Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-04-11
N THAW'S DEFEMSE|
Attorney Delmas Makes Opening
Argument in Noted Case.
WIFE'S STORY BASIS OF PLEA
Speaks for Over Two Hours With the
Young Woman's Evidence as
the Only Foundation.

New York, April 9.-The trial Of
Harry X. Thaw, charged with the muir
der of Stanford White, is nearing the
end. Attorney Dolphin M. Delmas,
the California attorney, Monday after
noon began mis- closing address to the
jury and after he had spoken for more
than two hours and a half court ad-
journed. Mr.. Delmas expects to con
clude before the luncheon hour is
reached today. District Attorney Je-
rome will make the closing address Of
the trial on Wednesday and Thaw's
fate will be in the hands of the jury
by Wednesday evening.
Declaring he would not base his
plea upon the %"unwritten law" be-
cause his client found ample protec-
tion in the written statutes of the
state of New York, Mr.. Delmas made a
striking appeal to the sympathies of
the jurors and so far as he progressed
the subject of Thaw's insanity at the
time he committed the homicide was
not ever limited at.
Mr.. Delmas based his argument sole
ly upon the story of Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw. With flushed cheeks but dry
eyes, that young woman heard her life
history repeated to the men who are
to Judge her husband and bowed her
head as her mother was denounced in
the bitterest tones the eloquent law
yer could command.
Deserted Her Daughter.
Given a beast protects its young"
he declared with s%cornful emphasis,
"but this unnatural mother deserted
her daughter in this city Of millions
to be betrayed by a false friend, to be
lured into a gilded palace and there
wounded, bleeding and d%evoured."
Mr.. Delmas went with great detail
into the life Evelyn Nesbit had led uD
to the meeting of Harry Thaw. In all
of his remarks he referred to her rs
this child" for child he said she was
today. He told of Thaw's great love
for her and his efforts to rescue her
from "the clutches of Stanford White"
whose achievements in his profession
the attorney declared were an aggra-
vation of his crime"
Mr.. Delmas before beginning his at
tack upon Evelyn Thaw's mother,
poured out a torrent of danunciation
upo the architect who became the
victim of Thaw's pistol. He accused
him of the crime of rape" and then
declared that President Roosevelt had
said in his message 10 congress that
such a crime should be visited with
death. This was one of the suggestions
which Thaw himself made to his coun.
sci for his summing up speech-one
Of the suggestions which played so inn
portant a part in the proceedings be-
fore the lunacy commission.
Thaw Her Only Protector.
The attorney declared that Thaw is
his wife's only protector-that he
came into her life when she was on
the downward path, told her that no
matter what the world thought Of her,
she was to him an angel. He took her
to be his wife, ready to share the
burdens that a mother had helped to
place upon her daughter.
That Evelyn Nesbit's story was
true and was told to Harry Thaw
formed the subject of the argument
for more than an hour. Mr.. Delmas
declared the only evidence the district
attorney had to bring against. the girl
was the "miscalled affidavit" pro-
cured by Abraham Hummel. Speaking
of Hummel, Mr.. Delmas again drew
heavily upon his bitterest i~nvective,
and declared that it would require
more than the words of a perjured
man TO send Harry Thaw to an ignn-
minious death. Hummel was accused
by Mr.. Delmas of having committed
deliberate perjury upon the stand in
the present trial when he swore he
was not acting as Evelyn Nesbit's
counsel, and that no action was con-
templated in her behalf. He said the
so-called affidavit itself convicted the
man of these f%alsehoods.
WILL NOT BE EXECUTED