Page 68 - October1997

250 NATIONAL BUTTON BULLETIN October 1997

"Tired Butterfly.." He was married, however, so in 1903 she left him and went on the first of
two prcmarital trips to Europe with Thaw. Then she retumed to White. Then she again left
with Thaw. and in April 1905 they were married.
One june 25, i906, the opening night of Mamzelle Champagne, as a member of the
cast began to sing "l Could Love a Million Girls" Harry Thaw left his table at the Madison
Square Roof Gardens, and calmly fired three bullets into the head of Stanford White. It was
one of the most sensational crimes of passion of the century and ended one of its most
famous love triangles.
If on that date you were even a small child, as was this writer, you will have at least
vague memories ofthe shock which rocked the nation. Tongues wagged, gossip spread like
wildfire, and reams and reams of paper were consumed in the press coverage.
The trial itself began six months later, and became the most sensational in this
country's history. Every sordid act, every lurid detail became public properfy as Evelyn took
the stand. It was widely recognized that it was really she and not Thaw, who was on trial.
The prosecutor summed it up, "She was a tigress between two men, egging them on. To
Thaw she said White had wronged her. To White she said that Thaw had beaten her with a
whio."
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The trial lasted 3-ll2 months and ended in a hung jury. Nine months later the whole
sordid mess was again dragged through the courls, and this time Thaw was declared not
guilty by reason of insanity. He was declared a manic-depressive and committed to an
institution for the criminally insane. Until his death in 1947 he was in and out of such
institutions.
Evelyn was 22 at the time of the incident. Stitl looking I 6 "the most exquisitely lovely
human being I have ever looked at" reported Iruin S. Cobb. Thousands jammed the streets to
see her andinany more thousands read what has been called "the vivisection of a u'oman's
soul".
After that, life for her was all downhill. There were squabbles rvith the Thaws over
money, other men, suicide attempts, divorce. and ever-fewer theatrical engagements. her
career ending in burlesque houses. In 1934 she wrote a book "Prodigal Days", one ofvarious
versions of her life story. In 1955 she sold her memoirs to the movies for 545'000. They
were made into the picture "The Girl in the Red Velvet Su'ing". rvhich rvas a flop. The rest
of her life was lived in a series of old people's homes. suppot'ted by a srnall amount from the
Thaws, and a son, a Los Angeles business man. At 82 she died of afteriosclerosis.
American Heritage, already mentioned. calls her "The Lady in Question". to Charles
Dana Gibson, she was a lovely model, to Harry Thaw an inconstant u'ife, to Stanford White
a mortal danger. It may be added, to the button collector a very unusual button subject.
This is not offered as a positive identification, merely a probable one. Should any
reader have other information, we would be glad to learn of it.
Material here presented has been gathered from the Anterican Heritage June 1969,
Time, Jannary 2'/ , 1961 and Neulweek, January 30, 1 967.
Maida Franke

Editor's Note:
An interesting aside to this story) is a bit of inJbnnation sent to u.s by Jovais llolters ol
Missouri. She brought a picture to National./br photographing but either it \ltas not
photographed or the picUre did not come out os it was nol in the pictttres vrhich v'ete senl to
us.
The pictm"e v,as oJ a distinguished voung lad1, vjth clothing./ashionable in the earlv
I900's. She w,ore a huge plumed hat and a tailored strit vr'ith high-necked ru/fled jabot
Around her neck on a long chain v'as yott guessed it ct large locket with "The Ladv in
Question". Javais explained that this ladv u'as her great Aunt Estelle SghaqfViynedge'
better knov'n as "Stella". She was born in 1892 and lived to the ripe old age o/'89. Upon het
death, the locket was inherited by Javais' mother. At a recent auctio|t, Javuis v'as luckt'
enotrgh to bult ths 6rrr., which matches the locket. The onlt' dilJbrence between the bunon
and the locket is the size and rr^pe of'metal. The buton is silver and the locket is gold.