PAGE EIGHT
The Girl In The
Red Velvet Swing
'■iVi<* s
COMES OUT OF SECLUSION Evelyn Nes-
MtJ the Floradora beauty, recently visited the set
•f “The Girl In The Red Velvet Swing,” the Twen
tieth Century-Fox Cinemascope production based
«n the famous Harry K. Thaw - .Manford White
EDITOR’S NOTE: In 1906, the Harry K. Thaw-Stanford White
murder case rocked America. Because it involved a man of great
consequence, another of great wealth and a girl Evelyn Nesbit
—of extraordinary beauty it remains unique in the annals of crime.
Because of the new Interest in this passionate story through a
CinamaScope motion picture, “The Girl In The Rj*d Velvet Swing,”
what follows has been re - created from the actt&l reports of the
trial and from personal interviews with Miss NesHR.
If
By ADELA ROGERS ST JOHN
Now that a motion picture has been made of The
Girl in the Red Velvet Swing, Evelyn NeSbit Thaw, her
life and times, it is important to review the historical
significance of that lush melodrama which is America’s
favorite murder. The Thaw case
I began reviewing it by going to
see Evelyn Nesbit Thaw, now 71-
years old. in A bare little studio
under the Hollywood Freeway. I
wanted to know what the girl who
was so beautiful that men killed
over her favors was like in old age,
what she felt about life, what it
was like to remember murder. I
didn’t expect her to teil me any
thing new about the famous case
that filled newspapers around the
world for months.
But she did.
BARES INNER SECRET
She told me a secret she had !
kept locked in her heart for 501
years, and that if it had been
known then must have changed the
course of the trial and of her own
life.
To understand tha t secret it is j
necessary to go back and review ;
the case from the moment when j
Harry KK. Thaw in her presence, j
the presence of his girl-bride Eve- j
lyn, shot S.anford White on the
roof of Madiso’i Square Garden j
whii'e hundreds of fashionable New i
Yorkers watched horrifeaied be- 1
cause, as Evelyn was to testify, she
had told him that three years be
fore, when she wa» only 16, Stan
ford White, a married man, had
drugged and seduced her.
This brought together in one
courtroom:
*4 ,000,000— the Thaw Pittsburgh
fortune.
The most beautiful woman in the
world—Evelyn Nesbit Thaw.
A genius—Stanford White, archi
tect of the Pennsylvania Station,
the Boston Public Library, Wash
ington Arch, millionaire, popular
in New York society who, though
he's been murdered, was present
as the murdered always are.
It not only set off the most in 1
comparable newspaper story of
crime and passion and. in the mo- {
ment when District At.orney Je- j
rome tried to break the testimony
by which little Evelyn was trying
to save her husband from the elec- J
trie chair, the greatest battle of ,
the sexes seen at any trial any j
time.
STORY OF AN ERA |
More than that, the Thaw trial is
history is biography, Evelyn’s
brings Into brilliant focus the end
of the Oay Nineties, the Mauve
Decade, it reveals class, religion,
art of those times when a lusty
young nation fought- back from
Civil War and began to Jell Into a j
world power. The never-failing ex- j
cHement of this case lies as much.
passion - murder trial. Here she talks over the
script with Joan Collins who portrays the role of
the Floradora beauty in “The Girl In The Red
Velvet Swing.”
in the amazing reaction of the
whole nation, coast to coast, bor
der to border, as in the tale of
madness and millions, love, luxury
and death.
“I can’t conceive I brought about
all that the Thaw case caused," 71-
year-old Evelyn Nesbit Thaw said
to me m one of our long talks.
“Then, I saw only my own pain,
the end of my love and happiness,
as any other girl would. Now that
j girl seems to me as though she was
I another incarnation. I remember
I most of it, and I can see now that
' she had a dangerous beauty and
! mo experience, no sense with which
„to handle it.
"That’s the tragedy of young
beauty, the gif' comes too soon. It
was. I suppose, the same with Anne
; Boleyn when Henry VIII cut off
i her silly young head.”
So wide-spread, absorbing was
j interest in the Thaw trial that
LIFE then said, ‘‘Never has a bomb
burst with such reverberations in
the world of morals’ (its comfort
ing. to see how seriously people took
their morals at the turn of the
century) and added .the shock is
so stunning that ad tongues wag.
PRESIDENT ACTS
In 1906 President Theodore Roose
velt called a special Cabinet meet
ing to ask if by haliing mailing
privileges the countrys population
could be kept from devoting ah its
time to reading the Thaw murder.
Couldn’t be done. On the Bth of
February the reasonably conserva
tive New York World had two full
pages by Irvin S. Cobb, four pages
of Evelyn’s verbatim testimony;
two other pages. On the 21st, the
only other stories to make the front
page under enormous headlines
• EVELYN NESBIT THAW UNDER
FIRE BY JEROME were he race
i results and a six-line box that the
j Senate had decided to -eat Smoot.
I In famous trials of every coun
try it’s plain that each age has a
I murder which typifies it; Hamlet
I or Hauptmann. Jack the Ripper
j or Jesse James or the little Prin
| cess in the Tower.
J Tire Thaw trial could have hap
pened only in a country big, young,
rich, when the game was more im
portant than the rules and people
lived big in good, in sin, in right
eousness. It’s a period piece; so was
the Trojan War which when you
look at it it is a violent tale of mad
j illicit love and mass murder. A
I beautiful bored wife named Helen
S ran off with a handsome no-good
named Paris and two gangs fought
it out for her.
The beauty of Heien brought
madness.
Men who knew Evelyn before
her tragedy—Jack Barrymore, Da
vid Belasco and Charles Dana
Gibson among them, have told me
that Evelyn was as beautiful as
Helen. Two of her lawyers, Delphin
Delmas and Martin Llttieton, told
me she had magic, and they were
hard-headed men of the law.
POSSESSED BY MADNESS
Certainly you will see madness
possessed Stanford White and
o.hers Evelyn remembers vaguely.
A man with a yacht, named Gar
land. George Lederer whose Casi
no Girls were as famous as Follies
Girls became later. In their divor
ces, 17-year-old Evelyn was named
correspondent, she says, today,
without cause.
“Any man who spoke to me,”
she says, “once their wives saw
me they thought their husbands
were in love with me.”
Glamour, magic, black or white,
brought violent emotions, love or
hate, no one was ever neutral
about Evelyn, she was always a
storm center.
The country split over her. Girls
ran away from home to reach and
defend their idol, Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw. W.omen had meetings in
clubs and churches bo condemn
her as a home wrecker, a girl who’d
sold herself for diamonds. No day
passed without thunder from pul
pit and press. Rockefeller's Minis
ter Evans shouted, "It would be a
good thing if there were more
shooting in cases like this” but
Richard Harding Davis, then the
most popular author and war cor
respondent said Harry Thaw was
a crazy man who had assassinated
one of our great citizens. In Bos
ton one pastor called Thaw a de-
I v SgJB ,
REV. SAMUEL HARDISON OF DUNN, who
celebrated his 59th birthday here Sunday. He is
pictured above with his wife and children at
the celebration. Left to right, front row, are:
Mrs. Corrine Tart of Sanford, Rev and Mrs.
THE DAILY RECORD, DUNN, N. a
Divorce Jury Hears Wife
Accused By Her Own Voice
NEW YORK Testimony by human witnesses took
a back seat yesterday in Manhattan Supreme Court In
stead, a tape recorder held the spotlight. And for the first
time in legal history here, the mechanical witness sent
tapped conversations between two principals in an alleg
ed love triangle ringing loudy and clearly through the
courtroom. *'
In some previous trials, phono
graph records had been played,
but they were weak, scratchy and
often unintelligible. Yesterday’s
first use of tape—authorized by
Justice James B. M. McNally—was
pronounced a signal success by all
isteners, except possibly Mrs. Cecil
Weiner and her counsel.
Listen For Four Hours
Out of 100 hours of tapped phone
conversations offered by Mrs. Wei
ner's blouse manufacturer husband,
Albert, the Judge and an ail-male
jury yesterday listened effortlessly,
for fcur hours to the purported
voices of Ceil and Sam Sidroff, a
bedding salesman.
The voices poked fun at Weiners'
vitality and discussed Ceil’s re
mark that things were getting com
plicated and they might “both end
up with a good dose of sleeping
pills.
The wife also mentioned that
her husband had found out about
her cashing certain securities and
that he had accused her of keeping
'some young fella.”
He Seeks Divorce
In the double-barreled suit. Mrs.
Weiner, a petite blonde, is suing for
SSOO weekly alimony and a separ
it'cn, charging cruelty.
Weiner, short, bald and hidden
yesterday behind dark glasses is
counter-suing for divorce accus
ing her of misconduct with Sid
roff a considerably younger man
than he.
Ceil’s attorney Irving Erdheim,
fender of American womanhood
while editorials branded hi :n
spendthrift and sex sadist.
Yet I think now that Teddy
Roosevelt, who believed that virtue
and morality were pillars without
which democracy could not endure,
was wrong when he wanted to sup
press this story. A Methodist Epis
copal rector in Wichita said every
line should be published to teach
the younger generation tnat the
way of the wicked led to hell.
Os course vice, luxurious and
glamourous, sin in high society,
millionaire love nests with red vel
vet swings for teen-age girls, had
fascination. But never, NEVER IN
ALL HISTORY, has evil shown so
grim and grisly a face. Never have
the wages of sin been collected
vith so ruthless and inexorable a
hand, never have the wrong-doers
paid and paid as in the case of
teen-age Evelyn and the man - -
Thaw was 34, White past 50 - -
who destroyed her and themselves
’or love of her.
HAD EVERYTHING*
“We had everything,” Evelyn
Nesbit Thaw said to me, “fortune,
fame, position, prestige, beauty,
genius, opportunity. The world saw
them brough to hideous ends. The
world didn’t see what I remember
best, myself on the stand trying
to save a husband I didn’t love
from going to the chair for killing
the man I did love."
This was the secret she had kept
for years!
No one knew Evelyn Nesbit Thaw
loved Stanford White, the man she
testified had ruined her. I must
have showed my amazement for,
sitting very quiet, very erect, an
old woman with fluffy gray hair
and bright bright brown eyes look
ing back through "horn-rimmed
glasses at the past, Evelyn said
’Bain, "Stanford White was the
only man I ever loved.”
For months before the trial,
shook rocked millions in the Unit
ed States. This would have been
a greater shock.
How could jt have happened like
tjiat?
Hardison, Mrs. Wallace Norris of Broadway, Route
one, Mrs. George K. Turbish of Dunn; back row:
Sherwood Hardison, Wallace Hardison, Sherrill Ray
Hardison, an of Dunn, and Gflwldlne Hardison,
of the home.
protested vehemently that the re
cordings, made at tne Weiner's
former apartment at 450 West E.ii
Ave., violated his client’s constitu
tional rights, compelling her in
effect to testify against herself.
Expert Handles Job
Justice McNally upheld the con
tention of Bernard Phillips, Weiner’s
counsel, that the manufacturer, a
a ph.ne subscriber, had the right
to tap his own line.
The playback was handled by
Bernard Spindel, the wiretap ex
pert who startled a House sub
committee earlier this year by de
monstrating just how easily elect
ronic devices can clamp an invisible
enr to anv person’s telephone com
munications.
It was in a talk commencing at
6:10 P. M.. June 8, 1954, that Mrs.
Weiner spoke of sleeping pills ahd
confided she had just heard that
her husband "claims he’s got an
ace in the hole. He says he’s cot
BULLETINS
CHICAGO (IP) Adm. Arleigh A. Burke, chief of na
val operations, said last night the Navy probably will be
chosen to handle the government’s earth satellite proj
ect.
MOSCOW (IP) Former Finnish Foreign Minister
Reinhold Svento said today Soviet Premier Nikolai Bul
ganin is “quite sick but not dangerously ill.”
WASHINGTON (IP- The tentative membership list
of the Agriculture Advisory Committee named to help the
Democratic Party plan its campaign strategy on farm
problems was announced today and includes L. Y, Ballen
tine, North Carolina agriculture commissioner.
BERLIN (IP) Western observers said today the East
German mission to Moscow is the beginning of a possible
double cross.
BUENOS AIRES (IP) A subversive plot directed a
gainst President Juan D. Peron was uncovered only hours
before it was scheduled to break today, reliable sources re
ported.
RALEIGH, N. C. (IP) A downward trend noted ear
lier this week in Carolinas tobacco prices appeared check
ed today after two days of steady or slightly rising prices.
Oddsln
(Continued from Page One)
pected to be that there should be
a percentage reduction across the
board, say 10 per cent for pur
poses of calculation.
The little fellow paying S3OO in
come tax annually would get a cut
of S3O compared with the S3OO
windfall to the taxpayer whose
liability had averaged around $3,-
000 a year. The Republican argu
ment is that the percentage Sys
tem not only is fair to all but
would have the added advantage
of releasing large sums among the
higher bracket taxpayers for pro
ductive investment. •
Hurricane
(Conttnned from Page One)
HILDA STRIKES
Hilda meanwhile struck the Yu
catan eninsula about midway be
tween Cozumel and Chetamel and
at 11 aun. was centered at Lati
tude 19.8, Longitude 88.1.
Hilda was moving west-north
west at 10 miles an hour and high
est winds were down to about 75
something on me,”
Sam: Yeah, he claims, huh?
She: He found out something
from several years*ago.
Sam: Yeah, so whai? That’s kid
tuff.
“Taken Out Bonds” (
She: Who knows, who knows,
who knows? He found out that I
oad taken out bonds and cashed
them and things of that type, and
bank, he probably checked on all
that.
Sam; Yeah, and what? •
She: And every time you take
out a bond and you cash it—
Sam: And what’s wrong with
that?
She: Well, I used it for one pur
pose. He's sure.
Sam: What's that?
She' Ti keep some fellow.
More On Hand
Sam: No kidding!
She: A young fella. That’s what
he told this party.
One of Weiner’s charges is that
his wife gave Sam money.
Later in the conversation, Sam,
->s’red her if she had “kept some
fellow." Her answer was, “No.”
The trial resumes at 10 A.M.
today, with 96 hours more of tap
ped dialogue to be played.
miles an hour bare hurricane
strength.
Erwin Students
Visit Record
The Daily Record was invaded
this morning when thirty-three
members of an English class at
Erwin high school dropped in to
study newspaper production and
techniques. ,
They were given a tour of the
plant by Jake Bennett, advertising
managers Sponsor Thomas H. Pat
terson was in charge of the group.
Making the visit were Belinda
Smith, Helon Norris, Louise Cum
mings, Carolyn Jackson, Christine
Peterson, Lillian Lue, Wanda Wea
ver, Elm a House, Betty West and
Patricia Mason.
Also Betty Prince Edna Lock
amy, James Smith, Kenneth Tem-
Just 10 DAYS To
CLEAN OUT
THE LOT
WE ARE UNDERSELLING OURSELVES SO YOU
MIGHTASWEUGETINONIT.
COME AND SEE AND TRADE OR BUY ANY CAR
ON THE LOT.
Now Is The Time To Trade And Save
USED CAR LOT
Auto Sales & Service
201 S. Fayetteville Ave. - Dunn, N. C. - Phone 2307
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, SEPTEMBER 16, 1953
«niiLWA * 1 % j « Q
COSTUMING UNDERWAY With the Harnett County Cen
tennial production of Paul Green’S symphonic drama ‘The High
land Call,” only three weeks away, one of the big tasks is to make
200 new and specially designed costumes. Here, Miss Suzanne Kram
er of Hickory, professional costume designer confers with Mrs. Cora
Hight of Buie’s Creek, cne of the many Harnett women who are
volunteering their services day and night at the costume shop set
up in the Campbell College home economics cottage. Harnett home
demonstration clubs are taking turns sewing in a group at the shop.
“The Highland Call” wil be presented six nights. October 10-15, In
the Paul Green amphitheatre at Buie’s Creek as the feature attrac
tion of the Harnett County Centennial. (Photo by D. W. Amburn.)
ts-.- m.
BOOSTER FOR MULE DAY Janice Pearl Johnson, 8, of
Benson, wants all her friends to know one another. Yesterday she
introduced a small Mexican burro to a much smaller Jersey pig.
Though they didn’t exactly hit it off, Janice believes it’s only a
matter of time. “They’ll get along all right,” she said. "You’ll see.”
Today being the start of Mule Day activities at Benson, the burro
was going to be mighty busy but the pig just headed back to its
mother for lunch. (Daily Record Photo by Ted CraiL)
ple, Jerry Godwin, Donald Suggs,
Ralph Tedder, Jr., G. R. Pope.
Jesse Lockamy Bobby Home and
Alice Faye Denning.
And Meldin Dunning, Jr., Larry
Moss, Peggy Hawley, James Sills,
Edward Stewart, Seth Wade, Htll
da Avery, Larry Turnage, Marie
| Morgan, Dwight Autry, and Donald
I Royal. t