The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-07
This Is How ThaW De-
SCribed Stanford White
to His Old Mother.
AGED LADY MADE A
SPLENDID WITNESS
Even Jerome Did Not Dare to
Subject Her to Severe Cross
Examination When She
Told Of the Great Sor-
row Of Prisoners
Life.

NEW YORK. March s.--Anothcr
dramatic chapter was added to the
history of the trial OF Harry X. Thaw
for the murder Of Stanford White to-
day, when the mother of the defendant
took the witness stand to contribute
what she might toward saving her son
from the death chamber which menaces
him. Mrs Thaw's stay before
the jury was brief. When Mr. Delmas
had deity limited her examination to
the change she had noted In her sons
condition following his return from
Paris in 1909, after Evelyn Ncsbit had
told him her ife-story, and when Dis
trict Attorney jerome had with great
consideration. conducted shot
and Intellectual cross examination, the
lnothcr-love weitcd strong In Mrs.
Thaw and She felt she had not done her
all. She was Ioath to leave the witness
chair.
There is the question Of heredity."
she protested when both Mr. Delmas
and Mr.. Jerome told her she might step
down
II have askcde you. madam, all that
s. considered necessary" said Thaw's
attorney with the utmost Difference.
Mrs. Thnw half rose. hesitated. and
was about to sit down again when tho
leading COUNSEL for the defense offered
her his hand to assist her from the
stand.
Mother Broke Down.
Twice during the recital Of the
events which had caused her to fear
that all was not right with her son,
Mrs. Tbaw broke down and was unable
to proceed. Her face flushed, and she
u,an,. AN effort TO speak, but the words
would not come. After a few moments
Justice Fitzgerald asked solicitonsly II
she felt able proceed, and Mrs. Thaw
evidently much chagrined that her great
grief had overcome her strong VIII Of
resistance, nodded in tho affirmative
She declined glass OF water; made M
effort once more TO proceed, bsn failed
Justice Fitzgerald then interposed
relief for which the elderly woman
facing him munt haye been deeply
grateful. He said that as many OF the
witnesses remarks had been uttered it
very low voice It would be neces.
gary to have tho stenographer read al
ler testimony up to that time to thu
jury. When the reading was ended
Mrs. Thaw had regained her composur'
and was able to proceed to the end o.
her narrative.
Wickedest Man in New York.
She said that when Harry came hom
in 1903 he seemed depressed and appar
emily had lost all interest In life. IL!
passed sleepless nights, would oftel
leave The table at meals and 80 int
the paror to play upon the plano, Tn
music growing softer and softer until !
snally died way. She told in a motherl
way Of her solicitudc for the boy.
"He told me a wicked man-probabl
tho wickedest man in all New York
had ruined his life
1T WAS not until some time after h
had offered this explanation of tn
changc in him that she learned TN
story OF the young woman VINO was !
become her daughter-in-law.
Mrs. Thaw told OF her son breakin
down at church in Pittsburg. and aftel
ward explaining that II was all pecaus
OF the sorrow which prevented the Souh
woman he loved being at ms s'ae. MT !,
1'haw told of coming to New YORK
meet Evelyn Nesbit and Of giving ne
consent to her sons marriage, the or
condition being that the girls past NJ
In New York should be closed boo
never to be referred to in any way.
Mr.. Delmas ended her testimor
abruptly.
Jerome Taken by Surprise.
rho district attorney was taken
surprise and began to cross-eNaml1
Mrs. Thaw in a very low voice =
asked the conditions surrounding =
increase In her sons allowance
Mr. Delmas oblecieu. fis usheu ".
the sons income amounted to. Nj
Tha,v said ii was moderate and not
Ing like the sum the newspapers ma
so often reported Mr., Jerome ne
treaded upon what he must nave II
was the thinnest OF ice lest ne p
himself in the attitude 70 harass
pathetic figure in black on the "ithe
stand,
lie asked the mother what she knt
Of her sons relations with Miss Nes'
before she became his wire.
Nothing" she replied without ne
tancy.
The district attorney seemed co
pletely baffled and speedily proue
his cross-eXamination to u close,
Breathless Interest Of Listener
Mrs. Thaw's story was deeply imprs
eive in its simplicity and brevity. y
anxiety to go on and tell more ago
immeasurably to the meaning OF
presence as a Witness. The half
courtroom listened almost With breathl'
interest to each word she uttered, q
there was IA general sigh of relief VII
MIR. Jerome announced that his pI
examination Was ended.
If Harry Thaw's fate is thrown il
The hands Of the twelve men in the ju
box who to-day heard the mothers sto
there seems little doubt that what
said wilr carry wonderful weight with
But MI Jerome gave the impress
that he might use the mothers testime
as "A weapon in another dlrection--in
fight to have a commission appointed
test the present state of mind Of
defendant,
But Two More Witnesses,
With the completion of Mrs, Will
Thaw's testimony to-day, Thaw's att
neys announced that they would have
two more wtnesses-eN eNperts--who will
called upon to answer Il newly fran
Hypothetical question covering the EN-
case from beginning to end. These
(Coatinued on Third Page.)