Ladysmith news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-09
JEROME GRILLS
THAW WITNESS
ALtENlsT is SUBJECTED TO MOST
SEVERE cRoss-ExAMiNA-
TON.
DEFFNSf BLOCKED BY JEROME
ATTEMPT TO PROVE INSANITY IN
BRANCHES OF THAW FAM
LY FAILS.
DEFENSE BLOCKED BY JEROME

IL, u. ..
it's case against Harry K. Thaw yes
terday in a plain, Unconditional story OF
the shooting on the Madison Square
Garden roof. leaving the malice and
the motive to be inferred from the act
and the defense replied with plea OF
hereditary insanity. 1t was asserted
that Thaw in Staying Stanford White
believed he was acting as an agent OF
Providence; that real or fancled
wrongs committed against him by the
architect and former friend of his wife
had boiled and dubbed in his brain
until at last there came the explosive
impulse to kill.
Made No Move to Escape.
When the deed was done ThaW
made no move to escape it's conse'
quence, but holding the fatal revolver
aloft, he stood as if mutely proclaim
ing to the world The deed is done
it was right; it was not wrong
Thus Thaw's counsel outlined his
case TO tile jury yesterday afternoon
after the prosecution had occupied
less than two hours of the morning
sitting of the court in relating through
eye witnesses the narrative Of the
tragedy.
Wife and Mother to Testify.
You will hear the story of this
mans insanity" Attorney John B.
Gleason, for the defense, promised the
Jury, from his mother, from his wife
from his relatives and from his physi-
clans. You will judge him by his acts,
by the hereditary and stress which en-
tered into his madness, and when you
come to judge him you will say to
yourself that his act may have been
one of insanity, but it was not one OF
crime"
Second Day of Actual Trial.
New York, Feb Z. = The task OF
proving to a jury that Harry Thaw
was insane-through heredity and
mental stress-when he shot and kill
ed Stanford White, was taken up yes
terday by the defense, but when adj
| iournment was announced it was the
general opinion that but little progress
had been made. Thaw's attorneys en-
deavored in vain to present before the
jury evidence tending, it was said, to
prove a strain of insanity in the col
lateral branches of the defendants
family, but they were blocked at every
point by District Attorney Jerome.
Says Thaw Was insane.
the jury the testimony Of an expert
that in his opinion Harry Thaw was
suffering from insanity the night OF
the tragedy. Mr.. Jerome undertook to
break down the evidence Of the alien
list, Dr. C. C. Wiley of Pittshurg, and
for three hours put him through a
cross-eXaminatiOn as severe as was
ever heard in any court. The district
attorney astOnished every one by his
intimate knowledge of medicine and
it's technical phraseology. He hurled
volleys of technical questions at the
witness. who at times sat mute and
at other times gave evasive replies.
A Hypothetical Question.
DR.. Wiley testified that he predi-
Gated his opinion as to ThaW's insani-
ty upon his actions the night of the
tragedy as described to him in a hypO-
thetical question propounded by the
defense and upon an incident which he
witnessed on a Pittsburg street car
during the summer of 1905. Thaw,
said the doctor, acted irrationally on
the car, coming in suddenly and perk-
ing UP one of the window blinds, slam
ming it down and then lifting it again,
the while engaging in wordy war
with the conductor
ThaW's Cousin on Stand.
Among the witnesses called in an at
tempt to show that a strain of insanity
existed in certain branches of the
Thaw family was Lee Thaw, who said
that his father and Harry Thaw's
father were first cousins. The defense
| tried to draw from the witness that his
| father had died in an insane asylum.
Mr.. Jerome objected on the ground
| that the relationship was too far re
moved, and the objection was sustain
ed.