Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-20
wrangle continued for an hour without a

wrangle continued for an hour without a
break.
The witness, apparently, more pale than
usual, but quite as composed, sat confident
ly looking straight ahead of her, with no
signs of fear or apprehension in he fea-
lures and without an opportunity of reliev-
Ing the mOnotonous situation by any word
beyond request for glass of water. 1t
seemed to a layman as if these seemingly
interminable disputes between the lawyers
might either have been settled before the
witness was called to the stand might
have been adjusted at secret conference
where neither would have a chance to dis
play his oratory or his knowledge of court
procedure.
:Bravely Faced Whole Court.
1t seemed to a layman as if the lawyers
cared nothing at all for the feelings of
the witness. nothing for the embarrass-
ment which she must have suffered dur
ing the time in which she was virtually
on exhibition; that each lawyer was more
interested in gaining some little point
over his opponent than in looking to the
comfort and convenience of the most re-
markable witness in the feminine line
heard in criminal court in this city In
years.
1t seemed to a layman as if Evelyn Mes
bit Thaw were being punished unneces-
sarily by being put in a most embarrass-
ing situation in utter disregard of any
finer feeling for the sensibilities of a
woman. But this view of the case is not
entirely the correct view.
In order to form a correct appreciation
of what this ordeal really meant it should
be remembered that Mr.. Delmas, the lead
ing counsel for the defense, is a shrewd
lawyer, who realizes even more fully,
perhaps, than the district attorney him
self the possible benefits to the defense
of this seemingly embarrassing predica-
ment of the young woman witness. Mr..
Delmas knew that this beautiful face and
this childish appearance of the witness
were being Photographed indelibly upon
the minds of every juror in the box; that
even the embarrassment of so prolonged
suspension of the cross examination
was of distinct advantage to his client.
While Mr.. Jerome was engaged in an elo-
quent plea for suspension of the cross
examination till Thursday. carrying with
1t the compulsion of the defense to call
its other witnesses, Mr.. Delmas seemed
content to permit the jurors to receive
upon their minds the full effect of the
picture presented
Never Looked Sweeter.
And the picture itself was a most i'm
pressive one, for Evelyn Nesbit Thaw never
looked sweeter in court nor better able to
arouse sympathies where Mr.. Delmas
wished them aroused. 1t may have been
severe punishment for his witness to I'M
dergo and it might easily have been avoid
ed, but Mr.. Delmas was too experienced
hand at the game to let slip the oppor-
tunity of leaving deep picture photo
graphed upon the minds of the jury.
When, finally, Mr.. Jerome announced
the beginning of e~cross-examinarion of
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw the drop of a pin in
the court room might have been heard. 1t
enough to believe that the district at
torney, who seldom lets slip an opportu-
nifty to play at the galleries, would attack
Mrs. Thaw in hammer-and-tongs fashion,
n nd uyh 10 ~
ultimately, to discredit her as a witness,
he began his cross-examination in most
lamb-like and subdued way. 1t was even
remarked In the court room that Mr..
Jerome seemed to have lost his old-time
fire with the progress of this case. 1t was
pointed out that he could easily have turn
ed over the conduct of the case to any one
of his able subordinates and the ends of
justice would surely have been served. But
Mr.. Jerome believed fully up to the time that
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw made her great con-
fesston on the witness stand that he would
have little difficulty in securing a convic-
ton and thus adding greatly to his repu-
tation as prosecuting lawyer.
Jerome's Gentleness Surprise.
That doubts have entered Mr. Jerome's
mind on this score 1t is easy to believe, and
his general appearance and manner when
he began the great ordeal of endeavoring
to break down the principal witness for the
defense indicated that Mr. Jerome himself
Lett lldt ne udu d COnSiQeTaDle TASK DeIOre
him. In fact, it was said in court that Mr..
Jerome seemed a fighter who had been
jolted severely in the first round. His man.
ner toward Mr.. Delmas revealed yesterday
an increasing amount of respect for that
lawyer, and the district attorney seemed
actually staggered when Mr.. Delmas
called the attention of the court to
the alleged misconduct of the district at
torney in making statements which were
not borne out by the testimony already
taken.
When Evelyn Thaw left the witness stand
she was as calm and unruff1ed as q lake on
summer morning. She had passed
without any evidence of discontinue; but,
being an intelligent woman, she must re-
alize that Mr.. Jerome has only started in
laying the foundation upon which he
hopes to build the fabric of dscrediting
her as a witness and in proving that the
an unabridged story of her early life. Her
crucial ordeal will occur today, when Mr..
jerome will confront her with the testi-
mony of other witnesses, going to prove
contradictions in her own story of her life
Women, however, when on the stand do
not seem to regard contradictions OF state
ments in the very serious way In which
those contradictions are taken by men. II
in the work of discrediting the witness Mr..
Jerome brings out that which he seems
now intent upon bringing out, the effect Of
the contradiction shown may be less upon
the minds of the jury than his act in going
too deeply into the private and early life
of the witness, when she was virtually a
wait and scarcely knew her mind from one
day TO the other.
Got Cash to Leave Stage.
Taken as whole. the developments OF the
day were favorable to Harry Thaw's
~