Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-02-05
FIGHT TO SAVE THAW's LIFE.
CONTINUED From Page ~

versity. His mother, he said, now re-
sides at Cambridge, aMss.
White was on the stand but a few
minutes. He told of accompanying his
father to the Cafe Martin for dinner
and said when he left him to go with
his chum, a boy named King. to the
New York roof garden, it was the last
time he saw his father alive. Thaw's
attorney did not cross examine the wit
ness.
Paxton Heard Confession.
Warren Paxton, engineer at the
Madison Square garden, testified that
he was a witness to the shooting and
| accompanied Thaw, after the latter's
arrest down the elevator.
CAS- we entered the elevator" the
witness said, "Thaw admitted he had
done the shooting, caying "he ruined
my wife,
A woman whom he thought was
Thaw's wife replied to this. But look
at the fix you are in now,' and Thaw,
he said, replied, Well, dearie, have
probably saved your life"
Cohen Acts Out Tragedy.
Meyer Cohen, the song writer, an
other eye witness to the tragedy, took
the stand When asked to indicate
Thaw's manner of approaching the "r-
chitect the witness left the stand,
walked up and down before the jury
box, and illustrated the slow pace
which he declared characterized
1naw's deliberation Al approaching his
| victim.
He walked up to Whites table like
this" said the witness, indicating.
He made a slight detour, coming up
to White from behind, suddenly faced
him and fired three times
The witness did not take part in
the events which Immediately followed
tn shooting.
Henry S. Plaese, who witnessed
the shooting, said after it occurred that
Thaw retreated toward the rear of the
garden with his right hand elevated,
the BARREL of the pistol being pointed
upward"
The defense closely questioned
Plaese regarding the movement OF
Thaw's arms and particularly an effort
was made to bring out the point that
the pistol was pointed upward.
1 Was Life or Wife Ruined?
| The pistol with which White was
killed was identified by two witnesses
who aided in disarming Thaw. Police
man Debes, who arrested Thaw, said
he was unable to distinguish whether
Thaw said he had done the shooting
| because he ruined my wife, or my
I life"
| Coroner's Physician Leblanc. who
performed the autopsy on Whites
body, described the wounds made by
the three pistol shots and identified the
various bullets which were placed in
evidence.
Prosecution Rests.
case. and an adjournment was taken
! till 2 O'Clock, when Attorney Gleason
opened for the defense.
Insanity the Defense.
Attorney Gleason began his address
by saying the defense would be based
upon "the constitution and law of the
imperial state of New York. He sale
Thaw was suffering from insanity
hereditary in nature, when he shot
White. He stated that the defense
would be one of insanity. He declared
that Thaw believed he was actins
upon the word of providence when he
4 killed White, that he acted withou
malice and did not know the nature Of
quality of his act.
"An Experience With White"
Tnaw when fr;t asked by Thaw to BIZ
Shaw when first asked by Thaw to be
! his wife refused, because of IAN ex
I perience in her life connected with
White
I When Gleason concluded court al
! journed until tomorrow.