Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-16
.THAW ACCUSED
BY YOUNG WIFE
EVELYN SAYS HUSBAND MADE
THREATS AGAINST HER LIFE.
AT FIRST SHE HESITATES AND
DOESN'T WANT TO TELL
When Asked Blunt Question, She
swears Stanford Whites Murderer
Threatened to Kill Her When
Freedom Came
(By Associated Press.)

(By Associated Press)
WHITE PLAINS, N. Y. July 10
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw went on the
stand here today and gave damaging
testimony against her husband. Har-
ry x Thaw. Her testimony was the
strongest point scored so far by the
state in its fight to keep Thaw in the
asylum for the criminal insane at Mat
teawan.
When the days session was conclud-
ed an adjournment until July 26 was
taken.
For three days the state has been
trying to bring out that Thaw threat
ened his wifes life on one of her visits
to Matteawan. The state wished to
show irrationality on Thaw's part.
Thaws attorney at last failed to
show that the alleged conversation at
MatteaWan was confidential as be-
tween husband and wife.
Didn't Want to Tell
Mrs. Thaw was apprehensive when
testifying. She was quoted as saying
she testified because of the treatment
she received at the hands of the Thaw
family but on the stand she apparently
struggld hard not to tell.
Did Harry X. Thaw threaten to take
your life?" she was asked directly by
Deputy Attorney General Clarke.
Did he at any time say this to you
or this in substance: L shall have to
kill you when | get out of here?'
Evelyn Thaw turned appealingly to
Justice Mills. She begged to be al
lowed not to answer, because, she
said, she knew she would incur Thaw' S
everlasting animosity, and her attitude
indicated that 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 mat
ter 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 ap-
plicable to her situation
Testifes Against Husband
Then she said, in low voice:
Yes, he did,
What were his exact Words?" de
manded Mr. Clarke.
He said: When l get out of here
1 suppose I will have to kill you"
why did he say that?"
I'VE were discussing his mental con-
dition. l had asked him what he
meant and he said: You know l was
not crazy on the night that I shot
White. I 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 en-
phatically denied that he ever threat
ened her life.
1T is plain to every one that her
story is not true he said II never
threatened to kill her First. she says
one thing. and then another"
Thaw Denies Charge
rs it true that you made an attempt
on Whites life on the day before the
homicide was committed?" he was
asked
IF l had you would have heard Of 1t
before this" replied Thaw.
Anthony Comstock, president of the
New York Society for the Suppression
of Vice, described his efforts to assist
Thaw to get sufficient evidence of
Whites practices to prosecute him. Up
to within a day or two Of the tragedy,
tanned data from him in regard tn
Whites conduct. He was of the opin-
ion that Thaw was sane.
Three more witnesses besides Thaw
himself are to testify, according to
Thaws lawyer, Charles Morschauser,
but the long adjournment was taken so
that both sides might have the oppor-
tunity of studying the records of
Thaw's trial for murder, which are in
the possession of District Attorney Je-
rome.
The state expects to base much of the
examination of Thaw on the witness
stand upon these records 1t has been
decided to abandon a physical eXamin-
alton of ThaW by the states alienists,
and to confine the insanity test by the
experts to the mental examination of
Thaw as a witness.
Evelyn Explains Evidence
Before leaving White Plains for New
York this evening Evelyn ThaW dis
cussed her testimony
IF the Thaw family had done the
right thing by me | would never have
taken the stand TO testify against my
husband" she said. But they would
not guarantee me the allowance /
asked for when the annulment proceed
ings were begun. If they had done
that, ] would have been far away from
here today, and Harry would have a
better chance of getting his liberty.
II do not know what ! shall do now
l have no idea what my future course
will be I must go out and get living
somehow. / can't go Dack 10 the stage
NV notoriety would prohibit that The
public would say | testified against my
husband to make myself notorious. !
will try TO get work as model | can
do it, too, l am sure.
"Often I feel sorry ! ever saw the
stage al all As a model I can be a
good girl and earn enough to keep me
can hope for nothing from my hus-
bands family. That's my position in q
few words.
Terrified by Threat
"If I had not been compelled I never
would have testified against Mr.. ThaW
But when my husband cut my ALLOW
ance to $40 a week, and 5000 a month
he left me with many debts on my
hands. I used nv allowance to clear
off INV debts, and the money | get Is
NOT more than enough to get along on
"The questionable fame of this trial
will follow me wherever / may go fo1
Years and wears I do not know whcth-
err my husband will harm me If he is
reIeased. He has made one threat
though, and that has terrified me-
"Do YOU think he is insane?" she was
asked.
IT cannot answer that question she
renlied. 81 do not want to-
80
Intelligent, thinking people will he de-
lighted with the free lecture at simpson
Auditorium Friday night
-
He's Never Wrong
'I think Shakespeare was wrong"
"HoW Eo?"