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> -w f •mrnnrn — Evelyn Thaw on Her Way to the insane Asylum. Photograph Taken During One of Her Frequent Visits to Her Husband, and Showing a Bundle of Various Things Harry Thaw Had Asked For. and. of course, visited him frequently. I never met her any more, unless by accident. Any business affairs due to the fact that I was her son's wife were conducted through the medium of agents. I realized that the value of my continued loyalty—my testimony in the event of legal measures with a view of getting Harry out of the asylum—-was all that sustained any sort of interest in me on the part of the Thaw family. In that respect our interests were common. If Harry should be freed, that would mean a reversal of the insanity verdict, and I would no longer be, legally, at least, the wife of a lunatic. Outside of Harry’s competency to manage his own fiscal affairs, my financial position as his wife was, and would coutiuue to be untenable. All this was constantly in my mind. But 1 could as yet foresee more than a very small part of the penalty I was to pay for being; the wife of an iucuraible lunatic. Though I shall not burden your mind with the course in detait of the six attempts that were to be made to get Harry out of the aSylum, there were incidents of the period covered by those trials which have a vital part in the story—as will be seen. Unconsciously, however, I had begun to construct my future on the solid basis of independent reward for independent effort— even in the first weeks of my experience as the wife of a convicted and imprisoned lunatic. Next Sunday Evelyn Thaw Tells How She Was Abandoned by the Thaw Family and Was Reduced to Poverty. I job nd>d with- with flera n in .opt} r, tor edits iitoe. anee- and [fairs rtUch 'here good gave omen I let- jrade f the i tend, ad in ; the d me iven- emi- co ra il the of the people who believed In them. People would say In theft kindest manner: “Oh, yes—hut that is all past now—don’t-let us tnIk about it.” i know of no more exasperating experience than to be for given for an offense which one has not committed. Then there were other people who had less cause to do me injury, and from 'their own senseless desire for notoriety, or in a spirit of “fun,” ca i-ed me a great deal of aunoyauce—more aunoynnee, indeed, than any of the invent ors of diabolical "inci dents” had ever caused me. Here Is a case in point. A girl went down to Salt Lake City, hired a suite at the best hotel and with her friends painted the city of saints the brightest ver- million for a week. She inscribed her name on the register as Evelyn Thaw. Her behavior caused some stir— which is putting the matter very mildly. But one day. at the height of the excitement, she was seen by a journal ist who had sat through the trials. To be exact, she was pointed out by a local reporter. "That is Evelyn Thaw," he said, and my friend raised his eye brows "She is no more Evelyn Thaw than 1 am," be said, and then and there the imperson ation collapsed The girl admitted that she had taken the name in frolic. Sometimes I found these incidents a m u 8 i n g. The case "My husband's paranoia caused quoted was not a soli- hi* brain to busy itself not with tary example by any melancholy anti depression at his means confinement, but with an exatia- —• lion of mind. Harry pointed out that there should be a new winy built, with special accommoda tion* for distinguished guests- The kitchen should have a new and up-to-date equipment, the dining rooms were not large and airy enough; there ‘was a press ing need of a complete law li brary—and some efficient land scape gardening would make the. premise* much more attractive. but iulo vairy t fail in why iauae oney. some ruth were then egtn -Henry Thaw Sketched at Mat- teawan by Evelyn Nesbit. Viewed from the time of this writing (the Summer and Autumn of 1913) the event of Harry’s commitment to Matteawan Inaugurated the constructive period of my life. But I was not to begin to realize this important fact until many months had gone by. each bringing fresh burdens of responsibil ity as a wife, new agita tions. more illusions vanished. it is hardly possible to describe the effect of that momentous verdict upon myself, upon Harry, upon all of those deeply con cerned. It was like being dropped over the edge of a precipice of long-continued, tense dread, not to be shuttered to pieces on the rocks below, but to find one’s self floundering in a morass. Minds which had remained keen and vigilant during the long and vital struggle suddenly relaxed Both armies—that of the prosecution ►as well as that of the defense—were in a state of disorderly re treat, their leaders’ wits apparently “wool gathering’’—which probably was just as well. as. for the time being, at least, the lighting was over Harry’s Ego Soars to Great Heights. As for me, !. the wife, had "saved Harry Thaw.” So every one said. Jerome loudest of all. Doubtless many would consider that I was warranted in feeling deep satisfaction over that mem- 1 arable Jerome utterance to the effect that no wife had ever made | greater sacrifices or deserved greater rewards. Truly, the sacri- ! fires had been made, and.perhaps they might yield some part of the recompense they merited; but in the meantime I found my self stuck fast fn the morass, from which 1 could see no prospect of extricating myself. 1 ' Applying that verdict personally, I now saw myself the wife of an. incurable lunatic. Worse yet. ol a lunatic whose family heartily disapproved of me. What were to be the conditions of my life from now on? What bad i to evpect. to hope for? And candor c»mi>e!s me to say that, at first there was visible justification of that verdict—by means of which I had “saved Harry Thaw ’ It is useless, and lacking in candor, to mince matters. For sev eral days—even longer—after listening to the pronouncement o< •he jury. Harry’s words, bis manner and all his actions were those of as craxy a man as ever lived. His well-developed ego swelled to incredible dimensions. He exaggerated everything, using the most extravagant language, rolling characteristic words under his tongue with indescribable relish. "So they’re locking me up with a lot of bugs’’—after this fash- ion’Tie rambled on. "Well. I won’t be in there a minute. I’ll have fflom ail buffaloed. Most of the lawyers are buffaloed already; so are a lot of the experts. What’s the use of worrying? Do I look worried?” And so on. If it appears light-minded in me to present" some idea of these ' dis- early days of Harry’s existent* as a criminally iitsane person by offer judgment of the court, remember this is "the story of my life.” ... and I am revealing my first Impressions of my prospects as the their wjf e of a lunatic-convict, probably incarcerated for th^ remaining were Period of his life. In this spirit I recall here Harry’s behavior during the trip to Matteawan. This apparent finish of the cause velebre of those days, of course, treated a tremendous sensation in New York, and hardly came have i the ieard seion iaTty g his r at- ictetl. dark s hot of h to a ound !ome :ould com- and ulity less of a sensation elsewhere—and Harry revelled in hla undia. puted occupation of the centre of the stage. In change of hit guards, and entirely surrounded by lawyers, friends and news paper reporters, he presented the reverse of the picture of Na poleon on the deck of the Bellerophon en route to St. Helena. Any one among the spectators not acquainted with the facts might reasonably have supposed him to be a popular idol whose ser vices to mauklnd were about to be officially recognized. With a cigar in his teeth, his eyes bulging, he talked incessantly in much the vein indicated above, to any and all of his applauding retinue. The guards were considerate—naturally. Their cele brated charge might exploit himself to his heart’s content; neither were they so mean-spirited as not to Join in the general applause. There were incidents marking the usual delay at Fishkill Land ing amply calculated to Increase my apprehensions regarding Harry’ mental condition—and, incidentally, the fresh problems looming on his wife’s horizon. He chewed his cigar still more energetically, his eyes bulged still further from their sockets, and his utterances had increased in extravagance. And—I regret that candor obliges me to add—the sympathetic guards permitted an indulgence in refreshments that was unwise, to say the least To quote an enthusiastic and graphic newspaper reporter: "Harry and the whole party left Fishkill Landing soused to their eyebrows.” The arrival at Matteawan was rather late in the evening. Con sidering the condition of the prisoner and most of the party, it will be imagined that the breaking up of the celebration was pro longed and rather trying to the authorities. Harry, however, saw the outer doors close upon him without the slightest abatement of his extravagant self-confidence. I learned upon a subsequent visit to the institution—I made these visits frequently for quite a long time—that he kept poor Dr. Lamb, the superintendent, up nearly all night, assuring him of his (Harry’s) distinguished considera tion, and regretting that he would leave so soon. The situation within the walls of the asylum for several days was not one upon which to build any hopes about Harry. The whole place was an indescribable babel of excitement, largely sympathetic for Harry, and resentful toward those who had placed him there. In short, the new inmate found himself even more of a hero within those wails than he had been outside. Scores of the prisoners who were victims of paranoia, and, consequently. Intensely active mentally In their deluded way, had learned of the verdict in advance of Harry’s arrival, and were prepared to give him a fitting welcome. The next morning they literally swarmed about him, giving him an opportunity which he did not neglect, to go over alt the points of his "case” and show how easily he would "buffalo” the lawyers and free himself. Harry Thaw’s Actions Justify Verdict. Like all the rest of the world, these peculiarly deluded creatures were obsessed with the Harry Thaw idea. He was the command ing figure in the great multitude of victims of the law’s absurdi ties, including themselves. So they paid him homage exaggerated most unwholesomely by the very nature of their malady. There could be, and was, but one effect upon Harry—to cause him In his speech and actions to more and more Justify the verdict which had placed him in such company. Of course, this condition of things was permitted to last only a short tiraei The enthusiasm of a Chinese prisoner—a New York Chinatown murderer whose name I disremember—elevated him to the position of leader of Harry’s paranoiac audience. He or ganized forces within the prison and assured them that very shortly an army “eighty thousand strong,” mobilized by his orders- would march upon the Matteawan Bastille and level it to the ground—unless their distinguished comrade were speedily set at liberty. There Is little doubt that, at this time, Harry was quite as mad as the rest of them. Fortunately, for him, the superin tendent was now ready to give him steady employment of a kind to occupy his mind in saner directions. He was given the posi tion of librarian of the asylum—a happy choice, as‘ it flattered Harry’s opinion of his own literary accomplishments and kept him busy in a congenial way. My next visit found him calmer—but his habitual, familiar be lief in his genius for improving upon all of the achievements of mankind was still much magnified. My husband's paranoia caused his brain to busy itself not with melancholy and depres sion at ills confinement, but with an exaltation of mind. Dr. Lamb found himself constantly buttonholed and harangued about the need of various Improvements. Harry pointed out that there should be a new wing built with special accommodations for dis tinguished guests. The kitchen should have a new and up-to-date equipment, the dining rooms were not large and airy enough, there was a pressing teed' of’ a complete law library—and some efficient latiscapc gardening would make the premises much more attractive. Harry was treated with every consideration. He had a room of his own and every reasonable comfort. Whenever I visited the asylum he was granted every facility for meeting me without the distracting presence of outsiders, both within the buildiug and outside. 1 was with him quite alone for hours at a time. Occa sionally his wardens treated him to pleasant motor trips about the country. Gradually, as Harry's improvement suggested possibilities of his eventual release, 1 managed to flounder a bit nearer to the shore of the morass Into which the insanity verdict had plunged me. I still loved Harry—I was sorry for him, and pity retains love even as it creates it. Although he had consistently neglected to show appreciation for my sacrifices and my efforts to have hftn restored to liberty, I knew that l retained his affection, emphati cally. If he should be freed, the attitude of the rest of the Thaw family toward me would be of comparatively small consequence. It was impossible in existing circumstances for any hopes or ex pectations to pursue an even tenor. The verdict of a trial jury and powerful influences were against us. There were moments when ail the old love and comradeship which had been ours In the happiest days of our association rekindled, and I have recollections of happy, as well as most upbappy, moments amid the grim and repressive surroundings of Matteawan. Probably you are asking the mental question: Do you really mean that you still loved a madman? Is it possible that you still retained true affection for a man, if not actually mad. so incon sistent, so self-absorbed, so great an egotist as was Harry Thaw always? I answer, yes. l,ove does not die of a sudden. When love goes it fades in patches—there were still patches which appealed to me very strongly. No woman possessed of womanly feeling can be a eugenist in practise, however much she may be convinced of the sanity of eugenic principles in theory. Reason would depopu late the world, but no human brain can uplift itself to comprehend the greeted Reason of Nature. The puny logic of humanity can run with Nature’s scheme just so far and no farther—sooner or later it find itgelf in conflict with the dominant logic and goes ignominiously to the wall. This Is not an apology from the wife of a lunatic for continuing relations with him other than those of a purely business nature. I was struggling to lift myself out of that morass upon the patches of love that remained, and the large pity which fosters love. I felt no moment of that cruelty which would cut a husband off be cause he was a life prisoner of the State—as to all Intents and purposes Harry was. At this time Hurry's mother occupied a cottage near Matteawan, JEvelyn Thaw’s Own Frank Revelations of Her Kaleidoscopic Career Which Touched Life at All Points--The Innocent Little Beauty Who Almost Starved to Death b lie f any Id be W« We »r to in Forlorn Poverty and Suddenly Burst Into the Most Brilliant Star That Ever Illuminated New York’s Gay World