Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-21
GLEASON TO CONDUCT THE CASE,
Exciting and Dramatic Scene At
Judges Desk-=Counsel For Both
Sides Claim a Point.

New York, March 20.-The blow
which Harry Kendall Thaw has been
| in terror of ever since his trial for the
murder of Stanford White began, fell
| today. District Attorney jerome did not
make formal application for the ap-
| pOintment of q commission in lunac :
but in an impassioned speech he APP
| pealed to the conscience of the cOu,t
asserting that Thaw as he sits daily in
court is unable inteligently to advise
his counsel and is believed by every
one who has watched and come into
contact with him, to be insane Mr..
Jerome asserted that his own alenists
the six men who testified for the state
i-were convinced when they had con-
sidered all the facts in connection with
the case that Thaw was of uEsound
| mind.
| Mr. Jerome dramatically a used the
counsel for the defence Of concealing
testimony which, if presented 10 the
court, would make the continuance Of
| the trial a crime. So earnestly did he
| plead that Justice Fitzgerald dismissed
the jury until Friday morning and adj
journed court until , o'clock tomorrow
afternoon when he will consider what
and decide whether the trial shall go on
or whether q commission in lunacy shall
be appointed to pass upon Thaw's men,
tll condition today.
The scenes attending the adjourn
| mCrt Of court shortly after / o'clock
| were dramatic AMI exciting. Thaw'S
counsel seemed taken utterly by sur
prise. THIS was expected to be the last
| day of the trial except for the summing
ND before the jury. Soon after the
| three-cornereu discussion among Jus
| tice Fitzgerald, District Attorney Je-
rome and Mr.. Dclmas began Thaw's
five other attorneys gathered one by
one. around the judges desk and for a
| time seemed intent upon denying what
| the court had termed the charges of
unprofessonal conduct brought against
them by the prosecuting attorney.
Thaw, detected. sat deserted at his
counsel table. He had seemed unusu-
ally pale and somewhat haggard when
he came into court at the beginning
Of the morning session, having COM
planned of fatigue and rcst!essness.
When the district attorney and Mr..
Delmas began their usual early morn
ing skirmish soon after the trial start
cd, ThaW@ spirits seemed to brighten
and he laughed in good humor at some
of the passages alarms between the
Learned district attorney ard the
Learned counsel from the Pacific
slope
hs the argument began to take on q
more serious phase, however, the prs-
oner sat deeply concerned. He flushed
crimson as one by one his attorneys
left him to rally to the support Of Mr..
Dclmas, who, in the midst of the pro-
cecdings. was superseded by Attorney
John 3. Gleason. Thaw bit his nails.
opened ard closed his hands nervousiy
and finally sank down in his chair in
an attitude of utter detection.
In an adjoining room, where they
could hear the excited and uDlifte1
voices Of counsel, stood Mrs. William
Thaw, the mother, and Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw. the wife who had barred the Sc
crets of her soul in the effort to save
her husband from the electric chair and
from the fate which he declares he
drea0s more-a mad house.