Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-29

or the hundreds that are engaged on tbo
Ihaw case seem to take the same view Of
the possibilities. Here Is what a BaItimora
American reporter said of the proceeding.
yesterday: Gentlemen of a sportiva turn
are Offering to bet even that the Thaw case
VIII never reach the jury, and that before
IL reaches the Salome stage it will be turned
over to commission In lunacy. as was done
IN the case of the negro murderer of the
rate andrew III. Green, the father OF the
Gfeater New York. Briefly, II is the opinion
or many men about town that the possibiIi-
TIES IN The line of scandal resident I'm the
dhaw case are so great that the public well
rare as we'll as the ends of justice, would
De better served by permitting a commission
VI experts 10 decide the question of Thaw's
responsibility for the murder of White be-
Iore any jury Is permitted to decide oues
tons OF fact as to the killing
his View excludes from consIdera tiou
the Weli-known fact that 1t will be most dr.
ncuit FOR any collection OF lawyers however
astute, to get into the evidence while Justice
nli,zsera.d Is presiding, the wild stories in
volving the habits and tastes of the slain
man. and reliance upon the plea of 1ustif-
cation which Thaw insists upon is frau9hf
with dangerous possibilities for his defense.
=, NAV a mas not the mind to realize that. even
y ne was Justified under the higher law for
killing White. his lawyers won't be able to
introduce all the evidence to show IL. if this
evidence consists OF proof OF Whites inn
Thaw realize these difficulties and therefore
Insist upon MS pleading insanity ..-,...,.
Forecasting the Defense.
District Attorney Jerome started off on a
new tack yesterday afternoon, and. from
the significant Gus 3tions he asked of a tales-
man. who looked promising and was likely
10 become a Juror 1t was evident that the
district attorney had learned some new
iacts regarding a defense that might be
brought forth in behalf of Thaw
II was during the examination of Daniel
Oheefe, department store clerk that
Mr. Jerome gave an intimation of some
thing new that he had learned and which
ne was trying to cOntrovert. When Mr.
Ckeefe had answered to the satisfaction of
poth the prosecution and the defense the
usual questions concerning his business and
MS private life and his opinion concerning
the Thaw case. Mr.. Jerome asked him
whether the apparent Inconsistency of sew
eral defenses would preclude a careful con-
sideration Of their facts.
suppose, Mr.. OKeefe was asked, "the
DEFENSE should put forth two reasons of
Justification and one should not be exactly
consistent with the other, would you dis
credit botn OF those reasons? To make 1t
more clear to you. I will cite the case
who was shot and the defense brought for
ward three excuses. one being that the man
did not know the pistol was loaded. an
other that II he did know the pistol was
loaded. 1t went Off accidentally, and third.
II ne did know the pistol was loaded and
II 1t did not go off accidentally, he shot
the woman In self-defense"
Lawyer Hartridge objected to Mr.. Je-
romes explanation, and Justice Fitzgerald
ordered that 1t be stricken from the record.
Family Cut Young Wife.
It is evident to the most superficial OBJ
server that the sometimes friendly attitude
in court or the members of the Thaw family
toward Evelyn Nesbit and her actress
friend, Miss Mae Mackenzie, is assumed for
the purpose of impressing the public and
the Jurors that the outward semblance of
social recognition is veneer put on for
the occasion, and that between the Nesbit
and the Thaw families there Is no real feel
ing Of familiarity.
Thaw In a Rage Again.
Harry K. Thaw broke out again today.
He delivered another ultimatum to his at
torneys. The self-willed young man, now
on trial for his life-thanks to that same
self will-notifed his counselors that they
must tack; that the course they are now
steering in the hope of landing him In a
madhouse rather than in the death chair at
Sing Sing is Objectionable to him. He de-
clared that he would consent to or would