The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-06


 New York. March 5.--The prospect that Mrs. William Thaw. the white haired mother of the defendant, might be witness today at the trial tended to revive interest.
 Dr. Charles O. Wagner, superinten- dent Of the State Hospital for the Insane at Binghampton, N fss was recalled to the stand and his cross ex- animation continued. District At~ torney Jerome began by reading tho latter part of Dr. Wagners testimony yesterday regarding the characteristics if the brain storm so as to take up .he line of question where 1t was left off Tho witness yesterday refer red Mir. Jerome to an instance Of brain storm cited in one of the medi- cal authorities. Today the prosecu- other reported cases of brain storm.
 pr. Wagner said he could not recall any offhand.
 Thaw who had brought his custom arv batch of letters into court with him. after brief whispered conver- sation with some of his counsel. pro- ceeded to read a large number of epis- ties. He then took large pad out of one of his big envelopes, secured pen and ink and began to write letter. He was decidedly the least interested spectator in the room. In fact the expert testimony throughout has bored the prisoner immeasurably. His pres- ent attitude Is in sharp contrast to the keen interest displayed while his wife was on the witness stand.
 Mir. Jerome asked Dr. Wagner # he could cite a brain storm in which the onset took place in ten minutes. The doctor could not.
 Does the ca1mness and deliberation with which Thaw walked down the aisle of the roof garden and shot White indicate anything about his men tal condition? Is 1t natural for a person suffering from 9 brain storm to act in this mannerg" asked the district attorney.
 No Rule of Insanity.
 II have already told you that Ican- not lay down any rule as to conduct of insanity replied pr. Wagner
 There Is no natural way in which things are dona. Insanity In itself ia unnatural. I remember one case in which patient was out walking with party and suddenly jumped into a canal, climbed under a culvert and was drowned. remember another case of patient who took off his necktie, tied 1t to a bed and lying down or, ths door rested his neck in a loop he made in the tie until he was cholxed to death."
 Have you ever known a person to commit an act of homicide in a brain storm by going about 1t with calmness and cooiness?"
 ssrhere are no two cases of insanity, or even of sanity Tor that matter. which are exactly similar"
 Since you win not answer my ques- ton directly, am right in assuming that you have never observed case of brain storm or mental illumination Tn which the person committed acts of violence with calrnnessg
 T prefer to answer as have Cool ness and deliberations' does not acc curafely fit any case I have ever known.''
 You could not tell what was going on in the defendants brain except what was apparent to the eye, could yousp
 NO"
 the Hypothetical question indicative of brain storm29
 T can't tear the hypothetical ques- tion to pieces that way.p
 a,Fhen will tear 1t to pieces for yous said Mir. Jerome. The district att0fney proceeded to read extracts from the questions and asked if they individually suggested-.R brain storm. Dr. Wagner said that taken collec- lively the facts indicated a mental fulmination--an extraordinary state of mind.
 .'T'he fact that this man was his deadly enemy" continued Mir. Jerome, ..the fact that he was helpless to de- fend himself in view of the manner which the defendant approached him; the fact that 1t was this defendants first opportunity to kill with impuni- ty, the man who he believed was arm