New Ulm review., 1909-07-21
Evelyn Nesblt Thaw Testities
Against Husband
Tells OF THREAT TO KILL HER
Strongest Evidence for State at
Insanity Hearing. /!

j
X. Thaw's pretty little wife, formerly
the chorus girl, Evelyn Nesbit, went
on the stand here and gave damaging
testimony against him. It was the
strongest point scored so far by the
state in its fight to keep Thaw in the
asylum for the criminal insane at
Matteawan. He demands his release
through habeas corpus procedure on
the ground that he is sane man.
When the days session was conclud-
ed, adjournment was taken until July
26. For three days the state has
been trying to bring out that Thaw
threatened his wife's life on one of
her visits to Matteawan, as tending
to show his irrationality Blocked at
first by objections which were sus.
tanned by the court, Thaw's attorney
at last failed to show that the al
legged conversation at Matteawan was
confidential, as between man and
wife, and when Evelyn Thaw took the
witness chair her lips were unsealed.
And she related, as if In fear, what
Thaw's lawyer has sought most to
keep back, his alleged threat to take
her life if he were released from the
asylum.
Whether assumed or not, the trim
witness in blue expressed apprehen-
sion while testifying. She was
quoted afterward as saying that she
testified because of the treatment she
received at the hands of the Thaw
family, but on the stand she apparent
ly struggled hard not to tell and when
compelled to do so by the court, she
obeyed reluctantly and tearfully.
did Harry K. Thaw threaten to
take your life?" she was asked by
Attorney General Clarke.
did he at any time say this to
you or this in substance: 4 shall have
to kill you when I get out of here?'"
Did Not Want to Answer.
The courtroom was hushed and Eve
lyn Thaw turned appealingly to JUS
tice Mills. She begged to be al
lowed not to answer because she said
she knew she would incur his ever
lasting animosity, and her attitude
indicated she believed he might carry
out his alleged threat She also
urged, with some show of feeling,
that she was still Thaw's wife, and
no matter how he had treated her,
she did not want to testify against
him. But the court ruled that the
only possible grounds upon which she
could decline to answer were that it
would tend to incriminate her, and
he added he did not see how that
would be applicable to her situation
Then Evelyn Thaw answered the
question. eyes, he did, she said in
= low voice,
What were his exact words? de-
manded Mr.. Clarke. @.
"He said: When I get out of here
I suppose I will have to kill YOU"
"Why did he say that?"
I'VE were discussing his mental
condition. 1 had asked him what he
meant and he said: You know l was
not crazy on the night that I shot
White. asked him again and he
said: You know that missed White
by two minutes on the day before"
ThaW, when asked about his Wife's
testimony after court, said he was
not surprised at her attitude, but he
emphatically denied that he ever
threatened her life.
"It is very plain to. everyone that
her story is not true" he said. II
never threatened to kill her. First,
she says one thing, and then another
rs it true that you made an at
tempt on Whites life on the day be-
fore the homicide was committed"
he was asked.
eff I had you would have learned
Of it before this" replied Thaw.