The Trial of the Century: Evelyn Nesbit and the Murder of Stanford White

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures*Includes accounts of the murder and trial*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading*Includes a table of contents"Under the same circumstances, I’d kill him tomorrow." – Harry Thaw It reads like a modern day Lifetime two talented, popular and wealthy men both fall in love with the same beautiful but somewhat tarnished girl. One had a long history of mental illness, the other was considered an architectural genius. The inevitable showdown, complete with a very public murder, took place in one of the most fashionable restaurants in the world. Although it reads like a movie or soap opera, it was an all too true story that culminated with the 1907 “trial of the century,” when railroad tycoon Harry Thaw, the husband of famous model Evelyn Nesbit, was prosecuted for killing renowned architect Stanford White, his wife’s former lover. Some say that it was such a shocking event that it actually helped speed the end of the Gilded Age. In the late 19th century, Cornelius “The Commodore” Vanderbilt sold his stake in Madison Square Garden to J.P. Morgan, who subsequently hired Stanford White to construct a new arena in its place. At the time he was commissioned to draw up plans for the new Garden, White was a partner with McKim, Mead & White, a firm that had designed some of New York’s most beautiful mansions, including the Fifth Avenue homes of the Vanderbilt’s and the Astor’s. However, in addition to designing the Garden and other similar spaces, he also designed a secret hideaway in his own home where an aspiring young dancer, 16 year old Evelyn Nesbit, would entertain him during sexually inappropriate meetings. This and other dalliances would later lead to one of the most notorious events in the Garden’s history. On a warm evening in late June 1906, millionaire Harry K. Thaw, who had by this time married Nesbit, approached White while he watched the show Mam’zelle Champagne in the roof garden theater on top of Madison Square Garden. Pulling out a pistol, he shot White three times in the head at point blank range. At first, those in the theater thought it was a prank, but when the smoke cleared and White’s wound became visible, they knew they had just witnessed something horrific. From the beginning, the crime had everything, including lurid sex, a shocking murder, and an insanity plea, and as a result, both Thaw and White were put on trial in the papers and the court. White’s son would later complain, “On the night of June 25th, 1906, while attending a performance at Madison Square Garden, Stanford White was shot from behind [by] a crazed profligate whose great wealth was used to besmirch his victim's memory during the series of notorious trials that ensued.” Eventually, Thaw was declared innocent by reason of insanity and sentenced to time in a mental hospital, and in the meantime, White’s reputation was thoroughly disgraced, leading Collier’s Richard Harding Davis to counter, “Since his death White has been described as a satyr. To answer this by saying that he was a great architect is not to answer at all…what is more important is that he was a most kindhearted, most considerate, gentle and manly man, who could no more have done the things attributed to him than he could have roasted a baby on a spit. Big in mind and in body, he was incapable of little meanness. He admired a beautiful woman as he admired every other beautiful thing God has given us; and his delight over one was as keen, as boyish, as grateful over any others.”Despite the murder of White and one of the 20th century’s first cases to be billed as the “Trial of the Century,” the new Madison Square Garden continued to pl

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime

69 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 24, 2015

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being only vaguely familiar with this case, I found this to be a good overview of the Stanford White murder and "the trial of the century". Out of all of the Charles Rivers books I've read, this one is the most well done. I look forward to reading more about the case and Evelyn Nesbit especially. Recommended for anyone interested in true crime and/or history.

[Autumn Fortier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting for it's time period..

Interesting read on how crimes were handled in early 1900's. A good read for true crime buffs. Its a short read

[Okuyanmarul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sevdigim bir kitapti

[Brianna Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had such high expectations of this book and it disappointed in so many ways. I learned about the case and likened it in my head to the OJ Simpson trial except a different generation. I got so excited to learn more about it, so I ordered this book on Amazon. The "book" was literally the size of a pamphlet! When I got the package in the mail, it felt like nothing was inside because the book was so thin 😂 I read it in one sitting and was totally bored by it. It still seems like a fascinating event, but I don't think this book does it justice. 😬😬

[Dort Hanshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing.

I had never heard about this sensational early 20th century event. The story leaves lots of holes, and at times is difficult to follow along with the narrative. It left me definitely wanting to know more.