The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-13


hypothetical question propounded to Or.
Wagner by Mr.. Delmas yesterday, in
which most Of Mr.. Jerome's objections
were sustained by the court to-day.
First Witness Called.
The first witness called by Mr. Delmas
was DR.. Britt0n d. Evans, superintendent
Of the State Insane Hospital at Morris
Plains, n. J.
The witness first saw Thaw August 4,
1905, IN the Tombs, and in all visited him
eight times.
Dr. Evans said he was alone on the
visits of August and October J. At other
times he was accompanied by Dr. Charles
C. Wagner, who testified yesterday
what during those visits did you OBJ
serve in the mental condition OF Mr..
Thaw?"
ION the first visit. on August /. ne ex-
hibited peculiar facial expression. glar-
ing Of the eye, restlessness Of the eye.
suspicion of his surroundings and Of me.
nervous agitation and restlessness such
as comes from a severe brain storm COM
mon in those who have recently gore
through an explosive or Illuminating con-
dltion of mental unsOundness He ex-
hibited decisions of a personal character,
an exaggerated ego, and along with them
delusions of a persecutory character He
thought himself of exaggerated impor-
lance and believed himself prosecuted by
a number of persons"
BY an exaggerated ego" Dr. Evans said
he meant a dispropOrtlonate idea of inn
pOrtance OF self, a belief that one is
clothed with powers, capacity, and ability
far above normal or above those actually
possessed"
These symptoms. he said. were charac-
teristic of several mental diseases.
AdoIescent Insanity.
One of the mental diseases indicated by
Thaw's actions. Dr. Evans declared, is
known as adolescent insanity 1t Is char
acteristic Of the development period Of
life-from ten to forty years. The person
thus afflicted is known as having a
psychopathic faint. a predisposition 20
mental UnsoUndness, the result OF
heredity.
Another form Of insanity indicated,
said the witness, is known as paranOia, OF
fixed insanity on some subject The third
is maniacal. where the patient jumps from
one idea 10 another These forms and
others are characterized by the exagger-
ated ego They are well-dehned forms.
about which there can be no difference Of
opinion.7
rs there any specific name. doctor"
asked Mr.. Deimas, given to that form Of
insanity wherein one imagines himself
omnipresent-the ruler Of the world?"
THAT is included in the forms of in
sanity 10 which l have referred Both
adolescent insanity and paranoia insanity
are characterized by decisions as 10 self
Importance and exaggerated ego. In
adOlescent insanity the patient exhibits
no marked symptoms. But when the
stress comes"-Dr. Evans took on a de-
clamatory tone of voice-"the man does
not break down as the ordinary OF nor
NAL man would There Is a complete
loss of mental balance an explosive con-
ditiOn Of the brain. the reason becomes
dethroned. the will power is lost. and the
brain is operating as "a ship does I'm the
wind without a rudder-tbc balance wheel
is gone
Mind Leaves MOOriBgs.
The acts Of such a man are not the
acts of a normal man. but show him
10 be guided by disease and stress. His
mind has left it's moorings and yielded
70 diseased conditions.
"On my first visit I also noticed that
Mr.. Thaw suffered from rapid flow Of
words, not characteristic Of the normal
mind. He showed a condition Of abnor-
NAL excitement diseased condition OF
the brain"
IN tho disease you describe how do
the conditions differ from the conditions
IN normal man who speaks rapidly
An ordinary normal man speaks more
or less deliberately on all matters Of
grave Importance; he talks slowly and
his idea. come logically and connectedly.
In a man of unsound mind the ideas come
rapidly, tumbling over each other. jump
ing from one subject 20 another, that at
once leads a trained observer to suspect
unsOuDdness OF mind. To me Il means
that the mind has either recently come
through or is Just getting into a severe
mental storm; in other words. il IS either
the twilight or dawn of a state of mental
unsoundness. or explosion
by delUsiOus I mean false ideas out ~
which n man cannot be argued by Ioei-
cal and ordinary arguments Mr.. Thaw
exhibited what I believe were false ideas
which my arguments couldn't shake"
Nhen was your next visit 10 the
Tombs?"
4 believe it was September q"
Jerome Objects.
District Attorney Jerome objected TO
this question on the ground that the
date was not fixed
L have fixed it as nearly as 1 car" was
the doctors reply
DIR. Wagner said the 18th" began
Mr. Jerome.
u have nothing to do with DR.. Wag-
ner's testimony" interrupted Or. Evans.
Il am not addressing my remarks TO
you, sir" snapped Mr. Jerome
Later in the session DR.. Evans explained
he meant August 19
ION this visit" said Dr. Evans. "I OBJ
served Mr.. Thaw was still agitated bad
the peculiar glaring eye so well recognized
Z A CHOR