Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-03-14
WATERBURY EVENING DEMOCRAT THURSDAY MARCH IA 1so7
HUMMEL AS WITNESS
Jerome Makes Bitter Attack on Harry and Evelyn Thsw.
DELMAS FIGHTS TO BAR TESTIMONY
Mrs. Thaw Testihed Stanford White Declared to Her That HummeI Had "Just Squeezed a Thou
 sand' Out of Him.

I
 NEW YORK, March 14-After a ses
 sion occupied almost entirely by Dis ! trict Attorney Jerome in a bitter de nunciation of the defendant and his
 wife the trial of Harry K. Thaw fol
 the murder of Stanford White was
 adjourned abruptly.
 The prosecuting attorney found his
 opportunity to attack Thaw and tn.
 former actress, Evelyn Nesbit Thaw
 in arguing on the question of the ad
 instability of the testimony which
 Abraham Hummel, the lawyer who is
 under indictment for subornation of
 perjury in the Dodge Morse divorce
 case, has to offer. t-
 During his argument the district at
 torney took on for the first time since the case began sustained oratorical
 tone. He asserted that Hummel would
 swear Evelyn Nesbit told him three days after her return from Europe in
 1903 that Thaw had beaten her cruelty
 because she would not sign papers he
 had prepared falsely accusing Stan
 ford White of having drugged and be-
 trayed her. Mir. Jerome contended that
 she had told much more. that Thaw
 seemed bent upon putting Stanford
 White in the penitentiary, that the
 statement that White had betrayed
 her was not true, that Stanford White
 had never harmed her and that Thaw
 was consumed with rage when she re-
 fused to sign and swear to the papers
 containing ''lies against Stanford
 White"
 These things were put in the form of an affidavit" declared MT. Jerome. and that affidavit was subscribed to
 by Evelyn Nesbit when she knew what she was doing and what the pa- per contained. -.
 "We want to show that the girl who told this remarkable story here on the witness stand swore at another time under the solemnity of an oath that naked-stripped absolutely naked-she had endured the lashings and beatings of this defendant rather than swear to his false statements that Stanford White had drugged and ruined her"
 Mir. Jerome argued that the material point of the case is whether or not Evelyn Nesbit told Thaw the story of her alleged ruin by Stanford White. Without that story in evidence, he de- clared, the reason for the defendants alleged insanity disappears. The pros- ecutor plainly admitted the importance of young Mrs. Thaw's testimony, and he declared he wished by Hummel's testimony to show her own repudiation of the charges which on the witness | stand she renewed against White.
 Thus" he concluded. .the jury may Infer from her own statements after | her return from Europe in 1903 wheth- Pr Or not she had within two months ,f that time told this defendant the things she said she did,
 Mir. Delmas objected to Hummel as witness on the ground that his testi- nony had to do with the truth or 'alsity of Mrs. Thaw's narration and vas not permissible under the rules of 'vidence which have governed the rial. Mir. Jerome's contention was hat while he may not attack the truth IT falsity of Mrs. Thaw's statement hat she was betrayed by White he an attack the truth of her assertion hat she told the story to Thaw at the ime she says she did.
 Mir. Delmas first sought to interrupt 1ummels testimony by showing that e was acting as Evelyn Nesbit's le- al adviser and counsel when she nade certain statements to him. Hum- lel evaded this. however. by saying e was acting solely as Whites coun- el and no legal action had been con- in behalf of Miss Nesbit. ie said be was paid yearly retainer ' Stanford White and could not say xactly what he charged the architect pr drawing up the affidavit. Asked if was Sf.0O0. he burst into laughter nd said absolutely 1t was not. He nally placed the charge at "SIOO- bout"
 When Evelyn Nesbit Thaw was on le witness stand she said Stanford Vhite came to see her one evening in l s03 and asked her what she had told tunnel about him adding that Abe Iummel has just squeezed s1.000 out me. and the Lord only knows how ,on he will squeeze another"
 Young Mrs. Thaw's testimony re. arding tine affidavit was to the effect lat Stanford White had taken her to office after telling her lots horrid things about Harry" and that De had told Hummel about her trip trough Europe with Thaw. She said, MT. Hummel then dictated a lot of llngs to man and put in lots about larry Thaw which wasn't true at all.- he denied signing any paper in Hum. Iels office. but admitted having sign- l some papers later in Whites stu. io. She claimed she did not know hat the papers were Some time aft ward. she says. she demanded that 'hfte show her the papers. She was Iken to Hummelis ofice. and there a aper bearing her signature was lown her and burned She was not lowed to see fl. she declared A. Iost since the beginning of the trial 'istrict Attorney Jerome has been ying to put in evidence a photo rsphic copy If the affidavit. It de- sloped that the copy was made hy 'e same photographer who had been nployed by Stanford White to make The Tired Butterfly and other pic I ,reS If tha Nesh;r csrJ