Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-02-08

clutched the wall in order to steady
her steps until court official took
her by the arm and assisted her into
the ante-chamher of the clerks room.
The girl tainted when she had
passed the great oak door, but she
quickly revived.
Mrs. William Thaw, the mother OF
the defendant; Mrs. George Lauder
Carnegie ana the Countess of Var.
mouth were In the clerks office wait.
ing for their relative to encourage and
comfort her in her trying ordeal.
Thaw Fearfully Worked UP.
IN the sympathy-impelling story of
the girl. the court room lost view Of
the prisoner. But when there came
Il halt In the girls fight against the
tears, the people who had gazed I'M
ceasingly ut her, lowered their eyes
ls If the relief from their stare might
bring her the confidence she finally
won. Then they saw Harry Thaw
again. His whole frame shaking, he
sat with his head lsuricd In his hands.
q handkerchief covering the eyes,
Where the defendant sits he is al.
most shielded from the jury. Bent
over the table, as he sobbed he could
not be seen at all. Thus Thaw sat
for many minutes and when he fin.
ally lifted his head his eyes were red
and swollen. Even If they could have
seen, the Jurors would have had no
eyes for the prisoner. They, too, had
turned their gaze from the witness
md the twelve seemed intent upon
some object on the floor IT,.
them
Justice Fitzgerald looked out
through the long grated windows,
The scene of the story marked new
precedent in the history of criminal
proceedings in New York city
Old court attendants gave their
ready assent TO this. Mrs. Thuw was
still on the stand, her direct exam.
nation unctmpleted when the day
was done.
Had Brief Respite.
Only during the afternoon she was
excused for an hour, while Lawyer
frederick Longfellow was sworn to
fix the date of certain letters written
to him by Harry Thaw subsequent to
the revelations Miss Nesbit had made
TO him in Paris. The girl had identi-
fled the writing, but the court held
that the date must also become n
matter of competent evidence. Mrs.
Thaw seemed 10 appreciate the re-
lief this incident offered. although
during the hour and half recess for
luncheon she had recovered from the
fatigue from the two hours she had
spent in the chair in the morning.
As she left the stand for the recess
she walked unsteadily and passing
hack Of the jury box ran the fingers
OF her left hand along the wall as n
blind person might.
The letters which eventually were
offered in evidence after much OBJ
lection by MIR. Jerome and flood Of
argument by opposing counsel during
the afternoon sitting of the court are
regarded as corroborative of Mrs.
Thaw's testimony today. which she
often declared, in response to objec-
lion offered from time to time by the
district attorney, was n repetition of
the reasons she had given Thaw for
refusing to be his wife.
The letters were written by Thaw
20 Mr.. Longfellow, as his attorney.
Disconnected and jerky. jumping from
subject to subject, they nevertheless
express the love he had for the girl
and among other things that in event
Of his death his property should 20
10 her. The letters constantly refer
to that hlackguard," who poisoned
her rs a girl and saw that her name
was falsely connected with two other
besides that blackguard"
On the Stand Again Today.
The completion of the direct ey-
animation of the prisoners wife will
possibly require all of tomorrow's SEES
sions. There is an impression that
Mr.. Delmas may strive to have II
occupy the entire day. that the young
woman may take advantage of nd
iournment over Saturday and Sunday
to recover from her fatigue and be
prepared for the cross-examination of
District Attorney Jerome.
Mrs. Thaw Continues Story
While most of the afternoon SEES
sion was over to the admissibility OF
letters written b. Thaw to Mr.. Long
fellow. Mrs. Thaw continued for a
long time the narration of her story.
She told of how she came back from
Europe. month ahead of Thaw. Dur
ing that month friends of Stanford
White had told her manv stories
about the young Pittshurg millionaire
and when he returned to America she
~ofmsod to COO him evcept in the pres
ence of third person.
When he asked her why she acted
- ehn told him the stories, One was
that Thaw had put girl into hath
tub and turned scalding water upon
her. Another was that he was adj
dicted to the use of morphine and a
third declared that he had tied girls
to bed posts and beaten them.
ThaW Was Sad.
"He looked very sad" she said,
"and told me they had been making
fool of me. He said he understood
why it was done. afterwards got
so many conflicting accounts from
the persons who had told me the sto-