The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-05
HARRY THAW'S PLEA IS
HEREDITARY INSANITY
Aged Mother VIII Go Upon the Stand
and Tell the Story of Her
Sons Life.
Young Wife viii Also Testify Regarding Her Relations With
White Before Her Marriage

perial state of New York. and upon
them alone. You will understand this
man's insanity. 1t will not require ex-
perts to tell you of it. 1t is within YOU
TO judge him. and you will say from
the evidence that when he killed STAN
ford White he was an insane. man"
DeIuson of Thaw.
1t was announced that Thaw labored
under the delusiOn that his life was al
ways in danger when he was in New
York. This accounted for the fact that
since January, 1904, he had carried
pistol. He had placed it i'm his over
coat pocket the night he went to the
Madison Square Garden roof There
he turned suddenly and saw what he
thought was a demon glowering at him
The impulse came. He felt that to kill
White would be an act of Providence
and. so believing, he set deliberately
about his task.
Counsel told the story of Thaw's de-
Tense in n conversational way as if he
were taking every juror Of the twelve
into his confidence. They listened in
tcntly. Mr.. Gleason was twice inter
rupted by District Attorney Jerome on
the ground that he was arguing the
case from the evidence instead Of plain
! ly stating what the evidence was to be.
Assistant Attorney Caravan opened fer
the prosecution 1T liie DeSlIlIllIlR d the
session. The rumor that there were
to be further changes in the jury box
would rot down until Mr.. Caravan he
gan his address It was said that Dis
trict Attorney Jerome had brought all
the pressure and persuasion at his COM
mend 10 gain consent to the removal of
enc or two of the men, but Thaw's
counsel held out against all pleading
for further revision of the trial panel.
Prosecutions Case Short.
Mr.. Garman, in telling the story Of
the alleged murder. occupied less than
ten minutes. and the prosecutions en-
tire case was kept within two hours
With the exception of young White and
the coroner's physician who performed
the autopsy, the only persons called to
the stand by the state were five eye
witnesses. They were cross-examined
briefly by Attorney Dolphin Delrnas of
the defense. who thus appeared actively
In the proceedings for the first time.
The witnesses related the deliberate
manner in which Thaw fired at White.
They repeated Thaw's assertion: He
ruined my wife" and Mrs. Thaw's re-
mark to her husband, Yes, but look
what fix you are in now" 20 this
last remark Thaw replied: "Dearie, T.
have probably saved your life"
Mr.. Caravans outline of the states
the
roof garden to see the initial production
( of a summer musical comedy and then
related in simple language the incident
Of the killing.
First Degree Murder Asked.
THE people claim" he concluded.
| that il was a cruel, deliberate. mali
cious, premeditated taking of a human
life. After proving that fact to you. we
will ask you to find the defendant
guilty of the crime of murder in the
first degree"
Just at adjournment this afternoon
Mr.. Jerome made an Intellectual effort
To have the defense disclose the name
of those who are 10 be called as its
first witness.
1t was reported that the prisoners
wife may be among the first to give tes-
timony for the defense. Even after tes-
tifying she Will still be denied the priv
iiege of the court room, for the ruling
by Justice Fitzgerald on consent of
counsel, was TO exclude witnesses both
before and after testifying, II being
argued by Mr.. Jerome that they may be
recalled from time 10 time
Jerome's Plan.
The state having put the case so sim
ply up TO the defense TO prove its JUS
tihcation. bears out the theory that Mr.
Jerome is saving his real efforts for the
rebuttal
David H. Carvalho. a handwriting ex-
pert, was in court today. sitting beside
the prisoner. 1t is said he Will be called
to identify certain letters ALLEGED 10
have been written by Stanford White
and now in the hands of the defense.