The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-02
THAW TO TESTIFY.
He Is Expected to Take the Stand in
His Own Defense.

4
New York, Feb. AT last the jury
/ that is to try Harry K. Thaw for the
| murder of Stanford White, is complete
| and the prospects are good that the
| taking of testimony will begin Monday,
to which day the court adjourned af-
ter yesterdays session. There was
some talk in the court room after adj
journment that there might be fur
Their wedding out of a number of jur-
ors. This talk was prompted by a re-
quest of District Attorney Jerome that
the talesmen remaining in the last
panel be instructed to be in court Mon
day. But in making the request. Mr..
Jerome said he did not expect further
delay. Later it was thought that the
request for the taleSmen was simply a
precautionary movement as Mr.. Je-
rome intended to continue his search
of the records of the jurymen during
the adjournment. Whether the jury
as now constituted will stand or not
depends on this investigation. 1t has
been believed that the case of the
state against Thaw would be quickly
presented, but in his statement just
before adjournment, Mr.. Jerome in
than expected. "I would like to say"
declared Mr.. Jerome, that the case OF
the people will be ready on Monday
morning and that the people will open
and close on Monday morning. 1 say
this that the defense may have its case
ready to follow"
This was taken to indicate that the
district attorney intends to open the
case with the bald establishment OF
the fact that Thaw killed White and
the fixing of the time and place. 1t is
expected that he will put on three or
four witnesses and that one or more or
them probably the policemen to whom
Thaw surrendered and the sergeant OF
the tenderloin station, who took
Thaw's pedigree, will testify as to
Thaw's apparent sanity. The heat of
battle will be on the rebuttal testi-
mony after the defense has met the
opening testimony presented by the
prosecution. Mr.. Hartridge has sum-
moned over fifty witnesses. Many OF
these may never be heard of in the
trial. If as has been suggested, Mr..
Hartridge meets the establishment OF
the prosecutors case with evidence to
show that Thaw was insane at the
time he killed White, the district at
torney will have a chance to call his
alienists, who have been in constant
attendance during the election of the
jury. The defense in turn will be able
to bring on their corps of experts in
mental diseases.
During the closing scenes of the
jury choosing Thaw watched every
of the representatives of
the people as well as of his own coun-
sell He was keenIy alert to each ques-
ton asked by Mr.. Jerome or by Mr.. 1
the assistant Each talesman
as he took the witness chair for eX-
animation was scrutinized closely by
the prisoner. The mother of the ac-
cused man was not present, but his
two sisters. the prisoners wife and
May Mckenzie. were sitting near him
and all of them Joined him in the close
scrutiny of the talesmen.
Thaw expressed satisfaction when |
the jury box was filled. saying:
well, am glad that part OF the !
business is over" |
He is apparently keen for the real |
fight to begin. He expects to go free !
as result of the trial and this ac-
counts for his eagerness for the tes- |
timony to begin. While none of the /
plans of the defense have been divulg- |
ed it is the generally accepted belief |
that Thaw will take the witness stand |
in his own defense