The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-03-03
Think Newspapers of New
York Are Manufacturing
Evidence Against Him.
PICKS OUT THE LEADER
DECLARES THAT REPORTER ON
DUTY AT THE TOMBS is THE
CHIEF ONE OF THE CROWD OF
CONSPIRATORS

New York, March 2--MatteWan In
sane asylum or a hung jury. This
seems to be the alternative facing Har-
ry K. Thaw in his noted trial for the
killing of Stanford White. Jerome
has clearly shown in the special effort
he is making to prove Thaw insane
that he has scant hope of commits
sion. Followers of the trial, on the
other hand, believe that an acquittal
is equally as impossible. And it is
Mattewan that Thaw most fears. The
dread of the asylum hangs over him
every moment. Thaw himself believes
the Staying of Stanford White was JUS
tilted. But in the days that he has
listened to the testimony of experts,
paid with his money, declaring he was
insane at the time he fired the fatal
shot, the fear has grown upon him that
the Jurors may decide that he is still
insane. In that event there is no es-
cape from the asylum.
Likewise should Jerome pursue to
a successful conclusion his efdeavor
TO have a lunacy commission appoint
ed. Mattewan might be the ultimate
end of an investigation of the prison
er's sanity.
Thaw's attorneys have repeatedly
assured him that they can defeat any
demand for lunacy commission, but
Thaw is still far from convinced In
court he has displayed marked nerv-
BUSINESS, while his exNert, DIR. Britton
ID. Evans has explaiDeH his symptoms
of mental unsoundnesA
Thaw Himself to Blame.
If the asylum is his fate. Thaw will
have no one to blame but himself
His crazy action in giving out a
statement attacking Jerome, on Thurs
day evening, may play prominent
part in railroading him to Mattewan,
if a commission in lunacy is ever ap-
pointed And Thaw's own experts
may play part, unwillingly, of course,
in sending him to the asylum.
In his statement Thaw described ms
prosecution as being conducted by
blacklegs. and has manifestly dis
played an idea of great personal I'M
portance. 1t is expected Jerome VIII
not be slow if he finally decides COM
mission is necessary to take advant-
age of the opportunity to show that III
a delusion of persecution and an exaS-
s-erated idea of his own importance
were symptoms of insanity on the part
of the prisoner in August and Septem-
her. when Dr. Evans made his exam1-
nation. there are equally as strong evil
dences of insanity today.
Thinks a Conspiracy Afoot
Thaw, it was reported today. has
given the district attorney another
means of presenting case Tor the
commission in lunacy should 1T be
called. Thaw, in writing letters, ac-
cording to common report, speaks OF
conspiracy on the part of the newspa-
pers of this city to manufacture evi-
dence against him. He charges that
n certain reporter, known only to nim
by name because he is on duty at the
tombs. is chief of this conspiracy, and
that he has enrolled the local press
into an organization. to injure his
cause.
DIR. Evans cited the fact that he
imagines a conspiracy existed on the
mart of his former lawyers, with Dis
trict Attorney Jerome, to railroad him
into an insane asylum. This Will all
be evidence before a lunacy commits
sion.
That there will never be conviction
IS taken generally as a foregone con
clusion. 1t seems rather to be a
trial of modern social conditions
When the field has been exhausted OF
the possibility of undertaking, 1t Is
generally felt that the jury will be al
lowed to go out and there will be YER
dict of some sort returned.