Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-24
Growing Belief That District
Attorney ContempIateS Ap-
plying for Commission to
Pass on Prisoners Sanity,
DEFENSE PREPARED TO
FIGHT PROPOSITION
Mrs, Thaw ReSentS Charge
That She Is to Be Paid for
Testimony Regardless cf
Result of Trial.
GBy Morning journal Special leased wlre.I

IBy Morning journal Special eased Wire
New York. Feb. % Counsel FOR
Harry X. Thaw spent good part Of
today denying the usual crop Of re-
cess rumors which spring up during
every adjournment The attorneys
were especially anxious To have it un-
derstood that they viii fight any at
tempt To have commission IN lunacy
appointed.
Despite this, however the belief
grows that Mr Jerome is continually
pointing his efforts in that direction.
He perhaps may have been lnrlu-
enced by his idea in making his
cross-eNaminaiiun Of Evelyn Thaw
perhaps unnecessarily cruel. He
hoped that the attorneys for the de-
fense might profit by this first show
of severity and agree To the appoint
ment uf a commission When they
failed to do this Jerome maneuverpd
in another direction He himself de-
clared openly that he had no taste
Tor the ordeal to which he was sub
iecting' the frail young woman. and
wanted To have her testimony stopped
long enough to put on the stand Drs.
Deemar and Bingaman. physicians To-
both branches of the prisoners fam
ily,
1t Is now said that Mr.. Jcrome's
idea was to build up from the testi-
mony of these two physicians the
ground work for his application for
lunaey commission The defense
objected to this. despite the fact that
the doctors We're summoned from
Pittsburg in behalf of the defendant.
Some days ago Mr. Jerome was
given permission to examine the two
physicians In his office, the idea be-
ing that their testimony might bc
taken in depositions Evidently some
thing occurred during the examination
to cause the defense To take a new
view of the matter. The district at
torney, i'm insisting that the doctors
be heard. declared that it was neces-
sary for them to take The stand as
the Introduction of the petition was
not possible without the consent Of
the other side
1t is held that Mr. Jerome's anxiety
to have the doctors testify al the car
liest possible moment can have only
one meanng-that their evidence has
to do with the defendants state of
mind as shown through hereditary
taints in both branches of their fam
lily Before Mr.. Jerome had exam
ined the witnesses in person he
blocked most Of their testimony, Now
he is more than anxious to get 1t
on the records.
It Is also reported that Mrs. Will
lam Thaw and other members of the
Thaw family are anxious that the
trial. with all its shocking revelations,
shall stop. District Attorney Jerome
has just begun to show the strength
Of his hand, it is said, In testing ihe
credibility of young Mrs. Thaw, and
will have much evidence to ofefr con-
cerning her relations with the defend
ant before their marriage. Every
thing that ever happened between
them seems to be known to the pros
ecutOr.
When the trial Is resumed Monday
Mr. Jerome may again try to induce
the defendants attorneys to allow
Drs Deemar and Bingaman to go on
the stand If they follow previous
tactics, however they will oppose.
Mr.. Jerome is not likely 10 ask for
until more medical tes-
tlmony is taken.
The breaking down Of Mrs Thaw's
story will have little effect on the
question of sanity or insanity OF the
defendant, which is the real issue of
the case,
If a commission in lunacy Is not
appointed. the trial may drag along
for four or five weeks longer.
Regarding statement that 5000
0O0 is settled upon Mrs. Harry X,
Thaw by her husbands family for
the position she has taken in the trial.
the following official statement was
given out today by the prisoners
mother through her attorneys:
Mrs. William Thaw desires 1t un-
derstood that the statement that she
or any Of her family gave any money
or other Inducements ia Mrs Evelyn
Thaw for the position she has taken
is untrue, unwarranted and unjust"
Attorney Hartridge said
Mrs. William Thaw WAS very am
CRY and provoked that a statement ot
that kind should be published, and
wished to deny IT,
Mr.. Hartridge, speaking Of the re-
port that District Attorney jerome
intends to apply for an insanity oom-
mission to report on Thaw's present
mental condition, said;
~ that suggestion came from the
district attorneys office II is peculiar,
to use a mild word. Harry Thaw Is
no more insane now that when the
trial began II would be a peculiar
thing to do now when they are
beaten"
Indoor Lawn Tennis.