The Washington herald., 1908-01-30
CONVINCING PLEA FOR LIFE OF THAW.

where Evelyn Nesbit came into the de-
PENDANTS life, and OF the effect her re-
cital in Paris when Thaw wanted 10 mar
~ her had upon HIS unsOund mental
equipment when court adjourned FOR
luncheon. He had however, emphasized
the fact that Thaw had never attacked
a living thing during his deliriums. and
was not under the influence Of alcohol
when he was treated by the doctors in
/ London. Rome, Monte Carlo. Paris. or- on
the train near Albany
His rage was vented upon inanimate Oh.
jeets, Littleton set forth. and he did not
make others suffer physical torture 20
satisfy his insane longings.
| AZ this point an adjournment vas taken
/ until o'clock.
Afternoon Session.
At the afternoon session. Littleton re-
sumed by taking up the testimony or Miss
Alice Fletcher who is a fellow OF Har-
ward and a friend Of the Thaw family.
VINO had known Thaw for twenty-six
year
/ She had testified that from her stand
/ point ThaW was Of unsound mind She
had described Thaw's periods Of Wild ex-
/ element. when his face was blanched
and pale and there was a twitching
about his mouth
Her testimony, Littleton argued, seemed
/ 20 cap that or all the others who had
gone before her He declared Jerome had
/ adducsd no proof contrary 10 the state
ments In her testimony. The district at
| torney had entered into discussion with
I the witness. but this was not In the ma
1 ture Of proof
/ Here Littieton declared the district at
/ toTney had not called q single witness 10
3 show that any particle Of testimony
/ about ThaW's action was untrue.
/ What has he offered in answer 10 IL
all?" finally asked Mir Littleton.
Lttleton briefly reviewed Thaw's rela-
/ tons with Miss Nesbt from 1901. when he
/ first became acquainted with hey. Up 10
the time he had asked her to marry him,
and said.
! There has been a good deal said az this
| trial about the marriage OF Evelyn Nesbit
| 20 ThaW. il has struck me that Jerome
/ has formed peculiar aversion to Mrs.
Thaw II has been apparent all through
/ the trial, and particularly when he had
! her under REORGANIZATION.
4
A woman on the stand is entitled TO
at least as much leniency as a man. At
least she was entitled TO the privileges.
! I leave it to you IL the district attorney
has shown her these privileges.
The district attorney does not assafI
/ her to show Harry Thaw was sane when
! he killed White, bat simply for the pur-
pose Of showing her unworthy Of belief
Naturally one comes TO the conclusion
that Mrs. Evelyn Thaw is on trial here
and not the defendant
II I were the district attorney and I
had tried as hard as he has done 10 de-
stroy the crediblity Of Mrs. Thaw
would have tried 10 get some one else
| besides 4 man who is the very Vermin Of
the law Of the city Of New York-a man
who is still in prison. put there by this
very district attorney. II ] had no other
person TO destroy the character Of this
woman. ] would hesitate d long time be-
fore l would ask you to take this mans
testimony.
IF YOU take the trend that has been
running through this case. YOU viii see
that Evelyn Nesbit has been on trial
rather than Harry X Thaw. L seemed
active TO destroy this young woman be-
fore YOU than he was to prove that Thav
was sane.
The slime Of Howe & HummeTs Office
is brought into this case and dumped into
the lap of this young woman.
Maybe I may be wrong, but it seemed
I the district attorney showed more than
necessary bitterness toward Mrs. Thaw.
He showed this in his examination OF her
He showed IL when 7 examined ner. and
he stood with arms folded and glaring
At her He seemed 10 say. Don't you
dare testify 10 this or that And all ne
had against her was the word OF the
rodent of the New York bar"
The letters written by ThaW were those
Of crazy man, Littleton said
smiths Testimony Reviewed.
As TO the testimony OF James CHnch
Smith, Llttleton said he forgave Smith
for his feelings, for he was Whites broth
er-in-law. and wanted to see Thaw con-
victed. The jury should not accept his
testimony. however. for it was the testi-
mony Of a man biased, who was not tell
ing the truth.
Littleton's attack on Smith was quite
bitter. He said Smiths testimony was
the only testimony offered by Jerome
bearing on the condition Of Thaw mind
on the night Of the shooting Littleton
figured II out that it was a case OF mis-
taken identity when Thaw spoke to Smith,
as the conversation showed Thaw must
have taken Smith for somebody else.
''The stories circulated by White and
his friends, and which Thaw heard, were
enough to drive mad man Of strong
mind. When Thaw was in church with
his mother I'm Pistsburg, and cried. his
manner was not the action of a murderer
or assassin. Everything he did at his
mothers home at that time indicated his
mind was weak.
Where are the alienists?" asked Lit
Teton. Jerome had them at the last trial.
VIII he say this time they are not worthy
Of belief? or is II that with a full his
tory of this boys case, he cannot get one
Of them to swear Thaw was not insane
the night he killed White?'
You must keep in mind, If you have
a reasonable doubt Of this mans sanity
on the night of the killing, you must ac-
quit him. Do not let the district attorney
fool you into believing anything else. That
is your duty. and that is what this de-
PENDANT is entitled to.
4 have endesvored to put TO you ali the
evidence in the case. have done so to
the best of my ability, Gentlemen.
leave the destiny of this young man.
whether it is life or death, in your hands
II was close 20 o'clock when I.ittleton
closed. There was no grand-stanu play
at the finish. A number Of persons con
graduated Littleton on his speech.