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Harry Thaw waa very fond of
making sketches of Evelyn showing
her a* a little girl in abort akirta.
Thia sketch waa made by Thaw
at the trial while Evelyn waa on
the witness stand.
Produced in Court to Prove That Harry Thaw Was Insane,
Written by Evelyn Nesbit Thaw.
Copyright, 1913, by Star Company.
Book Rights Reserved by Evelyn Nesbit Thaw.
LAST Sunday I told of my flrat hours on the witness stand
in the trial of my husband tor the murder of Stanford
White. I had a faint bol|)e that my ordeal was over when
Court adjourned for the week-end. But 1 was to be spared noth
ing; every secret of my life was to be laid bare.
I find this note among the daily memoranda I kept during the
trial:
Monday. February 26.
*Phey recalled me again today. Three days’ rest and quiet
has made a wonderful difference. I have seen Harry in the
Tombs and he has been cheerful. Somehow one cannot feel
sorry for Harry, he will not allow that liberty; he is in his heroic
mood, which is Irritating. The dreadful seriousness of the
position in which he stands does not seem to impress him so
much as the sudden fame which has come to him. He is forever
making statements to the reporters and gives me the uncom
fortable feeling that he is enjoying the experience. Jerome
came after me to-day, but 1 was quite at ease. 1 knew that he
would try to prove that I am something worse than the dust—
that Is bls bneiness. A good lawyer never sees two sides to
any question; there is only one—the side he is on
He dragged up every incident which might be magnified to my
discredit, and hopped from one aspect of the case to the other
with an energy worthy of a better cause. Had I quarrelled with
my mother at Allegheny before I lived in Philadelphia? Had
I run away from home? He might have asked me whether I
•had committed murder in my youth, and received no greater
satisfaction from my replies. Had White given me money?
When? How? He had given me presents for my vacations and
had helped me along when work was slack. Had 1 gone to
supper ever with this man or that?
A name is whispered with a great show of secrecy, and the
speculations are aroused to fever pitch.
Yes; I had supped in the same party, but not with them. It,
would not have affected the issue greatly if 1 toad so supped.
©id they take me home? Had I a chaperon with me? Were
these suppers after the theatre?
J had an absurd desire to make extravagant and inconsequent
replies. That supper should come after the theatre was not re
markable Had it come before the theatre it would have been
something freakish.
Then back again to White and to his vacation allowances and
to the little sums he gave me from time to time.
It was impossible to point out the fact that he had established
timself in a dual capacity. That he was a self-appointed guar-
Ilan a man of sufficient authority and domination to pack me
off tc school at his pleasure.
Then on to Harry.
Where did 1 first meet him? When’
"At Rector's restaurant, at a dinner given by Mr. Thaw. It
was after a matinee, and the dinner lasted about an hour. I
wai accompanied by another girl," I added hopefully, for this
question of chapcronage seemed a very important one.
“Was Thaw rational during that dinner?"
j. 1 nodded
"He was not excited’"
> "No."
Jerome wanted to prove that Harry's desire to meet me
was of itself an eccentric act. A poor compliment to me.
'When he came to pay for the dinner," said Jerome, slowly
and expressively, "did he not require help in counting the
change' ©ld he not require any one to tell him the denomina
tion. of the bills?’
"No."
“He war perfectly rational?" persisted Jerome.
By Evelyn Thaw
Seventh Instalment of the Most Extraordinary
Human Document Ever Written-Stranger
Than Any Story in Fiction or Drama
Comments of Distinguished Clergymen.
Repiilsion from Evil.
By Rev. CHARLES H. PARKHURST, D. D„
Pantor Madiaon Square Prcahyteria* Church, New York
THE publication of an autobiography that stirs in the reader
repulsion from evil is salutary. Any article, or series of
articles, on a misguided life that arouses such feelings of
disgust or horror as those with which, for instance, the audience
came away from Brieux’o clinical play, “Damaged Goods,” un
doubtedly serves a moral purpose. If the publication of the life
story of Evelyn Thaw serves to warn against evil, it will doubtless
be of benefit.
The Record of an Afflicted Soul.
By Rev. GEORGE CHALMERS RICHMOND,
Rector of Old St. John's Epincopal Churchy Philadelphia.
SINCE we have to read so much about Harry Thaw, 1 am in
favor of letting Evelyn have her final word in their story in
print I have said from the pulpit that because Jerome’s
headlong course ia likely to plunge New York into heavy expense,
I favor his being sent back to Pennsylvania, to let his mother take
care of him. Coincidentally lam glad this newspaper is publish
ing the story of Evelyn Thaw, which lets still more light fall upon
the unique case. It will undoubtedly help the mind of the public
to a clearer understanding of the unique case and perhaps prevent
the recurrence of others like it.
Chapter VIL---Secrets of My Life
Laid Bare and Some Erratic Letters
"He was perfectly rational," I repeated.
"Did Thaw, during the first weeks of your acquaintance, give
you any presents?”
Harry had sent me violets, and I mentiohed this. A straw
for Jerome, but he was no despiser of straws, and seized it.
"Was there anything about his manner in sending the
violets to attract undue attention?” he asked
I smiled. "Nothing except that they were very beautiful."
Again 1 had the sense of playing a game—-a game with a
big forfeit in which the actite mind would always score. It was
stupid to be irritated by the apparent futility of the questions—
It was part of the game, too.
"Did he ever send any money with the flowers?"
I replied, "Yes.”
I Nearly Lose My Temper.
There was an occasion when Harry diad sent me SSO, and
at the suggestion of the stage manager I had returned it
“Was this before or after he called? * ♦ ♦ You cannbt
remember? Did it make no impression on your mind?"
"Yes; that is why 1 remember it."
A note for witnesses: It is not the insulting character of
questions, or the embarrassing character; it is the very trivial
ity of the questions which causes a witness to lose patience.
And beware of such a question as this sandwiched between
trivialities.
"You were not in the habit of receiving money from men?”
For a moment I nearly lost patience, then in a flash 1 real
ized I lost a point if I lost my temper, and replied "No.”
"How many times had you seen Thaw before he sent you
money ?"
I had recovered now. The emphasis he put upon “sent you
money" left mp cold.
“I couldn’t remember," I said
"Didn't it strike you as strange?" he insisted.
I knew it was always done at the theatre, for I had seen
it going on all the time, and I said so.
• ’“Did it impress you as to the degree of acquaintance you
had reached?”
“What do you mean?” I corrected, though I knew well
enough what he meant. The fact that Thaw returned the money
would come later. For the moment it was necessary that he
should impress the jury.
"Did you know him well?"
“No.”
"Did your mother make you send the money back?
“Na.”
"Who did send it back?" (
“I did.”
Jerome knew that I had sent it back, but that was part of
the game.
“How much was it?"
“Fifty dollars." And I added: “When 1 toext saw Mr. Thaw
I asked him not to do such a thing again, and he apologized.”
I was learning the rules quickly. A witness may add things
to her reply and discredit a question if she is quick enough.
“Did Thaw seem self-possessed at the time?”
“Yes.”
Then followed a succession of questions designed to show
me in the light of a frivolous character.
“Did you go to a costume supper at the Hoffman?"
"Yes.”
"When?”
"Late in the Summer of 1902.”
“Was Thaw present on that occasion?"
"Yes."
‘ Were you in a costume?"
’Yes; it was a hired one."
Were there other women present?”
1 am never afraid to read the record of a souL The more,
troubled and afflicted th’t soul, the more clearly we may read the
truth and warnings of life by its lurid light.
Warning Young Women to Safeguard Themselves.
By Rev. JOHN S. BRAUN,
Re.ctor of St. Bouiface’t Church, New York.
A STORY like that of the struggles and temptations and hor
rors suffered by Evelyn Thaw may, if treated in the spirit
of a warning, supplement the work of the confessional.
We believe in warning the girls df our church of the dangers
that lurk in the dark corners of life. If Evelyn Thaw’s story sheds
a light on those dark places and uncovers the wretchedness and
suffering hidden there, let it be told. We do not believe in draw,
ing a veil over the facts of life. On the contrary, we try to teach
them that they exist, and warn our young women how to safe
guard themselves. We believe in plain speech, as plain as may be
uttered without offending. It is the duty of the priest in the con
fessional to utter these warnings. We band our girls together
into solidarities, hoping they will help each other.
Our apprehension is for the girls who come from poor and
often unhappy homes, and, following the longing in a young girl’s
heart for romance, seek it in street acquaintances. Occasionally a
play is produced or a story or book written that will show girls
the real nature of this kind of “romance.” Therefore, say I, let
Evelyn Thaw’s biography be printed, with the hope that it will
save other girls from becoming Evelyn Thaws.
“Yes."
“How many men were there?”
“1 don’t remember."
“When did the party break up?”
“About two or two-thirty in the morning.”
A supper party without men and without women that broke
up earlier than 2 o’clock would have been a cheerless festival.
“When did you next see Thaw?”
“Not for a long time. He went abroad.”
"How many times did you see him up to June. 1902?” asked
Jerome.
Here is a type of question which no witness can answer
definitely, and is put because of this reason.
"I can't say,” I replied. ‘Tie called several times.”
“Ten or fifteen times?” asked Jerome, with the air of one
who knew.
“I don’t think it was as many as fifteen?"
As 1 have said, Jerome was not satisfied to pursue any con
sequent line of examination. From the question of my own
decorum to Harry’s sanity was a step.
“Up to February, 1902, had you noticed anything irrational
about Thaw, either in his appearance, in his actions or in his
manner?”-
“No.” I replied. To say that there had been moments when
my doubts were aroused would have involved me In a maze
of semi-contradictory explanations. -Beside which, up to that
time he had not proposed marriage to me, nor were his atten
tions to me at that time more marked than those of other men,
and my casual recollections of a man, who did not greatly in-
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Photographic Copy of One of Harry Thaw’s Queer Letters.
This is one of the peculiar, incoherent, rambling letters which was put in evidenc*
at the trial to show Thaw’s unbalanced mind.
tersst mo would have been unfair to recall.
He questioned me about other men. “Other men," v (! s
Jerome’s trump cards. To blacken by inference, to suggi »t
rather than to state that 1 had Uked this man or that help *d
him out of every bad patch in which he found himself. Dj, j
sup with this man, had I met that —with dramatic swiftnt si
Jerome turned and indicated one who stood up in the court
had my name been associated with this gentleman?—so the q U 6
tlons ran on and on and on.
Then back again to Harry. i ‘
“■Did I understand that Thaw was paying honorable coirt
to me?” » *
"What do you mean by courtship?” I asked, and Jeroi e.
who is no sentimentalist, floundered, to my amusement, p , u
one of the few smiles I had In the proceeding. Since I was io
clairvoyant I could not know whether Harry had matrimon al
intentions during the first period of our acquaintance.
Did I travel under an assumed name in Europe?
“No.”
What was the effect of my story on Thaw? Jerome hid
beard, but I must repeat it
"Did Harry carry arms? Didn’t he pull out a pistol wh le
he was with me in a Paris restaurant?”
To both questions I had to answer no. It seemed to 1 is
that Jerome was making his case as he went along. That ns
was searching haphazard, and for information which he diiVi '
possess. He would pursue every side issue with this object in
view. Where had I gone on my return from Europe? To wl at
hotels? Did I love Harry? Who paid the bills at the hotell*
I replied that I did
“With whose money?”
“My own.”
"Where did you get it?”
“Mr. Thaw gave it to me."
“Was it cash or deposited to your credit?”
“It was cash "
"Did you ever see Thaw take cocaine?"
“No.” * j
“Did Thaw ever tell you that your mother believed h”>h d.
kidnapped you?"
“No.’*
"Was there not some talk of a suit against Mr. Thaw for k d
napping you?”
“Not that I ever heard of.”
Here let me speak of that suggestion that Thaw was to i>e
sued for kidnapping me—something I had never heard of ui til
it bobbed up In the trial. There evidently was such a sche ae
either actually on foot or a delusion of Harty’s mind. Os cour >e.
1 was "under age” when we were travelling in Europe togetl er
and it was Thaw’s belief that Stanford White had been try ng
to induce my mother to sue Harry for “kidnapping” me. Uy
mother had left us in Europe and returned to America ahead of
us. Harry fully believed that she had fallen into Whitby tn
dlctive hands and that there would be trouble of some Luf-*
probably a kidnapping charge.
One of Harry’s Strangest Letters. 1
It was in a strange, rambling incoherent letter from Harry 1 a
friend of his, Mr. Longfellow, that this kidnapping idea tui ed
up. Perhaps I might as well present here the full content of
this queer letter, because it certainly seems to carry convini ng
evidence that none but an unbalanced mind would write sq( , a
letter. Here it is:
Dear Longfellow:
If they wish to begin any row 1 am ready, but I prefl r
reaching N. Y. Nov. 10 or 11. Going to Phila., then Pigh. No'.
15,0 r 16. Port Huron for the wedding Nov. 18. After that I
wish to return, possibly to be in N. Y. Nov. 24 or 25, whet
Lady Yarmouth lands. She wishes to see Miss N. thrrte <r <
in Phila. (She knows her.) 4
Then to be to Rgh. about the middle of Dec. to finish Jvit i |
my family all (who count together) together. (I laeai ’
smiled) at a big reception.
Then more row the better.
Possibly Miss N. and 1 might be married after Lady t.
comes, .possibly not until after rows.
Her mother don’t count much, for I think Evelyn andlt
can tell the brother enough, for him to keep the foolim
woman in her track.
Miss Simonton is a thief, trickster, eh. She is very,
very cheeky, but actually a coward. She can be squelchqd
ahy tlme> but only by a firm grip—also I think as far as siie
has feelings it is for us—also I think she expects much
for herself from the blaggard (blackmailing them) and s
discouraged about me.
Bcstden many presents, money, etc, she got s4l then S3O
from Bedford by false pretences, saying it was my orders.
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