Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-03
THAW HEARING NEARS END
Lunacy Commission VIII Report
60 Court Thursday
MorninE.

NEW 1ORk+ April At was announced
tonight. after a session which lasted from
1880 O'Clock this morning until $50 p. m.
that the lunacy commission inquiry into
the present mental state OF Harry X. Thaw
will concluds its lsbors tomorrow and re-
port its conclusions to Justice Fitzgerald
before the hour set for the Thaw jury to
report In court on Thursday morning.
There will be brief public session tomor-
row to hear the testimony of an alienist
offered by District Attorney Jerome and
then will follow a private mental and ply
steal examination of the defendant. Only
the members of the commission and the Of
ficial stenographer will be present at
Thaws last ordeal, attorneys for the de-
fense and the district attorney being
barred.
The announcement that the commission
desired to renew its private examination
of Thaw at the end of a day Of many
witnesses was in the nature OF a COM
plete surprise. The decision probably was
due to the conflicting character OF the tes-
timony heard today. 1t was another battle
Of alienists. Those engaged by the district
attorney declared Thaw absolutely in
capable of understanding his condition, of
realizing the nature of the charge against
him, or of nationally comforting with coun-
sell while those engaged by the defense de-
clared Thaw throughout the trial had acted
in a rational manner, had nationally advised
his counsel in their hearing and fully un-
derstood and appreciated everything con-
nected with the trial.
Thaw's writings Cited.
The experts for the prosecution admitted
they had reached their conclusions as to
Thaw's present state of mental unsound-
ness from distant observations OF him in
the court room and from writings alleged
to have emanated from him during the
trial. Among tho latter were twenty-four
! pages of newspaper clippings and memo
randa written by Thaw as suggestions to
his chief attorney, Dolphin NJ. Delmas, for
his summing up address to the jury. Mr..
Jerome's experts declared these writings
were those of an insane man. The experts
for the fense Geclarei tn e wss al so utely
nothing in the writings upon which to pre-
dicate an opinion Of mental unsoundness.
Mr. Delmas himself took the stand and
declared many of Thaws suggestions were
most valuable and that he intended to in
cooperate some OF them in his summing up
address.
The alienists for the defense in testifying
/ declared they had the advantage Of con-
stant personal examinations Of the defend
and while the prosecutions witnesses had
! not
| The Tombs physician. two chaplains OF
the city prison. several guards and a pro
baton officer took the stand and testified
that Thaw in prison had acted and spoker
! like a rational man.
DIR. Hamilton Testihea.
The commission decided today to adn
/
: McLane Hamilton, who said he made fou
examinations of Harry Thaw, the last il
July 1906. He concluded then that Thav
was suffering from chronic delusional in
sanity or paraRoia ana still held to the
belief. On cross examination. Dr. Hamil
4 ton admitted he had not examined the de
PENDANT recently. The defendants counse
fought against DR.. Hamilton's testimon.
to the very last. Failing in the plea o
professional privileges as a bar. the.
argued that his examinations OF the de
fendant were too remote to be of any valu
at this time. The commission decided Il
allow the testimony.
Members of the commission cross-exam
ined several of the district attorney
alienists at length, inquiring as to the con
sistency of their testimony now that Thay
is insane and has been for several years
as against their testimony at the trial
when I'm answer to q hypothetical ques
ton, they declared Thaw knew the natur
and quality of his act when he shot an
killed Stanford White and knew the ac
was wrong. DR.. Austin Flint declare
Thaw was insane from the alienist's poin
of view when the homicide occurred, bu
was not insane In the language of the law
Mr.. Jerome's experts, one after another
agreed that Thaw is a paranoiac and tina
his case is incurable.
DR.. Flint gave new touch TO the form
Of insanity from which It is alleged Thay
is suffering, by declaring that his forme
paranoiacal delusions of persecution ar
rapidly changing into "delusions O
| grandeur"