Evening journal., 1907-02-25
EVELYN AND THE
PACE THAT KILLS
Story Of Her Life From Pow
erty TO Riches Along
White Way
STORY WITHOUTA PARALLEL

NEW YORK, Feb. 25.-Absorbed in
the interest it feels in the disclosures.
of the subterranean Tenderloin life
that was led by Stanford White and
his friends. some of them men Of
wealth and social position, the vast
public that has been devouring the
details Of the Thaw trial seems to be
in momentary danger Of forgetting
that the real issue is not how STAN
ford White and his friends lived; not
whether the dead architect and his
companions were merely decent men
who lightened the cares OF business
and professional life with amusements
no worse than frivolous or were really
the monsters of immortality that Harry
Thaw's young wife has painted them.
The real issue is Of course, the guilt
or innocence of Harry Thaw of the
murder Of Stanford White.
That is the thing that is to be de-
cided by twelve men who since their
choice TO sit in the jury box, have cut
but a slight figure in the stories Of the
trial that have been read daily wher-
ever newspapers are printed in the
English language. These men have
sat there silent, day after day. listen
go on sitting there until the last word
Is spoken And then it will be up TO
them. The real question Of vital i'm
portance. so far as the Thaw trial is
concerned, IS, What do the jurors think
Of the evidence they have so far heard ?
This, therefore, is merely an effort
by one who has sat in the courtroom
day after day since the trial began
a ofr Of
Kendall Thaw and Stanford White as
the jurors have heard It. excluding
all the nonessentlals-to paint the pic
ture in short, as it may very well an
pear in its present incomplete state
to the twelve men who are making up
their minds whether TO send Harry
Thaw to the electric chair or not.
Poverty Stricken Childhood.
Evelyn Florence Nesbit was born in
an obscure Pennsylvania town a trihe
over % years ago. There she spent
her cary childhood with her mother
and her younger brother. Howard. Her
father was one Of those ne'er- wells.
familiar in every country community.
He had not the knack of success, and
Evelyn's memories of her childhood
are mostly those OF poverty and hard
ship. A good deal Of the time there
was none too much to eat in the Nes-
bit house, and finally the sheriff ar
/ rived After her father died her mother
married again, and later drifted to
Philadelphia, leaving Evelyn and her
brother to live with relatives. Later
she sent for the children. and they
Joined her in Philadelphia.
At this time the girl was IS years
old She was always a pretty child,
and as she approached womanhood her
beauty increased until in Philadelphia
her mother got the idea that artists and
photographers might employ her as a
model. They were only too glad to do
so. and when the little family came
TO New York, early in 1901. Evelyn was
soon able to earn S17 or SIS a week
by posing. Several Of the best-known
artists and photographers in the city
iemployed her. and one Of them had
| her picture printed in a magazine in
fanciful pose Of some sort. This at
tracted the attention of Ted Marks.
a theatrical agent, who hunted up the
! Nesbits where they were living in a
dark little fiat on the middle West side.
Marks told the girl she ought to 60
on the stage. and gave her letter to
John G. Fisher. who was then at the
height OF his glory at the Casino Thea
ter where "Fgorodora" was turning
people away at every performance.
Stanford White Appears.
! When Mr.. Fisher saw Evelyn Nesbit
| he remarked: This theatre is no baby
FARM" but he ultimately sent her 10
his stage manager who feared the
Gerry Society would get after him Il
he employed her But he finally en-
gagged her. taught her how TO dance
and she Joined the "Florodora" chorus
She kept on posing for artists in the
daytime, and was able to make as much
as $50 some weeks by both these
means. Everything she made she turn
ed over to her mother and the little
home was largely supported by her
though Mr. Holman, to whom her
mother had been married after Mr.
Nesbits death, occasionally contribut-
ed what he could, sending It on from
Pittsburg.
Then being 16 10 years old, Evelyn
began to learn things about the life OF
the Tenderloin. She met a man named
James A. Garland who was rich auc
belonged to several of the best clubs
she and her mother used 70 60 an
Saturday to- Monday yachting parties
with h'm occasionally hut she never
went alone. About the middle of the
summer Stanford White came into hei