Milford chronicle., 1907-02-15
EXPERT DESCRIBES
THAW'S INSANITY
Says Prisoner Suffered From brain
Storm" When He Shot White.
EVELYN TELLS OF HER WRONGS

Was Lured to Studio BY Architect
Dragged With Wine and Her Ruir
AcoOmpllshed-TOld All to Than
When He Proposed Marriage In
1s0s-Prisoner Wept As Wife Gave
Testimony.
New York, Feb. 13-District Attor-
ney Jerome and Dolphin M. Delmas
came together in the first serious
clash between counsel in the Harry
X. Thaw trial, and the California at
Eorney, who is directing the defense,
took exceptions to certain statements
of the prosecuting officer, and had in
serted in the record of the case a pro-
test against the misconduct of the
learned district attorney"
Mr.. Jerome holly accused the de-
PENDANTS counsel of trying to instill
into the minds of the jury the implied
suggestion that the operation per
formed upon Evelyn Nesbit in 1903,
before Thaw took her to Europe, was
f'of a criminal nature" when, "as a
matter Of fact" he said, 'it was for
appendicitis"
MT. Delmas called the attention Of
Justice Fitzgerald to this, saying that
the district attorney was stating facts
mot in evidence and that "a very seri-
Gus exception must be taken to his re
marks"
DR.. Britton D. Evans. of the State
Hospital for the Insane, at Morris
Plains, N. J., was the witness, and he
testified that he was of the opinion
that Harry Thaw was insane at the
time OF the tragedy. He had been |
called upon to answer a long hypo- |
Ghetical question, in which reference |
had been made to "a serious if not |
capital operation" upon Miss Nesbit,
when the storm between counsel
broke.
Dr. Evans was by far the most sat
tsfactory expert witness to the de-
Tense thus far produced. He detailed
to the jury his observations and ex-
aminations of Harry Thaw during
eight visits to the prisoner in the
Tombs, and declared it to be his opin-
Ion that Thaw was suffering from "a
brain storm or an explosive or fulmi-
mating condition of mental unsound-
ness" at the time he shot and killed
Stanford White.
DR.. Evans gave many and elaborate
for his opinion, and during
his examination Mr.. Delmas deftly
brought out the fact, whereas Thaw
was suffering from storm and stress
when the alienist first visited him in I
August last, his condition had shown !
steady and gradual improvement until
on October s Thaw was more COM
posed and deliberate"
Answering a hypothetical question I
covering every detail of the testimony
up to the present time, Dr. Charles
G. Wagner, superintendent of the State I
for the Insane at Bingham Y
ton, N. Y, declared on the witness a
stand that in his opinion Harry X i
Thaw did not know that the act was
wrong when he shot and killed Stan v
ford White o
When young Mrs. Thaw was called v
to the stand Mr.. Delmas turned to the
district attorney and renewed his de- F
nand that the note which was passed p
BY Mrs. Thaw to her husband at the k
Cafe Martin the night of the tragedy, L
should be produced. Mr.. Jerome, upon h
he occasion of the first demand, had Il
silent. He was on his feet at !
lnce, saying he would send for the slip
If paper. It was brought from his Of II
ice. was identified by Mrs. Thaw and ei
hen read by Mr. Delmas as follows: c;
''The b was here minute ago but 81
vent out again" d.
meant the ''blackguard." as Thaw al u
Ways referred to Stanford White, whom W
he had seen on the balcony of the u
afe. D.