Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-18
ATTORNEY LITTLEToN AFTER
suMMoNlNG PRISONERS WIFE
AS WITNESS THEN SHOWS A
CHANGE IN TACTICS.
PRISONER MEETS
MOTHER IN COURT
AFFECTING SCENE BETWEEN
MRS. THAW AND soN--MoTHER
THEN TAKES STAND AND TEs-
TlFIES IN HIS BEHALF.

New York. Jan. 17.-Mrs. Alice
Fletcher of washington, D. c., who
said she had been frequent visito"
in the Thaw household in Pittsburg
and had known Harry K. Thaw for 26
years, was the first witness in the
Thaw trial today. She declared that
Thaw was an unusual child, nervous
and moody, with wild and staring
eyes. He seldom talked coherently,
she said, and was unable to carry on
a sustained conversation. His acts
impressed her as irrational.
Former Nurse Tcstifies.
Catherine O'Neill, an elderly wom-
an who was a, nurse in the Thaw FAM
lily for six years and took charge Of
Harry when he was between three and
four years of age, testified as to the
childhood Of the defendant. She de-
Scribed him as very nervous and
moody. He would have nervous out
breaks which would end in conf
plete collapse Thaw she said, suf-
fered from st. Vitus dance following
the scarlet fever.
Evelyn Called, Then Excused.
Littleton here caused a ripple of ex-
citement by calling Evelyn Nesbit
Ihaw to the stand. She was clad in
her blue school girl dress, appeared
promptly and walked briskly to the
witness chair, where Clerk Penny adj
lninistered the usual oath.
While she was sitting with anxious
face ready for her examination, Little
ton changed his tactics and asked her
to withdraw for the time being to
make way for Policeman Thomas F.
Lynch, doorman at the Tenderloin po-
lice station at the time Thaw was
confined there.
Lynch repeated the testimony ne
gave at the first trial. that Thaw's ac-
tion at the station impressed him as
irrational. Doorman Barrett, who was
on duty at the station when Thaw
was first brought there also testified
that Thaw acted like an irrational
man.
Mrs. Thaw Meets Son.
Mrs. William Thaw saw her son for
the first time in months during the
noon recess. The meeting was afec-
tionate. Evelyn Thaw came in dur
ing the interview and it is said she
4 was cordially greeted by the elderly
woman
When Jerome had finished with the
policemen, Mrs William Thaw was
called to the stand Her testimony
closely followed that of the last trial,
beginning with the return of her son
to his Pittsburg home in November,
1903, after Evelyn Nesbit had told him
her story in Paris that summer.
Usually Harry came home buoyant
and joyously,' she declared "But
this time there was not a-smile"
Mother Tells Of Sons Vacaries,
Mrs. Thaw said she asked her son
what was the matter.
II can't tell you. mother" he re-
piled. Il never can tell you.''
The mother then repeated what she
related on the stand last year as to
her son cryinr and moaning during
the night of his freruent playing at
the piano, when the music would be-
gin loud, then die away until finally 1t
would stop, leaving Tllaw sitting g
long while at the instrument with his
head cast down.
Mrs. Thaw said she frequently ask
ed her son what was worrying him
full young ~irl he was interested ir
had had a terrible experience in New
York. The mother told him he should
not worry about such matters: that
the girl had a mother who would care
for her. Thaw replied that the girls
mother had not l0oked after her an6
that was why it. all had l,anuened.
Man Offers to Take ThsW's Place.
One Of the most dramatic scenes in
the worlds fiction today found its
counterpart in the Thaw trial when
a man, confessing failure in life, wrote
to Evelyn Nesbit Thaw offering tc
take Harry Thaw's place and the con.
sequences of his trial for s3.oo0.0o0.
Charles Dickens, in the ''Tale ot
Two Cities" brings his hero, also q
feilure, to the guillotine, after he had