To strengthen his argument, the prosecutor gave Justice Fitzgerald several letters written by Thaw to J. Dennison Lyon, his Pittsburg banker. Some were written before the tragedy and some while Thaw was in the Tombs, but all, Jerome asserted, went to show Thaw was insane. One of these letters, written from the Republican Club, was as follows:
“Dear Denny—I’m sorry that the manager of Miss N’s (Evelyn Nesbit) hotel is an idiot. She stopped one night at a place called the Cumberland, but was disturbed by street noises. No one was moved, and all meals were served. Now she has a better place, with a nice woman—Mrs. Kane (Caine), a friend of her family.
“I never saw this Sweat, nor spoke nor wrote to him. You know of her misfortunes.
“Mr. Holman married her mother three years too late. He is trying to keep her quiet, and must do so. Should the facts come out, no one but would believe she sold the child to the most notorious dastard in New York. Everything proves it.
“I, and a few other persons, know she did not mean wrong, but since infancy she was jealous of and disliked the child, and was gulled to an unbelievable extent by this blackguard and — — —”
Some rambling letters about transactions in stocks followed this, and then came these letters:
“Dear Denny—I’m sorry to trouble you, but I don’t understand. I was overdrawn $10,063.36. Paid in $8,982.70. (6370). (?) Did you make a note for $10,000—leaving my balance near $9,000 or make a note for $1,130.85, leaving no balance?
“I lost almost nothing at M. C. playing. Just $1,400 for four weeks—a good deal less than the percentage. I bought some pearls and a strong automobile.”
This letter was written after the trial started:
“Dear Denny—The package arrived safely, but I can’t send them the slip for 11 (eleven) days, as we thought it best to leave bundle sealed in Gleason’s desk until he returns. He worked exceedingly hard circumventing the crooked deal between Jerome’s first assistant and that judge—and will combine rest with affairs. Friday he starts for Mexico with — —. If needed a telegram will always catch him, then he could be back in two days—if we see a chance for an early trial before any other judge—but we believe it will be first week January.