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"Evelyn Nesbit vs. Harry Kendall
Thaw.
"Supreme Court, city and
"Evelyn Nesbit, being duly sworn,
says:
"I reside at the "My Mother
and I had apartments at the Hotel Maintenon in "While
the said Thaw Was in "I went
with Mr. Thaw to "We then
traveled through the Bavarian highlands, going to the Austrain Tyrol.
During-
all this time said Thaw and myself were known as husband and wife and
were
represented by the said Thaw and known under the name of Mr. and Mrs.
Dellis. "After
traveling for about five or six weeks, the said Thaw rented a castle in
the
Austrian Tyrol known as the Schloss Katzenstein, which is situated
about half
way up a very isolated mountain. This castle must have been built
centuries
ago, as the rooms and windows were all old-fashioned. When we reached
the place
there were a number of servants in the castle. I saw a
butler, a cook, and a maid. They were the only servants there. "We
occupied one entire end of the castle, two bedrooms, the parlor, and a
drawing
room. I was assigned to a bedroom for my personal use. "The
first night we reached the Schloss Katzenstein I was very tired and
went to bed
right after dinner. In the morning I was awakened by Mr. Thaw knocking
on the
door asking me to come to breakfast, saying that the coffee was getting
cold. I
immediately jumped out of bed and hastily dressed. I walked out of my
room and
sat down to breakfast with said Thaw. "After
breakfast, he said he wished to tell me something and asked me to step
into my
bedroom. I entered the bedroom, when Thaw without any provocation
grasped me by
the throat. "I saw by
his face that he was in a dreadfully excited condition. His eyes were
glaring
and his hands grasped a raw-hide whip. "He seized hold of me, placed
his
fingers in my mouth and tried to choke me. He then without the
slightest
provocation inflicted on me several severe blows with the rawhide whip,
so
severely that my skin was cut and bruised. "I begged
him to desist, but he refused. "I
shouted and I cried. "He
stopped then for a minute to rest, and then renewed his attack on me,
beating
me with the rawhide whip. "I
screamed for help, but no one heard me; the servants did not hear me
for the
reason that they were in the other end of the castle. "Thereupon
the said Thaw renewed his brutal attacks until I was unable to move. "The
following morning the said Thaw administered another castigation
similar to the
day before. He took the rawhide whip and belabored me unmercifully. "I
swooned and I did not know how long I remained in that condition until
I
regained consciousness. "He left
me in a frightful condition. My fingers were numb, and it was nearly
three
weeks before I sufficiently recovered to get out of my bed and walk. "When I
had sufficiently recovered the said Thaw took me to a place in --,
where "The next
morning I made some remark and said Thaw took me to my room, and while
in the
room took a rattan and beat me until I screamed; when I began to scream
said
Thaw again stuck his fingers into my mouth. "During
all that time the said Thaw never attempted to make the slightest
excuse for
his conduct or state what the provocation was. "During
all the time my mother and I remained in "When in "One day
my maid was in my room taking things out of the drawers and I found a
little
silver box, oblong in shape, about two and a half inches in length,
containing
a hypodermic syringe, and some other small utensils. I asked Thaw what
that was
for, and he stated to me that he had been ill, and had to make some
excuse. He
said he had been compelled to take cocaine. The first time I found he
was
addicted to the taking of cocaine I saw the said Thaw administer the
cocaine to
himself internally by taking small pills. "On one
occasion Thaw attempted to compel me to take one of these pills, but I
refused
to do so. "While in
"While we
were in "While we
were at the Schloss Katzenstein the said Thaw took from me without my
consent
and still retains in his possession two diamond rings, one sapphire
ring with a
diamond on each side, one pearl locket, one gold purse and $400 in
money consisting
of drafts from Thomas Cook & Sons. He had also in his possession in
the
city of "I had
not seen my mother since I left her in London, and I am informed within
the
last few weeks that she returned to the city of New York from London on
the
steamer Campania. "I
arrived in this city Saturday, Oct. 24, I903, having returned from "Before I
left He said he would
see that all my requirements received attention. I had letter from him
to the
said Longfellow in which the said Thaw asked the said Longfellow to
have me
followed by detectives and also to see that everything I wanted was
done and to
see that I was not troubled by anybody. "I had
received a number of cablegrams from Thaw which I have delivered to my
counsel,
Abraham H. Hummel. "I have
been repeatedly told by the said Thaw that he is very inimical to a
married man
whom he said he wanted me to injure and that Thaw would get him into
the
penitentiary; that the said Thaw had begged me time and time again to
swear to
written documents which he had prepared, involving this married man and
charging him with drugging me when I was I5 years of age. This was not
so; and
I so told him. "But
because I refused to sign these papers said Thaw not alone threatened
me with
bodily injury, but inflicted on me the great bodily injury I have
herein
described. Subscribed to
before me this 27th day of October, I903. "Sworn to
before me this 27th day of October, I903." (Signature of notary.) ![]() |