New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-22
MRS. THAW BREAKSDOWN
CREDIBILITY WE4KENED.
Kept Up Relations zcith White-
Vent Otter to eth Street House.


Evelyn Nes5it Thaw yesterday. n a scene
. even more distressing than the one which came
when she first began her story on the stand. she
was forced TO relate inner facts Of her life that
placed her in a very different light than that in
which she has hitherto shone. For the first
time the breaking point was reached. and the
girl. whose wonderful composure in most trying
situations has been matter Of wonder TO all.
gave way to tears
IN the CrOss-eXauinatiOn Of the young WIFE
the prosecution has only one motive. so far as
the results are Of Importance 70 the case. and
that IS to mpeach the credi5ility Of the witness;
10 show. IL possible by her own testimony that
while she said she told her husband that Stan
ford White the author of her ruin there
I exists strong probability that she did not do
/ so at all How far the District Attorney sue
ceeded in doing this 10 the satisfaction OF the
twelve men sitting in judgment on the case can
not, of course be said.
The picture OF herself. as drawn by young
Mrs. Thaw in her direct examination, had been
that Of an innocent young girl fouIly taken ad-
vantage of and persistently fleeing from her
undoer. Yesterday she obliterated the greater
part of this picture. With infinite yet kindly
( persistence Mt Jerome drew from her that be-
fore the fatal night. the date even month OF
which she has so strangely forgotten, she had
been to many lUnCheOns and suppers given by
the architect both in the West 24th street house
ana in his rooms in the Madison Square Garden
tower They were sUppers at which much wine
was consumed and at which many indelicate
stories were told she said. Yet, she insisted she
remained ignorant Of the ways OF the world.
Then the District Attorney had her tell how,
I following that night, there were many meetings
with the architect. at which their relations were
resumed. continuing. according to her story.
until at least the end of January. 1902. Asked
why she met White. she could only say she
didn't know what else to do. He always gave
me a lot Of Wine" she urged in further extenu-
alton. After that. until the fall Of the same
year. when she went to school at Pompton.
y. J. she met White almost every day, but
never alone. she said.
MRS. THAW AND PRISONER WEEP
It was during this portion OF her testimony
that Mrs. Thaw for a moment broke down
Others we're affected too. Thaw, the prisoner.
wept behind his handkerchief; some OF the
Jurors looked uneasy, and one or two women
whose duties called them 70 the trial left the
courtroom. Il was the fearful tribute that the
sight Of young. attractive in distress
Invariably brings.
But, although the sympathy Of every one
went OUT 70 the girlish looking witness, hard
hearted Judgment realized that the strength Of
the defence had been impaired The impression
left after her direct examination was that the
occurrence in the West 2+th street house bad
been the only one o. the kind. Her testimony
of yesterday showed the faIslty Of this deduc-
ton
Late in the afternoon two other admissions
also weakened the value Of her direct tes5i-
rrcry. First. Mrs Thaw acknowledged that
she had gone to the 9th street house with
Stanford White alone directly after the ore
"terrible night" when It might have been sup
posed that she would naturally have wished 20
keep away from the place. Next. she admitted
thar the champagne she drank before becom-
ing unconscious. and which she testified had
tasted very hitter. really tasted The same as
other champagne she had drunk on previous
occasions. Il did not like champagne; 1t al
ways tasted bitter u me- she said
MRS. rHAw AT MANY DINNERS.
Many questions were asked by the District
Attorney all tending 70 bring out evidence that
I'm the butterfly existence she lived before she
met Thaw in Paris and confessed to him her
wings had frequently dipped in the nlire
that she could not have remained the unso-
phis,icated child her earlier testimony made her
appear. There were stories of lively suppers
at Berger's restaurant. where wine flowed
/ freely. and OF others at the Tower and in
the 24th street house. Mrs. Thaw acknowl-
edged, too that she knew Stanford White was
a married man soon after their acquaintance
| began.
Coming 10 Christmas Eve. 1908. the night
when Boman. the doorlleeper OF the Madison
| Square Theatre. had testified that White had
/ threatened Thaw when he learned that EVELYN
. Nesbit had gone away with that - Pitts
burger the District Attorney wanted TO know
If she had seen two men standing outside the
/ stage door These men. IT developed were detec-
tives engaged by Thaw Mrs Thaw said she had
not seen them. and never learned that Thaw
had hired detectives 10 follow White. On that
night she had gone to Rector's restaurant with
Thaw and another man and a woman.
Didn't You have be helped out of Rector's
at o'clock in the morning because YOU had
drunk so much wiuee" Mr. Jerome asked 'sr
did not Mrs. Thaw said, emphatically. Didn't
YOU afterward go 70 a resort in 27th street?a
NO. sir the witness answered She acknowl-
edged going to Thaw's apartments. an the SOS"
and staying thdre that night
HER EXPERIENCES IN EUROPE.
The panorama shifted TO Europe. The quar-
rel with Mrs Nesbit between Boulogne and Paris
because Thaw wanted EVELYN Nesbit 70 60 alone
i'm his automobile with him. the couples subse-
cuert travels from one place 10 another in
France. Holland, Germany, the Austrian Tyrol
Switzerland. italy. back 70 Paris and London,
were all gone over. Mrs. Nesbit had been left
in London with Bedford, Thaw's valet. to look
after her.
Was your mother obliged 20 take a position
in IouNca as charnberuaide" asked SIr. Jerome.
reading from Mrs. Hogman's deposition, she
certainly lid not" said Mrs. Th2w. indignantly.
Then Mr.. Jerome sought Right on cable messages
sent from London to White by Thaw. Weren't
! they signed With your rasnes" he asked the wit