Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1908-01-22
COMSTOCK
WITNESS IN
THAW CASE
Defense is Now Drawing its Case
10 a Close Evelyn is
Through.
GOULD NOT SHAKE STORY
District Attorney Tried His Best
and Met With More Diff.
Gully Than First.
THE TESTIMONY IS ON TODAY
insanity Experts Are the Only Ones
Left to Testify as to Thaw's
Condition.
THE TESTIMONY IS ON TODAY
Special by United Press wire:

/ "
NEW YORK, Jan. 22:-Miss
Frances Pierce, a friend of Harry K
Thaw and his wife, was the first wit
ness to be called today when the
Thaw trial was resumed. She iden-
titled her signature as a witness to
Thaw's will made the night he mar
ried Evelyn Nesbit. The will con-
tanned strange bequests which At
torney Littleton argued showed
Thaw's mental responsibility. The
codicil to the will was admitted in
the testimony. 1t set aside $40, 900
to be paid to Anthony Comstock and
the Anti-Vice Society to prosecute
Stanford White and others for abus-
ing young girls.
Anthony Comstock, Of the Anti
Vice Society, next took the stand and
testified that Thaw came to him the
first of February, 1904 and complain
ed of a well-known New Yorker, who
ruined young girls in dens in oath
and 22nd streets. Upon his next in
| terview Thaw named Stanford White
and asked Comstock to proceed
against him and to put the district
attorney on the case.
Thaw saw Comstock again in De-
cember and the witness told Thaw
he had been unable to get conarma-
| tion of Thaw's statements. The wit
ness then identified several of Thaw' s
| letters naming girls he said White
| had ruined. The letters told of
gilded dens where doors were made
of steel and the interior was law
ishly furnished. One letter evidently
referred to Evelyn's ruin, though no
names were mentioned.
| District Attorney Jerome finished
his cross examination of Mrs. Evelyn
| Thaw yesterday afternoon.
Inc atlul4e.s 80 ---ense the
succeeded In placing in evidence le
ter written by the defendant in th
fall of 1908 which completely corrobo
rated the claim that the girl who wa
to become his wife did tell him the
story Of her relations with Stanfor,
White much as she has related it upoi
the stand at this and the former trial.
This letter was one of dozen whicl
were read to the jury as tending t.
corroborate young Mrs. Thaw'T testi
mony and as further tending to show
| the effect her story had upon the de
fendant's mind. Most of these letters
were read to the jury in the former
| trial and were considered as one Of the
strongest bits Of evidence in the hands
Of the defense.
Mr.. Jerome objected to their intro
duction into the record, but was over
ruled by Justice Bowling after Thaw
himself had made waiver Of the con-
fidential relation of counsel and client
when Frederick w. Longfellow. his
former attorney, appeared on the stand
to identify the letters.
Some of the writings were addressed
to Mr.. Longfellow, and others had
been sent to him to be delivered to
Miss Nesbit. They all contained many
references to the girls history and to
her experience, and in the letters In
tended for the young woman Thaw
constantly bespoke his love and re-
spect for her. Many of the sentences
rambled on incoherently, and there
were many scratches, erasures and In
terlineations.
Continued on page 10