The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-29
Answers Intelligently
Questions Asked by
the Commission.
EXPERTS NOT
ALLOWED IN COURT
Commission Will Decide Whether
or Not the Prisoner is Able
to Advise His Counsel in
a Rational Manner.
Adjourned Until
Saturday.

NEW YORK, March 2s.-IIarry X.
Thaw for two hours to-day submitted
4 himself to running fire Of questions
from the three men appointed by Justice
4 tltzgerald as commission In lunacy
to determine his present state OF mind.
The examination was conducted behind
closed doors. and when n few minutes
before S o'clock this afternoon an adj
journment was taken until 10 o clock
Saturday morning. no one connected
with the hearing before the commissioners
would discuss the details OF the inquiry
y Thaw went willingly and confidently be-
5 fore his judges, and when the two hours
secret session was concluded his attor-
,,eys appeared with smiling faces. and
declared they were more than satisfied
< with the course Of the proceedings. Dis
trict Attorney Jerome hurried away from
the Criminal Courts Building. declining
absolutely to saysa word about the com
missions work.
The most important feature Of the
days proceedings was the decision Of the
commission to limit the scope of Its In
8Guiiy to the exact language OF the stat
s,ite--to determine solely the question as
to whether or not Harry Tlfaw Is able
to-day to understand the nature of the
court proceedings against him, and is
able To advise his counsel in rational
manner. District Attorney Jerome an
1iounced to the members of the conln1is-
sion that all OF the legal experts lie had
employed in the case had advised him
& that Thaw is suffering from a typical
case of paranoia--a disease OF the mind
in which the recoveries are limited 10
two or three per cent. He offered to ad-
duce testimony To support this statement,
but the commission waived 1t aside. say
.r,f trSy q
a very simple one and had to do not
Syi,hfany classficationsof OF mental diseases.
but with the prisoners present state of
mind as Judged by laymen.S
InSlaying down this decision the COM
mission confronted the district attorney
with the very position he has ma 2 ! n
tained1 in putting Thaw on trial for
his life Mr. Jerome contends that
Thaw was suffering from paranoia
on the night of June .5th last, when
lie shot and killed Stanford White, but
he added that paranoiacs often have
knowledge Of what they are doing. ana
that Thaw knew the nature and quality
4 K or his act In killing White. and knew
that the act was wrong. Thus while
y Smedicfl experts may determine to-day
that Thaw rs still suffering from
+ paranoia the question to which the
fine itself deals solely with ThaW'5
4 knowledge as to the proceedings
against him and his ability to advise
his lawyers.
The commission got under way with
a rush and plunged at once into the
personal examination Of the defendant.
District Attorney Jerome protested at
y first that he was not able to proceed,
saving that ne would like to have his
medical advisers present during Thaw's
examination. He finally stated that
he would have no objection to
X FL rf nj
vidcd that he was permitted TO reserve
Ills cross-eXamlnaton. The commits
sion forthwith settled the matter OF
the presence Of experts by e9,luding
them from the room, along with every
one else except the defendant and his
counsel. the district attorney and AS
sistant District Attorney Caravan. AS
to the cross-examination by the dis
q trict attorney. the commission said the
matter would be taken up when It was
reached. e.s4
two hours Thnw was before the COM
mission this afternoon the notes and
RI letters which he has written to his
counsel since the trial began were
n under consideration. To put Thaw
thoroughly at ease. the commissioners
addressed their questions to him IN a
Conversa tional tone and In a casual
manner, as though he were In confer
encc with them, asked him from time
to time to explain incidents in the
trial which had called forth certain
of the letters placed before the COM
mission by Thaw's attorneys. II was
said, that Thaw answered the ques-
tions calmly. and went Into lengthy
explanations OF some Of the notes lie
had addressed to Mr. Delmas While
his trial was In progress. These notes
and letters We're made a part of ths
affidavit filed by Mr.. Delmas with Ius-
tice Fitzgerald when Thaw's counsel
q were opposing the appointment Of q
commission. si
Thaw's examination was not con-
{ cludcd to-day, pnd he will appear
ngain before the commission when II
meets Saturday morning. no session
being scheduled for tor morrow. Good
Friday.
The Saturday session also will he
. held behind closed doors. The COM
81 mission had not determined to-day
whether or not a physica. eXan!na tiGn
Of the defendant would bo necessary
There was an intimatIon. however, that
u the men who arc to report az to Thaw's
present condition will content thanl-
selves witllgnn observation Of him dur.
ing his mental examination, One oi
the members OF thellconmlasion IS q
physician and nn expert on mcnta
diseases. DIR. Leopold Putzci. II TIN
commission should decide physca
examination is essential. Dr. nutzr
probably will make 1t, v
Attorney Deimas MAS Present Mt tl,e
session to-day, but took no part Ii
tho proceedings, it was said, 8WhCI
the inquiry began ho directed Chair.
man Mcclure to Mr.aH Hartridge, as thu
ID counsel of record Wns called for. j
war said Mr.. HartrldEef would continue
~ to direct the proceedings betoro til.
commission so far AZ ths} defense liz
Eoncerned. 8Sa s@ "a