The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-24
FOR SECOND Time
Mrs. lGIaw on stand all Day-Jcronc
Offensive In Manner Tow ards Wit
l.s-S--I'roves Herself Match for
the prJscCutor-But One New
Feature Testified to by Mrs. Thaw.

New York, January 20.-Mrs- Evelyn
Nesbit Thaw told her story today for
the second time The repetition lack
ed the vitality OF the first recital, but
the great crowd in the court house
where her husband. Harry X Thaw.
is on trial for the killing of Stanford
White. listened intently 10 every word.
Justice Bowling had ruled tf2t he
found no warrant in the law for clos
ingthe doors against the public. Dist
rict Attorney Jerome failing in his
move to exclude spectators, took occa-
sion when il came his turn TO cross
examine the witness TO bring out all
the details of the first trial which Mr..
Littleton OF the defense had omitted
on his direct inquiry of the witness.
Mr.. Jerome also sought TO block MIS-.
! Thaw's testimony in its entirety on
the ground that a conversation which
occurred three years before the trag-
edy could not have any bearing on
Thaw's mental condition the night Of
the homicide. Justice Bowling over
ruled the objection.
/ Mrs Thaw was on the stand all day
long and Mr.. Jerome announced when
adjournment for the day was taken
that his cross examination would oc-
cupy a greater part Of tomorrow's ses-
sions.
! Mrs. Thaw's story was broken into
| from the prosecutor, who sought TO ex-
clude all detail on the ground Of i'm
materiality.
MT Jerome insisted upon reading
from last years record nearly every
word the witness had uttered. He did
this under the privilege OF framing
new questions.
Mr.. Littleton objected 20 this. de-
claring that the district attorney, by
reading the former testimony in a dis
agreeable manner, was trying to dis
credit the witness in the eyes of the
Jury when he could not discredit her
in any way by a direct question.
Mr.. Jerome made no attempt to dis
guise tone of complete contempt in
reading the testimony. Contempt al
so characterized most of the questions
he put to the witness, whom he at
tackled in a loud voice.
Mr.. Jerome plunged at once into the
more intimate details of the testimony
and made no delicate choice Of words
in framing his interrogations.
Mr.. Littleton's objections on the
ground of "offensiveness and impro-
priety" frequently were sustained by
the court.
Mrs. Thaw matched swords against
both District Attorney Jerome and his
assistant, Mr.. Garvan She fenced
with them as skillfully as she did a
year ago, and answered MT Jerome In
voice pitched in as loud a key as his
own
When Mr.. Jerome demanded to
| Know If she had told Harry
T1aw certain things, she replied hotly.
Yes, told him, but I did not use the
language you are using"
Don't argue with me, Madame.
Shouted Jerome.
but one new feature appeared in the
testimony of the witness. This was
when she told about Thaw swallowing
the contents of a bottle of laudnaum
at Monte Carlo in 1904 in attempt 70
end his life
PREVIOUS to this at the Grand Hotel
IN New York, Thaw had talked of sui
eide, his wife declared. and had sug
gested that she also should take poison
as both their lives had been ruined.
/ Coid ch h.,
the time and diverted his mind. She
was out of the room when he finally
took the poison in Europe.
| Why d!dn't you tell us about this
at the first trial?" demanded Mr. Jer-
ONE.
I because Mr.. Delmas said it might
make Harry out too crazy. The wIt-
ness retoIled before the district attor-
my could stop her.
! After Justice Bowling had decided to
admit the public during MIS-. Thaw's
recital Mr.. Littleton asked Mrs. Thaw
! TO tell the story Of her experience with
Stanford White as she told II to Thaw
| in Paris in 1903, when he asked her TO
become his wife.
| District Attorney Jerome was at
once on his feet with a strenuous OBJ
| lection, but the objection was over
ruled.
| Young Mis- Thaw was suffering with
a bad cold and coughed frequently.
| In response 10 questions from Mr..
Llttleton the witness told again, but
more briefly, than last yeaI, Of her
experience in the 24th street house
where she was takep TO lunch with
Stanford White and drank champagne
and became dizzy. She told again OF
the veivet swing and the mirrowed
room and the big Japanese parasoI at
tached 10 the ceiling.
Goirg briefly over the incidents OF
1864 in Europe and of Thaw's repeat
Cd offers Of marriage the witness said
fha yeddinr finally occurrad in pittc-