The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-02-05
The State Presents Its
Case in Short Order.
PLEA OF INSANITY
Is Advanced by Defendants Lawyer
ss Reason Why the Murderer
Should be Acquitted.

New York, Feb 5.-The state or
Monday laid its case against Harry *
Thaw--a plain. Unconditional story ol
the shooting on the Madison Square
Garden roof. leaving the malice aud
the motive to be inferred from the
act--and the defense replied with
plea OF hereditary insanity 1t was as
serted that Thaw in Staying Stanford
White believed he was acting as an
agent of Providence. that real or fan
cied wrongs committed against him
by the architect and former friend OF
his wife, had bubbed in his brain un.
til at last there came the explosive
impulse to kill. When the deel was
done, Thaw made no move to escape
its consequences. but holding the fatal
revolver aloft he stood as il mutely
proclaimlng to the world: THE deed
Is done; II was right; II was not
wrong"
Thus Thaw's counsel outlined his
case TO the jury after the prosecution
had occupied less than two hours OF
the morning sitting of the court in re-
lating through cyewitnesses the mar
rative OF the tragedy. When the de.
fense had interposed its plea and out.
lined its case, an adjournment was
taken until today when the first wit.
ncsses in Thaw's behalf will be heard.
"You Will hecv the story of this
mans insanity Attorney John r.
Gleason for the defense promised the
jury, from his mother from his wife,
from his relatives and from his physi.
clans. You will Judge him by his
acts, by the heredity and stress which
entered into his madness, and when
you como to judge him you viii say
TO yourself that his act may have been
one of insanity, but it was not one OF
crime"
That Thaws wife was to be one OF
his most important witnesses has long
been known; that his mother. Mrs.
William Thaw, of Pittsburg, was TO
take the stand only became known
positively Monday when the court en-.
forced the rule excluding from the
court room all witnesses save experts.
During the opening address by Mr..
Gleason, in which he entered the de
fense of insanity, Thaw sat with flush
ed cheeks which at times were buried
in his hands, and with eyes cast down
upon the table before him. lie sell
dom looked up, just feeting glance
now and then at the man who was
making the initial plea for his life and
freedom. Never once did his eyes so
to the jury box.
There was another period--during
the morning session--when Thaw
again looked only at his hands. clasp.
ed before him on the table. This was
when Lawrence White, the l9-year.old
son of Stanford White. occupied the
stand as the first witness for the
prosecution. Young White, who is II
Harvard student, was not a material
witness. He was with his father at
dinner the evening of the tragedy. but
left him before he went to Madison
Square Garden. White was alone. it
was testified, when Thaw approached
slowly from behind, wheeled faced
him and sent three bullets into his
body and brain.
In adopting calm, dispassonate
note in addressing the jury, Thaw' s
attorney followed in the pathway
hewn by Assistant District Attorney
Garyan, who opened for the prosecu-
ton. The rumor that there were to
be further changes in the jury box
would not down until Mr.. Garvan ac
tially began his address. 1t was said
that District Attorney Jerome had
brought all the pressure at his com
mand to gain consent for the removal
of one or two of the men, but Thaw's
counsel held out against all pleading
for a further revision OF the trial
panel.