The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-07-23
Evelyn Thaw: Her Story.

This was the statement made by
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw today when she
told for the first time how she consent. /
ed to sign papers in a suit to annul
her marriage with Harry X. Thaw and
afterward withdrew her signature
when the elder Mrs. Thaw failed to
fulfill her side of the contract.
While Evelyn Thaw refused to state
the amount of money that was offered
to her, soon after Thaws second trial
for the murder of Stanford White, to
induce her to consent to an annulment,
1t Is we'll known to the authorities that
the amount was about $4,000 a year
for life.
Cut II to $4,000 a Year.
This amount was subsequently re.
duced to $4,000 year when the elder
Mrs. Thaw refused to sign 100000
year contract with her daughter-in.
law.
at was because | learned things
about him in his second trial." said
Evelyn Thaw today, that | came to
the decision that we would never live
'ct9NNhOi htttih 40 man bilu "iiO'
Mrs. Thaw was found in her S95.a.
month apartment on West Thirty.
third street this aftern H. She wore
white shirt waist and lavender
skirt of washable material. She was
just about to eat some ice cream with
girl friend when the reporter reached
her apartment. She spoke carelessly
oh ho hno nd =
expression of excitement or pleasure
than had she been discussing the lat
est fashions in clothes or hats. she
talked about her troubles.
In fact, once during the talk she
took up magazine. looked at some
new styles in hats and then, passing
the book to her companion, remarked
carelessly:
Those are beautiful affairs"
Then, turning to the reporter, she
added:
you know I am Just crazy about
hats. | never can cease admiring pref.
lilly trimmed ones, either.
81 laugh and play and cut up the
highest kind of high links in spite Of
young woman. I'm an optimist by dis.
position.
No Decisions About Her.
81 have no desire to pose as an ex.
ample for young American women to
follow | want no one to have illu.
sions as to what am. But I am just
as anxious to end for all time the RI
hot 10, hot
abroad as portraying me. want two
things thoroughly understood:
1.-THE first one is that have never
committed any crime. I am young
woman whose unfortunate upbringing
has ended in my being connected with
a sordid murder in which I had no
part and which l tried for three years
to prevent.
During my married life with Thaw
l lived at home as quietly and with as
much regard for the conventions as
any woman ever had. | may marry
again. 1t is all question in my mind
as to the advisability of giving up q
career l have mapped out for myself
or of settling down to rear children
in the fashion of good housewife and
mother.
"The second thing want made plain
is that / will not trade on the notoriety
that has attached itself to me as 8
result of this terrible affair. If chose
to accept the many offers that have
been made to me to go on the vaude
vile stage | should be independently
rich.
I'm Immoral, She Says.
THAT have refused these things IL
no indication that | am wonderfully
high principled If you will have the
truth, am distinctly immoral, as the
world today views morals. l have my
own code of ethics and l live up tt
them. But from present day ideals
am immoral. There is no question o
it."
And here Mrs. Thaw made it know
for the first time that there is a maj
of whom she thinks more than of an!
one else in the world. She would no
tell his name.
But l am not a bad woman" SHIT
went on, "in the sense that l spoke o
bad women in that first trial. If
make up my mind to marry the man
love, | shall do it and the world will
hunt in vain for chance to accus,
me of indiscretions.
IF, on the other hand reach tn,
conclusion my art means more to M
than the raising of children, if decide
it is not right for me to become
mother and stigmatize children will
the curse that has been brought upol
my name-I shall tell the man l love
as l have already told him l shoul'
do, that l cannot marry him; that on
marriage would be thing to hurt u
both later
And | shall have no hesitancy UT
der those circumstances of giving hin
all the love any wife could give an
husband. But always, that way,
shall reserve to myself the right to de
vote myself to my art and there wi