Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-04-09
DELMAS MAKES ASTRuNC
PLEA ON BEHALF OF THAW


posed marriage TO Evelyn, but she had
refused point blank because 'she saiG
it would shut me out from my rela-
tives." The genuineness of this letter,
Delmas argued, cannot be denied.
What, then. did it mean when Thaw
wrote to LOngfellOw that Evelyn would
not marry him."
Thaw wrote that she thought first
and then rejected his offer. Yes, she
thought. She looked upon the man she
loved; she looked upon her own past;
she did not want to bring reproach
upon the man vino would have married
her.
COmmuned with Herself.
Down in her noble heart she said,
Harry. | love you. and because | love
you, | do not want to tie my unfOrtun-
.ate existence TO your. so people would
point the finger of scorn AT you. | want
to leave you free. and the moment YOU
think it is best for YOU | will go my
sad way. | will go back and earn my
own living, and you shall be free and
honOred. Go back to your noble moth
er, dear sisters. and | shall go down,
where so many others have gone before
me-disappear from the world.
Snecr il Uniustifcr.
Yes, she thought. The sneer of the
district attorney is justified. The little
girl did sachifice herself; did rise to
the heights of sublime renmciatfon."
Thaw's testimony. and went on: Did
that venerable, gray-haired mother
come here to peTjure herself? Did she
invent this story which she says her
son told her. or did he tell an untruth
when he contided to his loved mother
and told her he loved this girl and
wanted to devote his life TO her? And
all this time that little girl was going
along using the talents God had given
her TO make a living for herself. refus-
ing to marry a wealthy man who loved
her and whom she loved. because she
thought it was for the best for him.
Oh. sublime abnegation."
Read from Testimony.
Delmas read at length from Evelyn's
testimony. recalling portions of her
story in which she told the effect of
her story on Thaw's mind and how dur
ing the months in which she was with
him in Europe his mental sufferings
seemed TO increase. Such was The con-
dition of Harry Thaw's mind when. in
! the fall OF 1g9aShe parted from Evelyn
in Eurege, aa1ssent her back to New
YORK ahead Of him.
There, gentlemen. you have the
first dawn Of the mental condition
which manifested itself three years af-
/ terward. The foundations of his rea-
son were undermined. The storm had
not burst, but the clouds were gather
! ing from the four points of the compass
and from them lightning and thunder
were TO burst in three years and as
tOund the world"
Refused 10 See Him.
Delmas turned again to EVelyns tCs
timOny and repeated that part of it il
which she told of having refused to sec
him after he had followed her home
from Europe, because of the "dreadfu
things" friends of White had told hei
about him.
of Bath Tub Incident.
Evelyn told him what had been re
lated to her regarding putting a girl il
a bathtub and turning hot water OF
her. of using morphine and tying girl!
to bedpOsts and beating them.
"Thaw." Delmas added. SHOOK hi
head sadly and said poor Evelyn
Delmas read also of the girl telIin:
Thaw White had taken her to Sc
Hummel.
what the condition of his mind wa
, at that time is shown to you gentle
men by documents of indubitable gen
= uineness. The letters Thaw wrote Il
[ Attorney LongfellOw picture a sa
! epoch. They voice a wall from a sui
> fering soul such as has never bee
voiced by dramatist from the da ),
of the Greeks down to the prese
, time
Read from Letters.
: Delmas read many letters TO viii;
he referred. commenting upon theI
as he read.
"'If you don't believe in me, as ger
= tleman,' wrote Thaw. there is nov
: has finished me- Neither poet:
: has finished me-" Neither of poett
i nor oratory contain simpler saddle
or more melancholy story of desolatio
than that which came as from the de
Z ert waste in the mind of this young ms
= when he saw the girl he loved go baa
II TO the man from whose clutches he ha
: TO KILL GAMBLING