Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-30
JEROME SCORES THAM
District Attorney Asks For First
Degree Verdict Murder.
LITTLETON DEFENDS EVELYN.

Contrasts Her Testimony With That
of HummeI and Says Prosecutor APP
parentIy Is More Anxious to Discredit
Woman Than to Convict Prisoner.
New York, Jan. 30-Pale and trem-
bling with indignation, Harry X. Thaw
was forced by the stern and inexora-
BILE hand of the law to sit silent for
hours today while District Attorney
Jerome denounced him as an inhuman
monster, the very incarnation of all
evil, and asked the jury to convict
him of murder in the first degree and
thus demonstrate that in America at
least rich as we'll as poor wrongdoers
stand on an equal footing before the
law and undergo the same classified
ton.
The prosecutors address was force
full and convincing, eloquent at times,
but never was there straining after
effect His words were simple and to
the point and in sharp contrast to the
lavishly colored utterances of Martin
w. Littleton, Thaw's chief counsel, in
his closing argument.
RidicuIes Insanity Defense.
In tones of whitening scorn the pros
ecutor asserted that Thaw's vagaries
both here and In Europe were the re-
suit of dissipation and excuses, cou-
pied with belief that his millions
made him immune to all laws and not
to a disordered brain, as Mr.. Little
ton in his summing up commended.
He ridiculed the "manic Oppressive"
insanity malady which the Thaw alien
lists swore the millionaire murderer
of White is suffering from and called
attention to the fact that one Of these
so called experts at the former trial
testified under an oath equally binding
that Thaw killed White while afflicted
with brain storm"
Continuing, the district attorney
stated that the same antics in the
case of a poor man would be termed
breaches of the peace or disorderly
conduct and would be speedily checked
by the first policeman under whose OBJ
servations they came and punished
with term in Jail or in penitentiary.
Thaw's Excuses CLOSED Over.
In the case of Thaw, however, his
excuses were CLOSED over or entirely
ignored, and the very people who now
swear that he was insane from in.
fancy supplied him with sufficient
funds to rent castles in Europe fol
Evelyn Nesbit, to give fancy dinners
that were the talk of Paris and to
shock two continents with the story Of
his shameless life and his scandalous
intrigues.
Again and again Mr.. Jerome asked
the twelve men who faced him If they
were not convinced that Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw's testimony was not false in ev-
cry particular. He laid special stress
upon the Hummel affidavit which she
denied signing and the testimony of
the commissioner of deeds who swore
that Evelyn not only signed the affida-
Wit In his presence, but read it before
affixing her signature to the paper in
Stanford Whites Office
As If anticipating Mr.. Jerome's ref
erences to Thaw's wife, Mr.. Littleton
devoted the greater part of his closing
to defense of Evelyn.
He contrasted her testimony with
that of Abraham II. Hummel, the con-
victed lawyer, through whose evidence
District Attorney Jerome sought to
discredit her He charged Jerome with
savage bitterness and malice in his at
tempts to destroy the character OF
young Mrs. Thaw and said the district
attorney apparently was more anxious
to discredit Evelyn than TO convict
Thaw.
Denounees Hummel.
HE has followed her in her Journeys
all over the world" said Mr.. Littleton
with great feeling: "he has secured
the universe without finding witness
20 impeach her testimony or blacken
her character until he pulled out Of
the dark cell where he had sent him a
man who was convicted Of suborna-
lion of perjury. That is the best the
district attorney could do after two
years. Why should the district attor-
hey pace this Enclosure like a Gagged
ion. backing and moving forward
while this young woman crouched on
he witness stand? Why should he do
his while he vouches for the testi-
nony Of a convicted felon. the very
Of the New York bar?
What has Hummel done that he
ihould deserve the credit and consider