With the testimony of Thaw’s aged mother fresh in their minds the jurors heard District Attorney Jerome make a sensational attack on the past life of Harry Thaw. Jerome insinuated that Thaw had in his wild youthful days, indulged in wild orgies no less iniquitous than those of which Stanford White had been accused, although differing in character.
Attorney Frederick Longfellow, Thaw’s personal counsel, was a witness from whom Jerome fought to draw this information.
Longfellow was an unwilling witness and every answer had to be dragged from him, Delmas interposing objections to the procedure throughout the examination.
“Did you represent this prisoner in the suit of Ethel Thomas against Harry K. Thaw?” demanded Jerome.
“My firm did,” Longfellow was allowed to answer.
“It has been said that alleged acts of perversion by White added to the fury of Thaw’s mental unbalance,” Jerome stated. “I want to show that he knew all about such things—that they were set forth in the complaint in this suit by Ethel Thomas, the papers of which were served on him.
“I am not trying to show that Ethel’s statements were true. Anyway, this poor girl now is dead—”
A hot fight came here, and Jerome was forced to withdraw the words “poor girl,” while the jury was cautioned to ignore what Jerome had said.
“Mrs. Thaw herself,” Jerome fairly shouted, “says she was told the story of Ethel Thomas!”
Longfellow was not allowed to testify to anything about the charges contained in the Thomas girl’s suit against Thaw.