Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-06
DID WHITE MEAN.
TO MURDER TAAW !.
FOR NEbH GRE:
Continued from Third Pase.)

Continued from Third Pase.)
cident in her life with reference to Stan
ford White NJ
The promise of the story OF overwhelming
human interest which little Mrs. Thaw Is
to tell to the jury and the gaping court
room created a great stir. Mr.. Gleason's
coupling Of ''the serious operation and
the refusal of the girl to marry Harry
Thaw when first he asked her to become
his wife lend a new significance to the
Incidents leading up to the tragedy. and
all sorts Of rumors are rife as to the enect
the girls story will have upon the minds
silent men of grave faces. who listened to
every word uttered by Thaws attorney
with an interest uncommon In jurymeD 90
early In case.
Only Logical Defense. " rs
The effect of Mr.. Gleasons asdfess isabe~'
ing widely commented upon here today.
Some who heard 1t are inclined to be criti-
cal of the somewhat FambliRg manner In
which the attorney went at the facts. Tnat
he had the materials of a defense which 1t
will be difficult for the prosecution to over
throw seemed apparent from his every ut
terance Bluntly stating that Thaw@whs
insane when he, shot Stanford Wnlte anu
that the insanity came to him enfousn
heredity and stress over which ne nad no
control, the lawyers laid the foundations
for defense which seemed the only logical
An so-calied higher or unwgltten laws
were exploded in the plain statement OF
Mr.. Gleason, who spoke in an earnest, con,
fidential tone and manner which invlteo
every man among the jury dozen into his
confidence. Mr. Gleason declared that the
defense will attempt to show an TN, the
the stress which disordered Harry ThaW
brain. 1t will be for the jury to determine
whether or not they think the circumstances
Gleason declared they were such as TO
upset the reasoning of any man. ina"
was readily susceptible, because OF the IN
sanity which it was claimed will be SHOWN
to exist on both sides of his family.
Mrs Evelyn Nesbit Thaw. the little Eve
Ign of the studios and the stage, whose
child-like face has been growing daily paler
as the hour for her ordeal approaches; Is
expected to lay bare every secret OF her
life Whatever the world may think OF
her In the future, she will make this sacri-
flee for Harry. She will open the DOCK OF
her past for the scrutiny OF the worlo, anu
whatever incident she may overlook or seek
to hide in telling the story Will not escape
the lynx-eyes of Jerome, who sat IKE
panther yesterday, letting his assistant, MI
Garyan, introduce the direct evidence Ior
the PROSECUTION. while he waited for the
defense to produce its witnesses, eager 10
pounce upon the prey they offer to his keen'
soul-searching brain.
Lengthy Characterization.
Jerome promised yesterday afternoon that
the cross-examination of some OF IhaWs
witnesses will be lengthy. Young Mrs.
Thaw Is generally believed to be the one on
whom the district attorney will vent all the
fury of :. cross-examination based upon
knowledge of facts which Is astounding.
The district attorneys score or more OF de-
tectiyes have not been idle a moment since
the Madison Square Roof Garden tragedy
looking up the record Of tiny Mrs. ThaW.
They have raked her history with line
tooth comb. and it will be with the assur-
ance of all these facts at his command that
Jerome will take the girl in hand. No one
will blame her If she trembles. or lies
awake at night picturing the trying hours
she must spend upon the witness stand.
Mrs. Thaw seemed nightly depressed
Yesterday when the adoption by the court
Of the rule that all witnesses must be ex-
cluded from the room banjshed her from
her chair just back Of where the prisoner
sat. Every day since the trial started. In
weather fair or foul, Evelyn has been IN
court. She has always had a smile TOT tne
prisoner when he entered and others ready
to spring to her lips at any minute ne
might turn to catch her glance and mutely
ask for crumb of comfort. There ID
something real in this love of Harry Thaw
for the girl. and there is every reason 10
believe that she reciprocates it. She may
tell upon the stand that Thaw was cruel
to her at times during the period of their
long engagement and their stay ABROAD
but she will cover all OF these eccentricl-
| ties with the blanket of mental irrespon-
| sibility. The times that he is said to have
slapped her will be cumulative evidence OF
| his tendency to insanity, for at the time OF
his wrath she will tell that he asserted
his love with every breath. 1t may also
be said to Thaw's credit that immoral as
| he may have been, irresponsible as ne VIII
be shown to be- his love for his wife mas
| been something ennobling. Once he met
| her he was her slave. He was no longer
seen In public without her and once they
were married wherever she went ThaW
went, and vice versa. They were sufnclent
unto each other and Thaw recognized and
honored the vows Of matrimony as things
sacred In spite of the diseased and disor-
dered brain which is said to be his, he ap-
preciated the right from the wrong In this
respect and the fact has often OF late been
cited as a mite of credit against all the
damning testimony that has been offered
against the man.
A Great Sacrifice.
Another great sacrifice in this case will
be made by Mrs. William Thaw, once the
proud leader of Pittsburg society, whose
head is now bowed in shame and who will
stop at nothing to save her boy from
felon's death. 1t was reported from Pitts
burg that influential friends Of the Thaws
had prevailed upon the mother to object
to the plea Of hereditary insanity. 1t was
all right, they said to plead temporary or
emotional insanity, but 1t was a violation
of the sacred honor owed the dead to drag
in heredity as a cause for young Thaw's
rash act. =
Mrs. Thaw has dissipated the. truth Of
these reports. 1t was known positively
that she was to take the stand and lay. bare
whatever she might of the traces of insan-
| ity in the family. ready to sacrifice her POI
sition and her all to help Harry in his trou-
BILE. The Thaw family skeleton will be
taken from the closet and anyone who
cares to hear It's story may do so. Just
what will be the attitude of the district at
torney toward Mrs. William Thaw Is Natl
ter of much conjecture. VIII he. respect the
gray hairs Of bent and sorrowiiig mother.
will he appreciate the delicaey of, her posi-
Il ton and not seek to harass her with en-
barrassing questions on cross-axa tpination 2
1t is the general belief that Mr.. Jerome, il
he cross-examines MRS. Thaw at all will
do so in the gentlest possible manner. It
| would not make well with the jury to do
| otherwise.
Were They Sweetheartsr
| But with the younger Mrs. Thaw, the girl
l Of the gay cafes and all-night suppers, 1t
l will be different. Mr.. Jerome will try to
| confront her In every way with terrifying