The Washington herald., 1908-01-22

Elder Mrs. Thaw ON stand To-day.
New York, Jan. 21-Mrs. Evelyn Nesblt
Thaw, to-day. finished her testimony in
the second trial OF her husband for the
murder Of Stanford White.
It was late In the day when District
Attorney Jerome finished his cross-ex-
animation. She Was allowed to leave the
witness stand after having spent about
two court days In that position
She told practically the same story that
she told In the first trial Jerome was
unable to lead her into any self-con-
/ tradictions of consequence.
Two Points scored by Jerome.
she prosecutor, however, did score one
or two points OF Importance. Just before
he let her 90. he got her to say that
when she told her story 60 Thaw Of wrong
at the hands Of Stanford White. on ac-
count OF which. she testified. she declined
the Pittsburg mans offer cf marriage,
Thaw acted as If he was laboring under
| strong excitement, but not in an ira
/ tonal manner.
This was in accordance with her tes-
timony az the first trial. when the de-
fence was apparently not committed, as
/ It IS az present in trying TO obtain an
acquittal on the ground OF insanity. even
though such an asquittal should lead
Thaw to an asylum for the criminal in
sane.
Another point made by Jerome bore
heavily upon the character OF the wit
ness, though it in no way affected her
/ Icredibuity. II consisted in forcing upon
/ her a failure 10 explain why she signed
any paper for stanford White. in 1903.
two years after she says White ruined
her, and when she had testified that she
WAS in love with Thaw.
Signature Obtained by Fraud.
The district attorney contends that that I
signature was affixed 20 an affidavit 1
drawn up 10y Abraham HUmmel. and ac-
cusing Thaw of various cruelties toward /
her, Thaws wife has always contended. /
though she signed a paper for Mr.. White /
at that time she did not know what It I
was. and that If it was the affidavit IN !
Question. her signature was therefore OBJ /
tanned by fraud
Her explanation. in view Of the previous
relations she says she sustained toward /
Stanford White, seemed somewhat /
strained
Otherwise. however. the defendants 4
wife emerged from the long cross-exam- /
inatioa without much damage having \
been done 20 her story as she told il on 4
direct examination. She was perfectly .
cool and collected up to the end. and .
emerged with credit from several tight F.
corners into which the district attorney /
drove her
jerome. to-day, considerably modified
the methods Of examination which he
employed on the previous day. His man
ner was much less harsh and aggressive.
He seemed 20 remember that, after all.
it was a woman whom he was question
ing.
Better Manners BetteFs Results.
He found the witness just as alert and
far-seeing as ever. On the whole ne
got better results from tie milder
methods
From the beginning he tried all his
arts 10 make it appear 20 the jury that
Thaws muTdeTOus act was merely the
act Of man who bitterly hated an enemy
and not the act of man possessed Of a
disordered brain
on the other hand, when Thaw's wife
had left the stand, the defense produced
a powerful bit Of corroborative evidence
It consisted in a letter which Frederick
W. Longfellow. formerly Thaws lawyer
said Thaw wrote to him in October. 1903
In this letter Thaw told Longfellow
that Miss Nesbit had been ruined by
Stanford White in 1901 by the aid of
drugged champagne, as she has testified
Several of the details mentioned in this
letter have been also testified TO by young
Mrs. Thaw, and the document seems
strongly to bear out her statement that
she told the same story to Thaw in
Paris in June. 1903.
That she did tell it to Thaw and that
her tale was one Of the things that drove
him insane, are contentious vital to the
success of the defense.
It is likely that Mrs William Thaw.
the defendants mother will take the
stand tomorrow. and complete the tes-
umony that was interrupted last week on
account Of her frail health
She is expected TO tell of the existence
of insanity generally in the Thaw family.
Mrs. ThHw's Testimony.
The Standing Room Only sign was
out when young Mrs. Thaw was recalled
to the stand in the afternoon.
Mr.. Jerome got her to read the affidavit
which Abe HummeI says she made in his
office making charges against Thaw. She
denied she had signed the affidavit. but
admitted she told him some of the things
at were in it, principally the statements
about the European cities she had been
In with Thaw.
You signed paper in the Madison
Square Tower" said Jerome
II signed something" she said. shaking
her head. Il signed a slip of paper at the
Continued on Page 8, Column 2.
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