Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-09
DELMAS MAKES AN ELOQUENT PLEA


the whole truth.
"One other question I want to ask
you. Why did Stanford White Just at
that moment remove the mother-this
child's only protector, as guardian upon
her tender years, her sentinel on her
tottering steps upon the slippery walks
Of New York? Why was the mother
sent to Pittsburg with money furnished
by Stanford White2 Why was the
young brother sent away--away to
school-except to remove prying eyes?
Another matter I call your attention
to- During the year following this ter
rible event Stanford White contracted
to pay Evelyn Nesbit S25 a week when
she was unable to earn q living upon
the stage. The checks which are here
in evidence show that many of them
were payable to her mother.
ut has been figured that the mother
received from the hands of Stanford
White in that year S3500-an enormous
sum to this woman who had been liv-
ing in mean lodgings without enough
to eat The district attorney will tell
you that Stanford White was then in
straitened circumstances. Why, then,
1 ask you. was he paying Evelyn Mes
bits mother $500 a month";"
Enter Abe HummeI
Delmas declared there must be some-
thing more than this wretched Hum
mel affidavit" upon which to convict
Harry X. Thaw He denounced Hum
mel as a man ready to commit crime
for money.
Mr. Delmas then took up the story of
Miss Simontons return from Europe,
where she had learned Evelyns story.
She went to Stanford White and con-
lit rt.tf11 that
White went to Mr.. Hummel.
THAT shows that Stanford White
saw danger ahead and was ready to do
anything to gain protection. Thereupon
as soon as Evelyn Nesbit returned
paper was drawn up to which l Will
refer later.
Gentlemen, do you remember Christ
mas of 1903? Do you remember that
banquet in which Stanford White had
arranged in celebrate ton of Evelyn Mes
bits birthday? Do you remember that
Harry x. Thaw succeeded in rescuing
her from Stanford Whites clutches and
that White went to the theater later
and, flourishing a revolver, swore he
would take Harry Thaw's life before
"Things like these pay glowing
tribute to Evelyn Nesbit's story.
Mr.. Delmas had a score or more legal
sheets, to which he referred OCCASION
ally, and particularly when he came
down to the actual argument as to the
motive Stanford White had in paying
money to Evelyn's mother and sending
Howard Nesbit to school at his eX-
pense.
Attacks EveIyn's Mother
When Mr.. Delmas had concluded his
of Stanford White he
launched into a merciless attack on
Evelyn Thaws mother. He first re-
called to the jury that in the early
part of the trial, when the name OF
the mother was first mentioned, ne
stated that he would not cast any re-
flections upon her and held her guilt
less, believing her to have been the
helpless victim of circumstances.
when 1 said this, gentlemen" Mr..
Delmas continued, II wish you to bear
In mind that three things had not yet
developed-that for years after this
crime had been committed the mother
$500 a month from the raw
isher; that the mother had given to the
district attorney a written statement by
which he might torture the soul of the
daughter, by which he might leave
her alone in the world-her father
dead, her mother unnatural, her hus-
band executed.
when 1 learned that every shaft
aimed at her heart came from a culver
supplied from her mother; when II
learned that it was the mother who was
out the sore and tender spots
for the district attorney to attack and
when 1 learned that the poor babblings
Of a girl in school-her diary-had been
by the mother that they
might be used against her. 1 retracted,
as 1 retract now, the statements which
I made in behalf of the mother.
Unnatural Mother
"Oh, unnatural mother that she was,
to desert her girl and leave her, the
victim of the lust of this gray-haired
man; to receive for a year the wages
Of her daughters downfall; to wear
purchased with such money
as this and then to come now in the
hour of her daughters supreme agony
to steal away the life Of her only pro-
tector.
"Why, gentlemen of the jury, beast
protects her young. l have seen lit
tie bird watching over her brood of
young in a dusty road, ruffle her brave
little feathers until she was twice her
natural size and fly straight at a
pointer who had come running UP un-
til the dog stood abashed and respected
the mother
"Oh, shame upon this woman!
mot content with what she has al
ready done, she would take away the
life of the one human being who came
as an angel into the life of this girl
upon the downward path, who told
the girl that whatever she might be in
the eyes of sinful and debauched
world, he knew her soul was pure.
He said: Yes, 1 know that your
soul is pure; l know that it was not
your fault; you are an unfortunate and
betrayed girl but come to me and l
will protect you. About your form /
will throw the strong arm of man. I
will fight the battles of life with you
at my side. No matter what others
may think of you, l think you are an
angel. To me you are fairer than
Rachel at the we'll or Ruth in the
felds."
Juryman Weeps
Mr. Delmas halted his address for a
few minutes al this point and sat down
to rest. One of the Jurors wiped his
eyes with a handkerchief.
When Mr.. Delmas resumed, he de-
clared that there was documentary
evidence to arove that Evelyn Nesbit