The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-02-05
JEROME SCORES Defendant,
CALLS THAW COWARD AND
WHITE A MONSTER.
Makes Plea for Evelyn Thaw-The
Case Will Probably Go to the Jury
Ioday-Thaw's Fate VIII be Known
Soon.

NS" AVTN, jail SV.-WlIlam J'raV-
ers Jerome, representing the people,
made a mastery plea today that jus.
tice be done in tho case of Harry Ken
dali Thaw. Vindictiveness, sneers.
Instructions. all were lacking; logic.
analysis and a calm consideration of
the facts were their substitutes. 1t
was no blind appeal for the vengeance
OF the law that Mr.. Jerome addressed
to the jury. but ever and always there
was ncte Of fairness, even at times
ef mercy.
The year that has elapsed since the
first trial has wrought a wonderful
startling change in the prosecutor.
No longer attempting to shield the
namc of Stanford WhitA he accepted
the story told by Evelyn Nesbit Thaw
as true-all but the drugging-and he
made frank confession to the Jury that
the velvet swings and mirrorrd rooms
OF the studio house described BY the
girl were indeed a miserable reality.
Nc longer attacking Evelyn Thaw as
Il skilled adventnress. Mr.. Jerome
pleaded for the girl, because she never
mad had chance for any of the high
er, clearer. sweeter things Of life. The
climax came. however, when Mir. Je-
ONE denounced both Thaw and White
IN one breath and classcd them as
Two degencrates quarreling over
woman And the woman, The pros
ecutor declared. knew no more-had
been taught no mere by the world
than TO play one against the othci
sntil In jealous rage. in blindcst rage.
IN vengeance Of All "undeniaby gross
wrong donc to his wife," Harry Thaw
shot and killed the architect.
The case goes tn the Jury tomorrow
morning and Thaw may know his
fate before the setting Of another sun.
Justice Bowling will begin his charge
as soon as court convencs at 1890
o'clock tomorrow morning.
District Attorney Jerome turned a
willing ear to the testimony of insani.
ty placed before the jury, and empha.
sized 1t in a number of instances. He
admitted that Thaw had always been
physically weak. and that ut times
his mind had been unstruhg. And
while at no point was there the direct
offer Of compromise in the pr1secu-
tors speech, there was notably an in
dication. that he would not feel that
Justice had been misdirectcd if a yer-
dict OF some lesser guilt than murder
IN the first degree should be the cul.
mination Of the jury's deliberations.
Mr.. yercme carefully explained the
elements that enter into a verdict of
primary murder the penalty If which,
is death, and then he pointed the way
to two other findings, which. he de-
clared, were possible nudcr the cir
cumstanoes. In first degree murder,
the district attorney stated, the kill
ing must have been the result Of both
intent and deliberation. In the sec.
ohd degree murder nc said the intent
to effect death remained, but premed-
itation must have had no part; i'm
manslaughter in the first degree. MIR.
Jerome declared, the elements vera
an overwhelming rage and fury which
compelled the assaillant to shoot
without, however the intent to :nfiict
death. Mr.. Jerome said he could not
see how under their oaths as Jurors,
the twelve men in the jury box could
go outside OF the three verdicts.