Milford chronicle., 1909-07-30
SHE SAYS THAW
WHIPPED GIRLS
Lodging House Keeper Gives
Sensational Testimony.
WHIP EXHIBITED IN COURT

Mrs. Susan Merrill Declares Thaw
Lured More Than 200 Girls to His
Room and Lashed Their Bare Bodies.
Says He Paid Them $4,000 ITO
Keep Them From Bothering His
Wife and Mother"
White Plains, n. Y, July 2s.-Harry
X. Thaw sat in the supreme court here
and heard a woman's testimony that
made his pallid face flush. He saw a
pearl-handled dog whip exhibited, and
he heard the witness swear that she
had seen him WELD it on the bare
flesh of young girls. The prisoners
wife, Evelyn Nesbit Thaw, heard most
Of the testimony which was of such
nature that Justice Mills preceded its
presentation with the warning that
mo woman should stay in the court
room unless she is willing to hear
everything"
The witness was Mrs Susan Mer-
Till, a buXOm, pink-cheeked woman of
about thirty-five years, and she opened
a new chapter in the life of Stanford
Whites slayer She told of alleged
acts Of his between 1902 and 1905,
when he was a young bachelor about
New York before the tragedy on the
Madison Square Roof Garden that re-
suited in his being placed in the state
asylum for the criminal insane. from
which he is now trying to escape by
proving himself sane.
Paid Girls s25,ooo
Her testimony was in marked con.
trast to that of two alienists who went /
on the stand and gave Thaw a clean |
bill Of health, declaring that in their |
opinion he was sane. Summarized. her /
testimony was that during the three |
years named she kept in succession
two New York lodging houses, where
Thaw rented rooms under assumed /
names and to which he brought at
various times more than 200 girls At
ter Thaw's Imprisonment, she said
she paid these women at least $25.000
as the price of their silence and ito
keep them from bothering Thaw's wife
or his mother" One Of them, who
she said. passed as Thaw's wife. re
ceived $1,000. The money came from
Harry Thaw.
Says He Lured Girls to His Room.
After telling Of Thaw's engaging the
rooms, the bearing Of the evidence
upon the question Of the prisoners
mental condition became apparent.
For at this point the mysterious pack
age which was brought to court by
Clifford w Hartridge Thaw's former
counsel, was unwrapped and a pearl
handled whip, about three feet long,
was brought into view With this be
fore the eyes of the court and specta-
tors, the woman related a series of
about finding Thaw on several
lashing the girls upon their
bare arms and bodies. Thaw. she said.
had posed as a theatrical agent and
had lured the girls to his rooms with
promises of engagements. When she
demonstrated with him. she testified.
his excuse was that the girls weren't
smart enough and couldn't fill their
and deserved a beating" She
testified further that Thaw had fre-
quently behaved in a violent manner
In her presence and that she consid- :
cred his acts irrational.
Thaw's Lawyer Attacks Witness.
District Attorney Jerome had full
charge of the case. and it was he who {
brought out the damaging testimony. {
Mrs MerriU's Testimony was stoned
when Mr. Jerome intimated that it /
might injure innocent persons. Under
ross-examination by Charles Mors-
,hauser. counsel for Thaw. the witness
vas attacked fercely. He succeeded in
bringing out the fact that she had
1een recently arrested on a charge Of
perjury after an unsuccessful suit to {
'ecover 100000 from a man. ]
The woman emphaticPlly denied J
hat she kept any of the money that
lassed from Thaw through her hands 6
"Then why did you stand for all this 4
rom Mr. Thaw?" asked Mr.. Mors-
q
"oh. I felt sorry for him" was her e
nswer. ?
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw slipped quietly a
nto court during the proceedings. but L
i'd not testify. She smiled at Thaw v
everal times. but he paid no atten- i
lon to her. =