Evening journal., 1908-01-22
WILMINGTON. DELAWARE WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1905
TELLS
OF SEEING THAW
Had interviews With Him
About the DOingS in
Whites Place
THAW'S WILL IS PRODUCED
in THE EVIDENCE

Il
In THE EVIDENCE
BY THE JOURNALS Special Wire.
NEW YORK, Jan. 22.-That Harry
X. Tha wenlisted the services Of An
lthony Comstock and the Society for
the Prevention Of Vice in a fruitless
lendeavor to send Stanford White to
lprison for statutory offenses," was
lsworn to by the vice-hunter himself on
the witness stand to-day. Comstock
was the chief witness, and through this
medium Ldttleton. for the defense, sue
lceeding in getting a dozen letters from
Thaw. all breathing hatred Of White.
before the jury These letters contain
led names of alleged victims Of White
land certain associates. Among the
names thus made public were several
women now we'll known in the theatre
lcal world Jerome did not fight very
hard to exclude the Comstock evidence,
lin fact some Of it seemed to please
him. as if Comstock was on the States
lside.
The prosecution argues Thaw killed
white because he hated him and con-
sidered him rival for the affections OF
his wife.
Jerome will seek to show that these
letters, covering the period almost
down to the tragedy are couched in
terms showing entire nationality on
lThaw's part and also as furnishing a
lmotive for the killing. Comstock hav-
ling failed to get the goods" on White.
lThaw finally decided to take the law in
ihis own hands, argues the district at
torney.
NEW YORK, Jan. 22-The battle of
the mental experts in the Thaw case is
impending. There are but three or four
more lay witnesses left for the defense
to call, and Littleton announced to-day
they would probably complete their tes-
} timony before adjournment The ac-
tual work Of showing from the provis-
Iional standpoint, Thaw's irratonability
viii be shown.
Calder B. Britton. head of the Nor
! lrlstown Hospital for the Insane, will be
1.-THE first witness called; some half
dozen others will follow. All hands are
anxious to hurry the case through, so
that it may reach the jury by the lat
ter part Of next week. and this seems
, certain unless something unforeseen de-
lvelops. There is considerable interest
in the personality of the witnesses Je-
rome win call in rebuttal.
Whites life will be shown from a
better viewpoint by witnesses Jerome
viii call Some of these are theatrical
people He contends that Thaw was
: drunk and would like to prove it.
The rumors of impending trouble be-
tween Harry and his wife and of a
r. complete estrangement between her
e and Thaw's family are renewed to-day.
T The later reports are that the young
y er Mrs Thaw's every movement are
K being watched by detectives The ru-
y NOR declares this I'm intended to get
? record of what she does and who her
e friends are I'm case Thaw should be de-
d clared mentally incompetent. In case
J he is declared incompetent to handle
Z his estate. the rumor says, it is sure
r there win be an effort to debar the
l. young woman from taking the major
d portion of it.
wi at the opening Of court to-day Miss
Frances E. Pierce. a friend of Harry
X Thaw and his wife, the first witness
was called to identify her signature to
the will and codicil executed by Thaw
the evening Of his marriage. She had
lchapcroned Evelyn Nesbit before the
wedding.
The will contained numerous strange
lbequests. which Littleton argued indi-
re Gated mental irresponsfbility Of his
N client.
r After the Identification both the viii
v land codici were offered in evidence
* Jerome objected. holding that the wit
,dlness was unable to swear the docu-
" ment was in the same condition and
"a read the same as when she signed 1t
II A lengthy technical discussion fol.
rs lowed.
- Justice Dowling finally ruled thu
y leodicil could be admitted, most Of i
" being in the handwriting of the de.
fendant. The offer Of the will in evil
ldence was temporarily withdrawn.
The codicil was admitted at the las
trial. It will be remembered it Sc
6 aside $4,000 to be paid to Anthon!
- Comstock and three other members o
the Anti-Vice Society for prosecuting
=" stanford White and others for wrong
" ing young girls. The names of SOM
ur well-known women Of the stage wer
he mentioned as possibly complainant
against White.
gh comstocl< Witness
!. Anthony Comstock, head Of the So
ss ciety for the Prevention Of Vice, swor
no that Thaw called at his office in Fen
-, ruary, 1904, by appointment He toll
- Comstock that a well-known New
- Yorker was in the habit Of wrongin
young girls by drugging them in hi
ne apartments, at 122 Twenty-secon
Gu street. witness not designating eithe
east or west. He next saw Thaw 4
Ie. November Of that year after first hav
ing received a letter from him date
Is Paris. -Comstock had a copy of thi
letter which he identified. II cam'
IL witness swore. by registered mai
CCentinued on Second PaRe)