The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-01-18
THAW'S WIFE AND MOTHER TESTIFY

an interminable time before she appeared
al the edge of the jury box, near the Wit
ness chair
Mrs. Thaw Assisted to stand.
! The witness chair is on a raised plat
form, and she had difficulty in getting to
/ it. No one had assisted her up to that
time, although she had a trained nurse
outside, but a court officer gave her his
arm and she dropped into the withess
chair.
When she faced the crowded courtroom
II was apparent TO those who saw her at
the last trial that worry and illness had
brought about a marked change IN the
woman
The strong lines OF her face have been
softened a bit. The gray hair is not quite
so thick. but her voice has lost none of its
strength. She knew she was i'll. she said.
but she was willing 10 90 on with her
examination, at least that part Of it re-
lating 20 the Incidents prior TO the mar
rage of her son to Evelyn Nesblt.
Mr.. Littlstons voice was low. but there
was no trouble in hearing every word he
said.
Mrs. Thaw said she had seven children
and she was the mother Of Harry Thaw,
and that he was born ia Pittsburg
Mr.. Littleton did not so into anything
about evidences Of insanity IN the Thaw
family, but first asked Mrs. Thaw about
the time when Thaw went to her home
in PittsbuTg. November IS. 1895 ThaW
appeared ut her home about o'clock I'm
ihe morning. She was much shocked at
his appearance, she said.
/ 1t filled me with alarm from the be-
ginning, said Mrs Thaw, raising her
voice d trifie. Usually he came home
Joyous on getting back again. This time
there vas not even a smile but u gloom
and depression and an absent-minded-
ness"
Thaw had breakfast with her that
morning. He made an effort 10 be cheer
ful at the beginning, and then laid down
his napkin and went out.
Evidences Of Perturbation.
Il heard the piano playing violently,
she said. lie was fond Of music. and
was playing violently lie played for
quite long time. and as IL softened
suppose his mood changed. and he cams
back and finished his breakfast
He seemed 10 have shaken Of some
Of his feeling then. He made inquiries
about the family and matters In general
He stayed in the house most of the
day
I've We're very busy at the time. We
were all going to the wedding CJosie-s, in
a few days and / was preparing a large
reception"
From that time on. she was attracted
constantly TO him by his manner ana
! appearance. At dinner that evening HI
left the table abruptly. For "A time. sh,
said, a cloud would come over him ht
could endure no longer. and then h,
would rise and 90.
He went 90 the parlor and played the
piano. That evening she spoke 10 hin
about the way he was acting, but got
no satisfactory answer
IhaW slept in a room next to hers
On many nights she went to his room
She found him sitting up. fully dressed
and reading. about o'clock in the morn
ing lie said there was no use going e
, bed
2 She tried to find out what was worry
, ing him. 1t was ten days before he would
give her any explanation. She woulC
hear him grooming and go to his room.
Thaw COnfides In Mother.
Finally he told me it was about some
q girl she said; some young girl he wa.
interested in, who had been ruined b,
4 a man In New York He would not tel
2 me the names Of the parties at aIl-o
y either one Of them; and / did not car,
to know
7. He told me that a young girl he wa
a interested in had been ruined by one o
/. the wickedest men I'm New York and tina
EuEsN - .a,N-v
habit OF his; that he was especially inter
j ested in her, but that she was not hi
{ only victim. / said that it was not hf
!. affair to look after girls who had bee
e injured by any man; that il was not hi
h duty to do that
Il asked him if her mother was living
d. and he said she was. l said, Let ne
y mother look after her Why should yot
q ruin your health and life?' He said tina
I her mother had not looked after her, an
t that this was the reason this had hap
pened.
Q He could not give up his feeling 70
9 her, although she had been ruined b
g somebody else; that still to him she wa
the only one in the world as he ex
pressed it.
Il asked him who the girl was and VIII
d her mother was, and so forth He toll
l. me she had lived formerly in Pittsburl
3 He mentioned the name Of Stanfor
White, and later on he told me the girl
= name was Nesbit. He said that If tn
- mother had not been careless of he
! daughter, this could not have happened.
LAS soon as / knew II was no crime c
, his / wanted TO make as light Of ii a
= possible. hoping it would soon die away.
Physicians Services for Thaw,
o Thaw was attended then several time
by the family physician. She did nj
e speak to him again or the subject of tn
Re girl until she went to Thanksgiving Da
services with him.
s When the choir was singing Kipling
Reeessional Hymn, she said, "somt
thing came over him. He forgot himsel
e I didn't know what. He did not sol
r but just a shower of tears fell down O
the programme. / heard the shower
tears falling down. and I touched him o
the arm. and he recovered himself.
q ''On the way home from the ehure
" I asked him about IT, / said: Why di
IS you forget yourself so in church,? An
a then he said it came over him all q
is once II this thing had not happene
she might have been with them here"
Thaws behavior was extraordinary,
q her mind. He stayed in the house mo:
of the time. writing and reading. or tr,
e ing to read. Sometimes he would sit OF
IS poste her and there would be a sob an
"a then . shower of tears.
Mr. Littleton asked Mrs. Thaw If sh
. felt we'll enough to go on with the exam
;, nation. She said she would rather ha1
q her examination in two parts. IF yo
q are going back to his infancy" but sh
n was ready to finish her examination o
q the part she was on.
When she went 10 Europe, in Marc
/ of the following year, she hoped he ha
s. forgotten all about Miss Nesbit an