Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-10
MOB GATHERS IO
HEAR Nh. JEROME
Fight For Two Hours Before
Court Opens to Gain
Admission
JEROME DID NOT BEGIN TILL 1880
Summing Up of Case for State Expect.
cd to Be One of District Attorneys
Greatest Efforts-Soon Launches In
to Severe Denunciation Of Thaw and
His Young Wife.


New York. April fo.-All previous
crowds were insignificant compared to
the mob which stormed the court room
doors this morning in an effort to hear
District Attorney Jerome sum up the
states case against Harry Is. Thaw,
the slayer Of Stanford White.
Altho the court was not convened
until 1880, full two hours before the
time Of the advance guard OF spec
tators began to arrive and took up po-
sitions of vantage in the corridors lead
ing to the court room, so as to be
among the first admitted when the
doors opened. The police, however,
anticipating just such move on the
part OF the outsiders, were prepared
for the rush and kept the doors closed
until IL. But this did not prevent the
large number of favored friends from
getting into the court room before that
houf.
Jerome began his address in a de-
liberate manner, but soon entered into
a severe scoring OF Thaw and his wife
and their relations previous to their
marriage.
NThru Fields Of Romance"
All the members of the Thaw fam
lily were present when court opened,
and all looked hopeful and confident.
Jerome began his address at 11:40, by
telling the jury that they had been
wandering thru the fields Of romance
for the past few days. He said the
case was not one of rape, but one of
murder.
Jerome said that the appeal to the
sympathy and passions of the jury
was a broad departure from the duty
OF counsel. There could, he said, be
but one Of four verdicts-murder in
the first degree, murder in the second
degree, manslaughter, or mot guilty,
because Of insanity"
Jerome referred sarcastically to "de-
mentia Americana" asking if it was a
higher law under which the man may
flaunt woman thru the capitals of
Sse'
ana then kill. Ha warned the jury that
1t would be violation Of their soath
10 consider "dementia Americana de-
claring that it had no status on the
Atlantic seaboard.
Scriptures Don't Apply.
Jerome said that the issues in the
case cannot be determined by quota
tions from the scriptures. You have
been enjoined by the court to make up.
your verdict solely from the evidence.
The attorneys for the defense have
had the responsibility Of a human life
resting upon them. But there has been
a responsibility equally grave resting
upon the prosecution.
''The law is not a cruel law. It does
not punish for the mere sake Of pun
ishment. 1t Furnishes to protect those
who live under ip Important as it is
that no human life should be put out
unjustly, it is equally important to the
community in which you and dwell,
that the law shall be justly upheld.
ST gentlemen, have had no easy task.
If In. the heat Of the battle I have
transcended the courtesy due to coun-
sci. 1 beg you to overlook it. II in the
Judgment Of the court I have gone fur
ther than i should in making certain
statements in court. I have nothing
but regret for It. This is a time for
all of us to lay aside our animosi-
ties.
'The issue here is not to be deter
mined upon my personality or upon
that of counsel for the defense. Keep
clearly in mind that while the de-
PENDANTS counsel stand for the defend
ant individually, there is another side,N
the side Of the people. This is no ac-
ton between the executors of White
and this defendant; it is not trial to
determine whether Evelyn Nesbit was
ravished by White. 1t is an issue be-
tween the people Of New York state
and Thaw, and 1t Is to determine
whether what he did was justifable or
excusable. or whether he should be
punished for it,
"I will ASSURE will try to assure
you on the evidence. I will try to
point out to you that this defendants
crime was not justif1atle or excusable,
and that he should be punished.
Wants Verdict Of Insanity.
After briefly discussing the law COW
ering the various classes into which
homicide is divided, and describing
each. Jerome continued:
"If you find this defendant insane
when he killed White, it is your duty
to say so in your verdict. If you do
not say so it is because you believe
this crime was justifiable. Justifable |
does not mean dementia Americana; 1T
means self defense. But when a man
sits with his head in his hands and Is
deliberately shot with a pistol so close |
to him that after the shooting the
victims brother-in-law did not recog-
nize him, it can hardly be called self
defense east of the Mississippi river
There can be logically but one Of
four verdicts returned by you-murder
in the first degree, because there was
not only design but premeditation;
murder in the second degree, becausel
there ras design but no premedisation; ]