Norwich bulletin., 1912-06-21
BribGd Girls in
 The ThaW Case
OVER 200 INDUCED BY MONEY
 NOT TO TESTIFY.
HIS FORMER LANDLADY
Mrs. Susan Merrill, Gives Sensational Testimony at Hearing-Mrs. Thaw Gives Further Evidence.

White Plains, N. Y, June 2O-A surprise in the Harry K Thaw hear ing was sprung by the state today. In the midst of testimony by Evelyn Thaw contributing to the states con- tention that the slayer of Stanford White Is still insane, William T. Jerome, the leading attorney for the state, sudden ly called to the witness stand Mrs. Susan Merrill to tell of Thaw's life when he roomed at houses which she kept in the theatrical district of New York.
 Had Been Hiding In New Jersey.
 It was intimated by the state that the witness had been sent to New Jer- sey on money supplied by the Thaw interests trying to keep her out of the courts jurisdiction but she was found and produced today. Clarence J. Shearn, attorney for Thaw, endeavor- ed to discredit the woman's testimony by referring to the fact that she was committed for perjury when MT. Jerome was district attorney of New York. The pending indictment vas dismissed after she had testified for the state against Thaw at his trials. MT. Shearn's attitude was that the perjury charge had been held as a whip lO make her IeSJlIy.
 Whipped Girls In His Room.
 Mrs. Merrill made very unwilling witness in contrast to her previous ap- pearances. She had been kept in hid ing in an ante-roOm at the courthouse this morning and when the state de- cided to produce her she screamed sJ loudly that those who crowded the courtroom upstairs could hear her Her hysteria caused a delay of twenty minutes before she could be escorted to the stand, still protesting that shc could not testify against Thaw. ShC admitted that Thaw roomed Q hei houses under an asummed name anc that he had many girl callers. She admitted that on three occasions Lt had whipped girls there. An unex- pected feature of her testimony camC when a letter which she wrote fC Thaw at Mattewan last January Was introduced. She said in 1t that fOul different men had called upon her anC asked if she was to testify at tho hearing.
 Girls 5ribed Not to Testify.
 "Be smart" she advised Thaw il the letter. "A man with millions 1. working against you. He wants t keep you there because he is a friend o Stanford Whites"
 Under pressure of Thaw's attorney the witness said that she thought tht millionalre's name was Colonel Claw
 She testified that during Thaw's trIa thousands of dollars had been placed in her hands by one of ThaWs coun- sel to pay more than two hundred girls so they would not testify ag;Lins him. She said she paid one girl S7,00t and another s3,090
 The witness lost control of hersei | several times and became hysterical
 Thaw's Proposal of Suicids.
 Mrs. Thaw testified. today that he husband made proposal at the Gran, hotel in New York in 1904 that the, both commit suicide. He had the de tails all planned, he said They wer, to engage 8 room at the Waldorf an, | drink poison. He had even fixed th, hour. She, of course, refused.
 She testified further that Thaw hat l complained to her that the food givel l him while in the Tombs was poisoned He also complained that he could no 1 eat the potatoes they gave him a | Mattewan because there were larg i Jumps of saltpeter in them
 Mrs. Thaw May Resume Today.
 Evelyn Thaw's testimony was in | terrupted yhen it was learned tha | Mrs. Susan Merrill who rented apart ments in New York to Thaw, was il 1 the building. She had been sought fo days by the state
 It is probable that Mrs. Thaw vii l be placed in the stand again tomor row.