The Washington herald., 1907-02-10
THAW'S LAWYERS
SHOW CONFIDENCE
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an expert alienist, and who stated his
opinion that Thaw was insane at the
time Of the shooting. Then Mr.. Jerome
took up the witnessand tore his testimony
to tatters. The cross-examination lasted
for nearly whole day. and at its end
there was not soul in court who did
not believe that the district attorney had
utterly routed the advance guard of the
defense.
The entire decentralization of DR.. Wiley
on the witness stand can be explained
only upon the ground that he was suffer
ing from a devastating attack OF stage
fright. It is possible that Mr. Jerome
would have tangled him up even had he
retained his presence Of mind. but as a
matter Of fact the cross-examinatlon sue
ceeded IN reducing him TO such a state
Of panic that If he had been asked his
own name II is likely that he would have
hestated before replying IL speaks vol
umes for Dr.. Wiicy's powers Of recupera-
ton that he was able TO sit calmly in
court the next day watching the exami-
nation OF other witnesses.
Tuesday night the defense was in
state Of decentralization. There were ru-
mors that ali Thaw's lawyers would quit
the case. Indeed. it is a fact that had a
Change in management not been agreed
upon. Mr.. Gleason would have been the
only lawyer left. There was a long and
earnest consultation between the six
Thaw legal advisers that night at the
Waldorf-Astorla. At its close. il had
been decided that Dolphin NJ Delmas
should take command the next morning.
And take command ne did. The change
was marvellous. From the opening of
court the next morning it became plain
that there was an experienced hand at the
helm.
Thaw's Letters.
To the man or men whom he evidently
blamed for dragging Evelyn Nesbit from
her birthright OF purity 10 the scum and
ooze Of gilded tenderloin life, Thaw's let
tiers contain frequent If sometimes OBJ
scure, references. They are generally
just the blaggards." sometimes the
blaggard. but one note contains an out
burst in which he seems to have en-
Dloyed every adjective Of decent vitupera-
ton that he knew. He writes of those
polluted, lying, Undetermined. deceitfuI.
money-grasping, smooth-tongued, hard
hearted, but soft-speaking, professional
deceivers."
He repeatedly speaks Of Evelyn Nesbit
as You poor. m-advised angel and
once refers TO her having been poisoned
at fifteen q"
Not only do all these letters strongly
corrobOrate the testimony Of the Young
wife that she told Harry Thaw all about
stanford White, but her own story con-
tsins much internal evidence Of its truth.
Probably few persons would contend.
for example, that this frail young wom-
an, child in appearance and in manner.
could possibly invent the accurately bit
ing and savage declaration Of Abe Hum
mel which she says Stanford White gave
her. And her manner Of delivery is so
wholly natural and unstudied as to give
still another reason for believing much Of
1t 10 be true. For example:
And Harry told me that Abe Hummel
was shyster, and I said. What was
t'at2' And he said that it was dis
reputable lawyer. and that no decent law
yer would have anything 10 do with
him
And still again. what coach. no matter
how sdIlful. could have thought Of that
trivial detail in her story Of her childish
her brother were travelling on train
from Pittsburg TO join her mother in
Philadelphia. They carried a cat with
them. she said. and the conductor wanted
10 put it off. but they cried. and he let
them keep it
SideIiEhts on TenderIOin Life.
But more than that, her entire story is
dotted with little sidelights on Tender
loin life that every New Yorker. who
goes around at all, knows have been COM
mon talk for years Such. for example.
was her statement that Harry Thaw
told her that whenever any woman
wanted to bring a Matchmaking suit she
always went 10 Abe Hummei
Just after the shooting. not more than
O day or two. Harry Thaw's wife told her
story 10 Mr. Olcott, Of Black. OIcett &
Gruber, the firm Of lawyers originally en-
gagged by the defense At that time an
effort was made to learn what Mrs. Harry
Thaw had told the lawyers. A member
Of the firm stated that her narrative
could not be revealed at this time, but
he added
IN give you a tip, though. Find the
house with the velvet swing"
It IS reasonable inference that the
story Evelyn Nesbit Thaw told TO the
lawyer at that time in entire confidence.
when there was no reason for her TO dis
tort the truth, and when she was most
unlikely to have had the time to formu-
late an elaborate untruth had she been
so disposedt contained many of the details
which were related to the jury so con-
vinclnSly last Thursday and Friday.
As to the possibility that she was acting
on the witness stand il may be to the
point TO repeat a comment made by
lawyer who heard her story-a lawyer
who has seen most of the celebrated
criminal trials in New York for a quarter
Of century. and who has figured IN sev-
eral Of them as counsel. Said he: IF she
was acting. she is a second Mary Auder-
son"