The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-22

and we talked the matter over some
little while.'
Mr.. Comstock here identified three
more letters from Thaw, n having
been received as late as April, 1906, two
months before the tragedy.
Mr. Littleton first read to the jury q
Communication from Thaw to Com
stock written in November, 1904. 1t at
tempted to give in detail a description
of the Twenty fourth street house
with crude diagrams appearing here
and there in the text. Thaw declared
that one room was furnished like a
forest, and that secret stairs led from
it to the room of the mirrors. The door
in the forest room was hard to hno'
the letter declared, and there was no
escape for the young girls who were
drugged. Thaw claimed that SIX or
) seven ''criminal s~coundreis' controlled
the place and that three or four decent
Young men WHO did not know o. the
criminal acts often fr~equented the
place.
e'Thousands of crimes have been COM
mfted there and many %felonies," Thaw
wrote, and added that there was a lttle
.aoom to which access was gained by a
door behind a picture. I'm this room.
the letter went on. "tnere Is a VALUABLE
French painting of a n OF
peculiarly infamous successfully.
In another letter Thaw suggested
that plumbers working on a building
adjoining the Twenty-fourth street
house might be induced to drop some
iheavv article through the skynght ana
a~reveaL what was below. Thaw also
scaIled attention to the fact thai there
WIS a libel suit in Paris. instituted by
a Young woman who had been mem
toned as posing for the picture pre-
~vjously complained of. Thaw declared
that the houses in Twenty-second n
Twenty-fourth streets were n
Grated to orgies by a gang of rich
criminals"
Thaw in this letter suggested that a
eory Of one of his letters be sent TO DIS
tgdct Attorney Jerome, and also sug-
gested that If Mr.. Comstock needed more
funds TO carry on the inquiry he might
ask Miss Helen Gould for assistance IN
that line.
Giving the name Of q. young actress,
Thaw described at length what he said
was an effort to save this girl from the
bla ckguard." Thaw said he enlisted a
prominent man in the cause. who was al
f1rgt loath to believe that such practises
as complained Of existed. but Afterwards
was convinced. This man threw what pro-
( lection he could about the girl, but when
ne had gone abroad ''the blackguard got
her.
sBesides four victims I have already
told you about there is another Thaw
continued. 1.-THE b~lackguard asked her
to marry him and she left her place, 1t
Is now being talked about in the news
paper offices and I hope to be able to
give you the name and details soon.
Please destroy this
In several of the letters Thaw spoke
of enclosing 800 more for the secret
service fund. Thaw wrote under tne
name of Ferguson in accordance with
an arrangement he had previously MADE,
SO that his name would not be included
In the annual report OF contributions.
ON cross-examlnation District Attorney
Jerome asked Mr.. Comstock IL he ever got
into the. Twenty-fourth street house.
mo, sir"
The prosecutor devoted much of his time
with the witness, calling attention to the
fact that the statements in the letter were
coherent, understandable and rational In
their references to historic events The
communications the witness said came in
the usual way through the mails with post
age fully paid and addressed according TO
directions given to ThaW.
Mr.. Comstock, at the afternoon session,
produced, at Mr.. Jerome's request, a let
ter copy-book, containing the replies sent
by Comstock to Thaw's letters. There
wore also several letters by Mr.. Comstock
to the children's society concerning the
matters complained Of by Thaw. The
latter letters indicated that the alleged
crimes more properly belonged to the pro-
vince of the Children's organization
The cross-examination quickly ended ana
John Gleason, of counsel for ihaW at
4ha 6rst trial. was called In connection
with proving the defendants will.