The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1908-01-22
HTTELLTOOMUCH
Reason Mrs. Thaw Didn't Speak
of Poison Incident Before.

Thaw Read Portions Of Her Last
Years Testimony - Mr.. Littleton's
Objections to Offensive Questions
Sustained by the Court.
New York, Jan. 21.-Mrs. Evelyn
Eesbit Thaw told her story for the
second time. The repetition lacked
the vitality of the first recital but the
great crowd in the court room where
her husband, Harry X. Thaw, is on
trial for the killing Of Stanford White,
listened intently to every word.
Justice Bowling had ruled that he
found no warrant in the law for Clos.
ing the doors against the public and
there was a great clamor for admit.
tance from a throng which hung about
the building all day long.
District Attorney Jerome, failing In
his move to exclude spectators, took
occasion when 1t came his turn to
cross-examine the witness to bring out
all of the details of the first trial
which Mr.. Littleton OF the defense had
omitted on his direct inquiry of the
witness.
Mr., Jerome also sought TO block
Mrs. Thaw's testimony in it's entirety
on the ground that a conversation
which occurred three years before the
tragedy could not have any bearing on
Thaw's mental condition the night of
the homicide. Justice Bowling over
ruled the objection.
Repeated Objections by Prosecutor.
Mrs. Thaw's testimony was broken
into by constantly repeated objections
from the prosecutor, who sought to
exclude all details on the ground OF
'immateriality. The frequent objec-
tions led Justice Dowling to request
Mr.. Littleton to cut his examination
as short as possible. Mr.. Littleton
took this course only to find that on
cross-eXamination Mr.. Jerome insisted
upon reading from last years record
nearly every word the witness then
had uttered. He did this under the
privilege of framing new questions.
Mr.. Littleton objected TO it, declar-
ing that the district attorney by read
ing the former testimony in a dis
agreeable manner was trying to dis
credit the witness in the eyes OF the
jury, when he could not discredit
her in any way by direct ques-
ton Mr. Jerome made no attempt to
disguise a tone of complete contempt
in reading the testimony. Contempt
also characterized most of the ques-
tions he put to the witness. whom he
attacked in the loudest voice he has
yet used at the trial Mr. Jerome
plunged at once into the more inti-
mate details of the testimony and
made no delicate choice of words in
framing his interrogations.
Mr.. Littleton's objections on the
ground of "offensiveness and impro-
priety" frequently were sustained by
the court.
Mrs. Thaw's SkilfuI Fencing.
Mrs. Thaw was matched against
both District Attorney Jerome and his
assistant, Mr.. Garvan, who was ever
at his chiefs elbow with new sugges-
tions. She fenced with them as skill
fully as she did a year ago, and at
times reflected the mood Of the dis
trict attorney by answering him in
voice pitched in as loud a key as his
own. The prosecutors pitiless and ag-
gressive questions often struck fire
and once when Mr.. Jerome demanded
to know if the young woman had told
Thaw certain things, she replied
hotly:
"Yes, | told him, but | didn't use
the language you are using"
Don't argue with me, madame"
shouted Jerome, who then had the re-
ply stricken from the record
But one new feature appeared in the
testimony of the witness This was
when she told about Thaw swallowing
the contents of bottle of laudanum
at Monte Carlo in 1904 in an attempt
to end his life. Previous to this. at
the Grand hotel in New York, Thaw
had talked of suicide, his wife de-
clared, and had suggested that she
also should take poison, as both their
lives had been ruined. Mrs. Thaw
said she humored Thaw at the time
and diverted his mind. She was out
OF the room when he finally took the
poison in Europe.
"Why didn't you tell us about this
at the first trial?" demanded Mr.. Jer.
ONE.
Because Mr.. Delmas said It might
make Harry out too crazy" the wit
ness retorted befo re the district at
torney could stop her.