Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-03-05
Superintendent of State Insane
Asylum Could Only Recall One
Case Of Brain-Storm.
CONDUCT OF THE INSANE.
Alienist Says That No Rule Can
Be Laid Down as to Their
Course of Action.
He Can't Tear a Hypothetical Question
To Pieces so District Attorney Vol
unteers to Assist Him,

New York March 5.-The prospect
That Mrs. William Thaw, the white
haired mother of the defendant. might
be Witness today at the trial of Harry
Is. Thaw, tended to revive interest II,
the hearing. Dist Atty Jerome "a
sutned the cross-eNaminatlon of Or.
Charles @. Wagner superintendent of
the state hospital for the insane at
5inghamtOn. by reading the latter part
of Dr. Wagners testimony OF yester
day regarding the characteristics of the
hrain-storm The witness Yesterday
referred MIR. Jerome 10 am instance of
in-storm cited in one Of the medical
authorities. To-day the prosecutor
asked II the aie1list knew OF any other
reported cases of hrtSn-storm.
Dr. Wagner said he could NOT recall
any oft-hand.
TliAW WAS BORED.
Thaw. who had brought his custom
AIRY batch OF letters into court with
him after Il brief whispered conversa-
tlon with some of his counsel. proceed
cd TO read large number of epistles.
He then took a large pad out of one of
his big envelopes, secured pen and ink
and began to write a letter. He seemecs
the least Interested spectator In tile
room. In fact, the expert testimony
throughout has bored the prisoner i'm.
neasurably- His present attitude is III
sharp contrast to the interest nc dis
played while his wife was on the stand
Mr.. Jerome asked DR. Wagner II he
could cite a brsin-stcrm in which the
onset took place in 10 minutes. The
doctor could not
| Does the calmuUss and dclibelaSson
with which Thaw walked down the
aisle Of the roof garden and shot While
Indicate anything about his nieata
condition. is It natural tor a person
suffering from Il brain-storm to act ia
this MANNER" asked the district attor-
ney.
u have already told you that cans
not lay down amy rule as To conduct la
insanity" replied Or. Wagner.
There rs no natural way in which
things are done Insanity In itself Is
unnatural, | remember one case la
which patient was out walking and
suddenly jumped into a canal. climbed
under a culver and was drowned
remember another case of a patient
who took off his neclStle. tied II to the
bed and. lying down upon the floor
rested his neck in a loop ha had made
In the tie until he was clloked to DEATH
added Dir Wagner.
Have you ever known a person 10
commit an act of homicide in a brain
storm by going about 1t with caImness
and coolness2'
'"rhere are no two cases Of insanity.
OF even of sanity for that matter. which
are exactly similar
WONT ANSWER DIRECTLY.
"slnoe you will not answer NV oues-
tion directly. ana ] right IN assuming
that you have never observed case OF
braln-slorn or mental illumination ia
which the person committed acts OF
violence with calmness2"
i prefer 10 answer as | have Cool
ness and elaboration does not accllr-
ately NJ any case ] have ever known"
You corld not tell what was going
on In the defendants brain except what
Was apparent to the eye, could YOU"
No"
WAS there any single thing in the
Hypothetical question indicative of
brain storm"
4 cart tear The hypothetical qnes-
ton 10 pieces like that
Then | will tear II 10 pieces for you"
SAID Mr.. jerome He procneded 10
read extracts from the question und
asked " they individually suggested a
brain torm.
DR., Wagner said thar. taken collect
lively, the facts indicated a mental ful-
minetion-an extraordinary state o.
mind.
COURT AND JEROME CLASH
Dist. Atty Jerome and Justice Ftz-
gerald had "A clash during the Thaw
case today. Justice Fitzgerald asked
" the Jury Ind been lmpaneled In the
case 10 try anything except the issue
that the defeduni Bas insane when
he killed. White sir. jerome SAID he
would not reply 70 2 proposition 80
elemental. lie also refused point hlun,
to submit any authorities upon the
subject
III you DO not submit authorities"
said Justice Fitzgerald, 4 viii assume
that you do not ku0W OF any,
Justice Fitzgerald ended by sustain
ing an objection by The defense that
Mr. Je,Omcs question 10 Or. Wagner
Was 100 broad.