Albuquerque morning journal., 1907-02-21
Prisoners Wife Subjected to
MerciIeSS Cross Examination
Which Nets Prosecution Lit
tie If Any Advantage,
JEROME STRUGGLES
TO OISCREDIT WITNESS
.ShowS Remarkable Familiarity
} With Her Past Life and
Small Disposition to Spare
Young Woman'S Feelings,
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased wire.I

10y mOthins JOuThhl Specihi Ledatu NTe'I
New York Feb 20.-In continuing
his cross examination of Mrs Evelyn
Nesbit Thaw today at the trial of her
husband, District Attorney Jerome
brought out the fact that in 1902
Stanford White deuosited the sum of
1880 with a New York trust COM
/ pany with Instructions that 1t should
be paid to Evelyn Nesbit at the rate
of $25 a week. Mrs, Thaw frankly
admitted receiving number of
cheks from the trust ompany, but she
would not admit that there was a
provision that she should receive the
money only when out of employment
| The prosecutor spent nearly the en-
tire afternoon in trying to make Mrs.
/ Thaw admit that this was true, but
as often and in as many ways as he
/ put the question to her she gave the
/ one answer Il don't remember"
Mrs. Thaw's inability to remember
number of other things about which
| Mr.. Jerome questioned her was by far
! the most material element in the
cross examination. The district attor-
ney delved into her past life with a
| familiarity as to details and a store
OF general knowledge which at times
seemed to amaze all who heard, not
/ excepting the. defendants counsel
! themselves.
Mr.. Jerome indicated early in his
questioning that he had no disposition
to spare Mrs. Thaw's feelings in any
| way. He interrogated her most
| pointedly as to her men acquaintances
of the past He laid special stress
upon her ACQUAINTANCE with James A..
I ~ fp,
| in the case, Mrs. Thaw said she knew
| Garland before she met White.
/ Weren't you named as correspond
ent In the Garland divorce case ?''
asked Mr.. Jerome.
| Mrs Thaw was shaking her head
/ when Mr., Delmas quickly objected.
/ He demanded that the record of the
/ divorce case be brought into court,
that it might speak for itself. Jus
| tice Fitzgerald overruled the Objec-
| ton, but Mr.. Jerome withdrew the
! question.
Mr. jerome questioned the witness
about her manner of posing for ar
! lists and brought from her a denial
| that she ever posed in the nude. Mr.
/ Jerome did not mince words. Many
/ photographs of Mrs. Thaw were in
! troduced in evidence. Mr.. Jerome,
/ young woman with questions AS to
what disposition she had made of let
! ters written to her by Stanford
! White.
| Some, she said, had been destroyed
and some she had given to her hus-
| band. Wheh the district attorney
was pressing for an answer as to
! what had become of some of the let
ters Thaw leaned over and whispered
| to his counsel i'm a voice audible to
those nearest him Stamford White
stole them"
Attorney OReiIly thereupon said
aloud:
stanford White got them"
/ IF counsel desires to testify we viii
be very glad to have him do it" Mr..
Jerome remarked sarcastlcally,
! Later Mr.. Jerome indicated that he
/ had in his possession a number of
! letters written by Stanford White to
| Evelyn Nesbit, saying he would show
her the letters to see If they would
not brighten her memory. He
changed his mind however, and the
letters were not produced. Mr. Jerome
demanded that Thaw's counsel deliver
! to the aourt the Stanford Whites
| letters, but they made no response.
Mr.. Jerome was assisted materially
| in his cross-examination by typewTt-
ten statements made by Mrs Thaw's s
mother and by Howard Nesbit, her
brother He consulted the statements
| from time to time. and Mr. Delmas
! let this fact become known to the
! jury by remarking upon it.
MIR. JeTOme's cross examination
may require several days yet. He
! Jumped about today from one part of
| Mrs Thaw's story and one period of
/ her life to another He apparently
intends to take every advantage of
the ruling of yesterday which allows
| him wide latitude In testing the cred
ibility of the witness.
Mr.. Delmas. contrary to expecta-
| tions, interposed few objections. He
| is evidently preparing. however, for
an extended redirect examination, and
Ithis, together with Mr.. jerome 5
cross examination on the direct,
promises to keep the prisoners wife
on the witness stand for an indefinite
| period.
Mrs. Thaw seemed perfectly self
possessed at every stage of the cross
examination. At times herr voice
/ trembled. but almost always 1t was
clear and emphatic. She fenced with
the prosecutor continuously, corrected
him at times as to assumptions
drawn from previous answers, and
OCCASIONALLY told him his questions
were entirely too long to permit of
proper answer. The Young woman
seemed to be swayed by the district
attorneys mood When his voice
was soft and perha~s insinuating
she answered in the same low tone
When Mr.. Jerome would become
aroused and snap questions at her In
a loud voice, she replied In kind
/ When the prosecutor would persist al
a question she had answered two OF
three times. Mrs. Thaw would finally
lreply with an emphasis on each word