Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1907-04-12
Attorney Delmas Makes Opening
Argument in Noted Case.
WlFE'S STORY BASIS OF PLEA
speaks for Over Two Hours With the
Young Woman's Evidence as
tire Only Foundation.

marry n. 1QaW, charged WIN the mur-
der Of Stanford White, Is nearing the
end. Attorney Dolphin M. Delmas,
the California attorney, Monday after
noon began his closing address to the
jury and after he had spoken for more
than two hours and a half court ad-
1ourned. 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-
ton in the written statutes of the
state Of New York, Mr.. Delmas made
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 even 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.
Even a beast protects it's young"
he declared with scornful emphasis,
"but this unnatural mother deserted
her daughter in this city Of millions
to be betrayed by false friend, to be
lured into a gilded palace and there
left the victim of gray haired man,
wounded, bleeding and devoured."
Mr.. Delmas went with great detail
into the life Evelyn Nesbit had led up
to the meeting Of Harry Thaw. In all
of his remarks he referred to her as
''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, y
whose achievements in his profession
the attorney declared "were an aggra-
walton Of his crime"
; Mr.. Delmas before beginning his at.
tack upon Evelyn Thaw's mother
poured out torrent Of denunciation
uron 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 to congress that
such a crime should be visited with
death. This was one of the suggestions
which Thaw himself made to his coun
gel for his summing up speech-one
OF the suggestions which played so i'm
portant part in the proceedings be
fore the 1unacy commission.
TEaw Her Only Protector.
The attorney declared that Thaw is
his wife's only protector-that he
came into her life when she was or
the downward path. told her that ne
matter what the world thought of her
she was to him an angel. He took hel
to be his wife, ready to share the
burdens that a mother had helped tt
place upon her daughter.
! That Evelyn Nesbit's story wa:
true and was told to Harry Thav
formed the subject of the argument
for more than an hour. Mr.. Delma'
declared the only evidence the distric
attorney had to bring against the cir
was the "miscalled affidavit" pro
cured by Abraham Humme1. Speakinf
of Hummel, Mr.. Delmas again drew
heavily upon his bitterest invecttve
and declared that it would require
more than the words of perjuret
man to send Harry Thaw to an fgno
: minious death. Hummel was accused
by Mr.. Delmas of having committed
deliberate perjury upon the stand il
. the present trial when he swore HI
was not acting as Evelyn Nesbit''
counsel, and that no action was con
templated in her behalf. He said thu
so-called affidavit itself convicted thu
man Of these falsehoods.
vii NOT RI FXEcll1Fr