ways be open to her daughter. The
statement begins:
.Two days after the night upon
which Harry Thaw shot Stanford
White, at Madison Square Garden, we
received this telegram:
SIT is most important for you to
say absolutely nothing
81 did say nothing. I remained 81
lent have remained silent until
now, and would have kept silence
had it not been for attacks made
upon me by Mr.. Delmas in his clos
ing address to the Thaw jury. I
made no statement to District Attor-
ney Jerome or to any Of his repre-
sentatives.
zone OF the sentences Of Mr. Del
mas, speech referred to me as "A
mother who manifested that charac-
ter of frivolity and extravaganza,
which were later to bear such deplor-
able consequences At the death Of
my first husband was thrown en-
drely on my own resources to support
my daughter and son, both small
children, and myself. When the es-
tate was settled and all debts paid
found myself with exactly 1888
and q. house filed with furniture
Mrs. Holman then details her
struggle to raise her children. Her
daughter first posed for an artist
named Storm of Philadelphia, who
met her at a summer resort, when
she was a little girl.
Florence" she says, .'was in love
with the stage. I did everything in
my power to discourage her. but
confess that I possessed neither the
resolution nor the discipline to cope
with the situation. Florence had
threatened to run away unless she
was permitted to go on the stage,
and I found that could not help
myself, as she was very determined"
OF her daughters life she says:
-aThe story OF her frstl encounter
with sMr. White has been told several
dmesS including once by myself on
the Witness stand. Her account was
Substantially correct. It was Edna
" -GSodtica, who was in the Fgorodora'
company, who introduced them.
Soon after this Mr.. White sent a re-
quest for me, to see him at his Office.
went. I was greatly Impressed with
his manner and what he told me.
Among other things he said:
Mrs. Nesbit, do you know you
have remarkably beautiful daugh-
tere She, shouldn't be on the stage
or going around to studios. she is
TOO good for that sort of thing. You
must be careful of her. Watch her
closely. Watch her associates, es-
pecially- the men she goes with. You
cannot take too many pains. New
York is 4 very dangerous and wicked
city and it is full of dangers for a
young girl
4edr. White warned me specifically
against several young men with
whom Florence had become ac-
ouainted. OF one Of them he said:
: Don't, for heavens sake, let her
have anything to do with that fellow.
He is one of the worst little rats in
New. York Your daughter is not
SIZE in his company.
>.If ever woman imposed implicit
confidence in a man I did in Stanford
White His manner, his words, his
actions, were the personifcation OF
wfiole-souled, disinterested generosi-
ty He was the first man with whom
had come in contact in New York
who seemed disinterested; who seem
ed to be doing what he did without
expectation Of return.
after our first conversation went
away from ais Office in tears, it
seemed so grateful, 50 comforting TO
know that at last I had found
friend upon whom I could depend,
who interested himself in my chill
dren, TO assist US and ask nothing il
return; who did It simply for the