The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-12
THAW WAS PLUNGER
IN BRIDGE WHIST
His Method of Playing that
Game Gave Rise to Idea
that He was Insane.
WIFE'S NOTE IN EVIDENCE
MOST OF JUDGES RULINGS ON
DISPUTED POINTS, IN FAVOR
OF THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE
PROSECUTION.
Publishers Pressy

Publishers Pressy
New York. Feb. 11.-At a confer
ence OF Thaw's lawyers to consider
the further plan OF defense 1t was de-
termincd to iLti list on the admissible
ity OF Thaw's will and that Harry X.
Thaw should not be- called on 20 tes-
tify except in some emergency now
unforeseen.
II 10 possible that . mania that
Thaw had for bridge whist playing
may be brought to the attention OF
the fury to substantiate the claim that
Thaw was insane at the time OF the
shooting. Thaw, it IL said. played tho
game wildly and lost thousands of dol
lars. Persons who played with him.
IN commenting on his play. are cred
tied with saying that his style was
that Of "a crasy man."
Dolphin NJ. Delmas. chief council for
Thaw, Is quoted as saying In an i-.-
tervieW that he is much encouraged
with the outlook of the case and that
the story told by Mrs. Thaw in court
10 not half as tragic as it Was when
she told it to him during tho prepara-
ton Of the case.
The opening of the fourth week Of
the trial brought on q new order Of
things in the court room and all wom-
en- other than the half-dozen active
newspaper writer's who have followed
the case since the beginning were
barred by order of Justice Fitzgerald.
During the two days last week when
Mrs. Harry Thaw was on the witness
stand women crowded the court room.
having in some manner solved the
problem of getting past the bailiff at
the door. Monday women stormed the
portals in vain. In the belief that Mrs.
Harry Thxw WIS agusn 10 be the cen
tral figure in the trial. women were
anxious to hear the final details Of the
narrative of the prisoners wife.
Thaw's viii Identified.
J. ID. Lyon, Pittsburg banker, was
the first witness called. District At
torney Jerome objected to the substi-
tuition of . new witness for Mrs.
Thaw until her testimony is finished
and an argument ensued.
Mr. Jerome said he thought the de-
fense should offer some explanation
Of its purpose in interrupting the testi-
mony of Mrs Thaw to introduce Mr..
Lyon ms . witness.
Mr.. Delmax stated that when court
adjourned Friday the will OF defend
ant was under discussion and was
ruled out because of insufficiency OF
proof OF the document. Il was pro-
posed, he said, to proceed with iden-
tification Of the will. Mr.. Delmas ask
ed that Mr.. Lyon, who was called
from his business in Pittsburg to tes-
tify at this time, be allowed merely to
identify an envelope and the package
(the wild it contained. Then, he de-
clared. il the district attorney object
ed further he would defer for the time
being to offer the will in evidence.
Mr. Jerome. in argument that his
objection should be sustained, went
into discussion " the rules OF EVIL
dence, which prevented him from con
troverting the truth of Mrs. Thaws
testimony as to the story she told her
husband. Judicially, Mr.. Jerome said,
the court could not say as to whether
or not the story Mrs. Thaw told her
husband had an effect on his mind.
Il must object to this line OF argu-
ment by the district attorney" inter
rupfed Mr.. Delmas. He is address
ing himself to facts not in evidence"
Justice Fitzgerald stated that all the
~Aau
record practically by consent, but now
the Judgment OF the court was fnyoiS-
ed. The objection to the introduction
OF the documents Friday was techni-
cal. but sound. There was q witness
on the stand when court adjourned,
whose testimony was not finished. "tt
seems to me-" said the court, that
witness should be finished with. or
consent should be given to proceed
with this witness"
Mr.. Jerome, after short whispered
conference with Mr.. Delmas, with
drew his objection, and Mr.. Lyon was
permitted to give his testimony. He
testified to having Thaw's will in his
custody in a sealed envelope from
April. 1905 until November, then
gave II TO his stenographer. In cross
examination Mr.. Lyon was asked 10
produce oth~r letters Of Tha~. Mr.
Delmas objected
What's the natter" asked Jerome.
Don't you want those letters pro-
duced?" Il haven't the slightest OBJ
lection to the introduction OF any let
ter this defendant ever wrote" was
the reply. Mr.. Delmas objected ID
the letters being turned over to the
district attorney 1t was finally agreed
that the letters should be turned over
TO the clerk OF the court.
Mr.. Lyon was excused and John b.
Gleason, one of Thaw's attorneys, was
called. Gleason has had possession OF
most OF defendants papers since the
tragedy. He said the envelope con-
tanning the viii was in his possession
since Dec IL. 1906. when he received
it by mail from Pittsburg. AbsoluteD