The Washington herald., 1907-03-15
SIX EXPERTS CALLED
AlieniStS to Testify for Thaw
Prosecution.
HEAR LONG QUESTION READ
District Attorney Jerome PrOpOunds
Hypothetical Problem Which Ii
Takes Assistant Garvan an Hour
and n Half 20 DeIiver-0nIy One
witness Gets Chance to Answer.

New York. March l4-A new battery
OF experts wheeled into action this after
noon at the Thaw trial and turned their
guns upon the position previously taken
up by the defense under the command
of Drs. Evans and Wagner. There were
six of them. all told. and they made a
striking group as they all lined up around
one small Bible, which disappeared COM
pletely from view as they laid hands upon
it while they swore individually and col
lectiyv:J :, tell the truth.
The object Of swearing in the ai!enist
battery as a whole was 10 save time. 1t
was agreed between counsel for both sides
that whatever hypothetical questions were
propounded to the witnesses for the pros
ecution should be read only once. and
in the hearing of all six experts. II the
questions had 20 be read separately. It
was figured out that il would take about
nine hours for the reading alone. There
was one hOrrid moment when 1t appeared
that this would have 10 be done, but the
little snah into which Jerome and Del
mas had entangled themselves was
Strengthened out, for the time being. at
any rate.
DIR. Flint Fires First Gun.
DIT Austin Flint was the only member
of the expert battery to fire a gun. As
soon as the collection of alienists had
been sworn lie took the stand and spent
about twenty minutes in telling about his
medical education and deeds When he
had duly qualified as an expert Jerome
opened up on him with the hypothetical
question framed by Delmas. This is the
one in response to which DTs Evans and
Wagner had testified that, assuming all
its statements 10 be facts. Harry Thaw
was. in their opinion, insane when he
shot Stanford White.
Jerome had hardly got under run
head Of steam when HaTtridge arose ana
asked with a puzzled look, Il the district
attorney was reading his own hypothet-
zeal question. The lawyer for the defense
was trying 10 follow it from the printed
copy Jerome had given him. The court
informed him that il was Delmas ques-
ton that was being read, not jerome $
and Hartridge sat down, looking bit
sheepish.
Dein1as' question is a comparatively
meager inquiry of only about 300 words
or so. Ii did not take much more than
twenty-five minutes TO read it. When
Jerome wound up he asked Dr. Flint
whether. taking all its statements as
facts. he thought that Thaw knew the
nature and quality of his act when he
shot White, and that it was wrong.
Fails TO Create Stir.
In my opinion" said DR.. Flint. ''he
knew the nature and quality of the act,
and that it was wrong.
II the witness had said anything else
it would have created a sensation. As II
was it all passed of quietly.
Having put his witnesses on recorN as
fatty disagreeng with the witnesses for
the defense, the district attorney next
got busy with that child of his genius-the
second hypothetical question This was
a rising infection of about 3,000 words,
which the district attorneys staff had
been busy with for some days. 1t had
been printed, and copies of it were hand
ed about TO everybody who was entitled
10 one. Harry Thaw himself was one
of the earliest to get a copy, and he
buried his face in it for some time. Some
things in it seemed to amuse him cOnsid-
erably.
Let's Garvan Read Question.
The thing would ill about a page and
three-quarters Of The Washington Herald
if il were printed in full. and Jerome side
stepped the job of reading il himself. con
ferring that privilege upon his assistant
Mr.. Garvan. Garvan was absent from
court one day this week. IT was STATED
that he was i'll. but it leaked out to-day
that he was resting up for the hyp0thet
ical question. He rambled on for an hou
and half with only one slight recess Il
ventilate the courtroom. The query re
cited most of the facts that have beer
brought out in the evidence since tn,
case began.
At its close DIT Flint was asked hi.
opinion of the state Of mind of ThaW
based on what the question set forth, anC
he answered as before. II was then abOu
the hour for adjournment, so that IN,
rest of the experts did not testify. Tn,
game viii go on tomorrow.
Ex-senator John c. SpOoner of WiscOn
sin, who has just resigned the SenatorshiI
10 take up the practice of law, was NOR,
or less an interested spectator Of tn,
afternoon court proceedings. So wa.
Francis Wilson, the comedian. who haC
heard that Henry Miller had dropped Fl
for an hour or two several days ago.