Smyrna times., 1907-03-13
MRS. WILLIAM THAw.


death danger which menaces him.
Mrs. Thaws stay before the jury was
brief.
Twice during her recital of the
events which had caused her to fear
that all was not right with her son,
Mrs. Thaw broke down and was un-
able to proceed. Her face flushed,
and she made an effort to speak, but
the words would not come. After a
few moments, Justice Fitzgerald ask
ed felicitously if she felt able to pro-
coed, and Mrs. Thaw, evidently much
chagrined that her great grief had
overcome her strong will of resistance,
nodded in the affirmative. She de-
clined glass of water, made an ef-
fort once more to proceed, but failed.
Justice Fitzgerald then interposed
relief for which the elderly woman
facing him must have been deeply
grateful. He said that as many of the
witness remarks had been uttered in
a very low voice it would be neces-
sary to have the stenographer read
all her testimony up to that time to
the jury. When the reading was ended
Mrs. Thaw had regained her compos.
ure. and was able to proceed TO the
end of her narrative.
Wickedest Man In New York.
She said that when Harry came
home in 1903 he seemed depressed
and apparently had lost all interest
In life. He passed sleepless nights.
would often leave the table at meals
and go into the parloI to play upon
the piano, the music growing softer
and softer. until it finally died away.
She told in motherly way of her
solicitude for the boy.
HE told me a wicked man-prob-
ably the wickedest man in all New
York-had ruined his life."
1t was not until some time after
he had offered this explanation of the
change in him that she learned the
story of the young woman who was to
become her daughter-in-law. Mrs
Thaw told of her son breaking down
at church In Pittsburg, and afterward
explaining that 1t was all because of
the sorrow which prevented the young
woman he loved being at his side Mrs
Thaw told of coming to New York to
meet Evelyn Neshit, and of giving her
consent to her sons marriage-the one
condition being that the girls past
life in New York should be a closed
book. never to be referred to in any
way. Then came the story of the mar
riage in Pittsburg in April, 1905. the
honeymoon trip, and then a happy.
placid summer spent at the mothers
country home in the mountains.
That was all. Mr.. Delmas ended her
testimony abruptly.
The district attorney was taken by
surprise, and began to cross-examine
Mrs. Thaw in very low voice. He
asked the conditions surrounding the
increase in her sons allowance. but
Mr. Delmas objected. He asked what
the sons Income amounted to. Mrs.
Thaw said 1t was moderate and moth.
ing like the sum the newspapers have
so often reported Mr.. Jerome next
treaded upon what he must have felt
was the thinnest of ice lest he put
himself In the attitude of attempting
to harass the pathetic figure in black
on the witness stand. He asked the
mother what she knew of her sons
relations with Miss Nesbit before she
became his wife.
Nothing" she replied without hesi
fancy.
The district attorney seemed com
pletely baffied. and speedily brough
his cross-rxamination to close.
With all the Witnesses here enum
Grated and many others under sub
poena, Mr. Jerome adhered to his pre-