New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-01-22
SERIES OF SURPRISES
Brings the Famous ThaW Trial
Near to a Crisis.
TO SUPPRESS HER STORY
jerome Asks That the Public Be Elk
cluded During Testimony of
Defendants Wife.

New York, Jan 1S.-A series of sur
prises brought the Thaw trial near
crisis Both Evelyn Thaw, the wife,
and Mrs William Thaw, the mother of
stand, and just as the former was
about to relate anew the story of her
life. as she told to Thaw in Paris in
1903, District Attorney Jerome arose
and suggested that in the interest OF
public morals, all persons save those
Immediately interested in the case
should be excluded from the court
room during the recital Of what he
termed horrible tale The notice
include cd the representatives of news
papers, as well as the public general
~. Attorney Martin w. Littleton Of
| the defense joined in to shield the
| young woman from hundreds of Gu
rious eyes, and said that so far as the
constitutional right to an open hear
ing was concerned, he was ready to
waive that point in any irOnclad man
ner the court might suggest. Pro
ceedings were suspended until Judge
Bowling announces his decision.
The district attorneys suggestion
was distinct surprise and called
! forth the remark from Justice Bowling
that it would have come with greater
force at the first hearing of the case.
During Evelyn Nesbit Thaw's exam
nation District Attorney Jerome stood
Immediately in front of her and object
ed to practically every question
| which Mr. Littleton asked in his pre-
i liminary examination as to her early
! history, cutting the young Woman's re-
| cital from the effective narrative form
it assumed last year into hundred
fragments Many of the objections,
based upon the irrelevancy and i'm
materiality, were sustained by the
court When these failed, the prose
cutor was ever ready with others, un-
til the testimony fairly was torn into
shreds and had lost entirely the many
little touches of human interest which
were part of the narration last year,
when no objections were intended to
cut out all stories about pet cats and
l a lot of other stuff" which had no
place in the trial.
Thaw's Mother on the Stand.
The day, however, was one of good
progress for the defense. The elder
Mrs. Thaw, pale and weak from her
recent Illness was assisted to the
witness chair and repeated large
part of the testimony she gave year
ago. Her appearance and the sin
cerity of her evidence as she told of
her sons strange conduct after meet
, ing Evelyn Nesbit and hearing her
story, had a marked effect upon all
I who listened. On account of her weak
condition her examination was inter.
ruDteG by consent to be resumed Some
time next week, when she will tell OF
! ! Thaw's infancy. District Attorney Je
on the stand was all Difference and il
was his suggestion which led to the
respite in her ordeal But when the
young wife took the stand the change
e. was marked Jerome glared at he1
i from the very first and his objection:
+ were fairly shouted in her ears. Wei
n accustomed to court usage from he
e former experience, the young woman
r waited patiently for ruling as t.
O each objection. When they were sus
d tanned she was silent; when over
d ruled she was ever ready with her re
4 Spouse.
Effective testimony was given at th
morning session by Miss Alice c
Fletcher of Washington, d. c., a lon
time friend Of the Thaws and fire
quent visitor at their home. She sal
she had known Harry Thaw for twer
ty-six Years and he had always in
pressed her as irrational
Miss Catherine O'Neill, who nurse
ThaW as boy from his third to hi
tenth year, added her evidence to thu
already adduced as to irrational col
duct and tendencies on the part of tn
:. defendant.
Two doormen at the police static
where Thaw was confined the night {
the tragedy repeated their stories
last year of Thaw's irrational appea
. ance and his complaining of noise
that did not exist.
: ORDER AGAIN CHANGED