Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-02-15
The ThaW Trial.

tense in the case Of Harry K. Tnaw ask
tor d commission to determine the sanity
of the slsyer of Stanford White, on next
Monday, as has been intimsted may BIZ
done, there will be no opposition Oh the
part of the attorneys for the State.
This wss the gist of a statement COM
ing from the District ATTORNEYS tfFice
today, and while prosecutor Jerome 10
not quoted 10 it, there is the bet OF rea-
SOD tor believing that be inspired It.
New York, Feb. l5-It is today taken
for granted that unless Juror Bolton has
an actual physical break down, there
will be no mistrial in the Thaw case.
Mrs. Bottoms funeral has been fixed for
tomorrow afternoon. II is believed tina;
by Monday Bolton will be fit TO continue
his duty 10 the State.
Without any mistrial, however, the
proceedings are likely to be cut short.
Jerome's experts are incl.ning more and
more to the belief that Thaw is really
insane. Jerome Lay, therefore, deciee
to demand a commission in lunacy early
next week. Should the commission for
mally declare Thaw insane, he will be
sent to Matteawan without further ado.
All along Th~w has covered between
tbs twin fears of Sing Sing and the chair
aud Matteswan, and the strict and per
hsps Ife-loOg discipline under which
the criminally insane are placed.
Thaw's attorneys had to RECOGNIZES
that an insanity plea was the only thing
which could save Thaw's life. In intro
duciug this plea, however, they have
endeavored to leave gap 10 the testi-
mony by which the jury, while be-
ing convinced that Thsw was insane
when he killed White, would have no
justification in declaring that Thaw
is insane now. 1t has been noticed
that the experts for the defense
have not examined Thaw since
December Tney have sworn that he
was mad in August and September and
better, though still mad, 10 December.
The iutimatiou was that Tnaw had I'M.
proved and might nog be well. But
they could not testify he was vel, be-
cause they had not seen him.
This plan OF campaign required The
greatest possible fnesse. II bad alresdy.
b, gun 10 look rs if tn Jury would never
send Thaw to the char Delmas WAS
leaving them without sufficient evidence
to send him to MatteswaD.
Jerome's reported intention to sum-
mon lunacy commission is to balk this
plan. II be takes this sction it will be
on the theory that ii Thsw was insane
enough last summer to escape the chair,
be is insane enough to go to MatteawaD.
This move By jerome would putTnsw's
defenders 10 a very critical position.
They have been bringing in evidence that
Thaw was a parauoiac, both by inherit
ance aud development, and that tho
disease last summer had reached a
point where II amounted 10 homicdal
mania. Then DIR. Evans has testi-
fed that Thaw has an abnormal
head, an abnormal heart and other
attributes OF a crazy person. They have
told about Thaw's insane aunt and have
read lot Of incoherent love letters to
prove unsoundness Of mind. They have
a will ready to introduce TO further clinch
the proof of dementia
Now, should commission in lunacy
take this same evidence and decide on
the strength of it, that Thaw is now in
sane, no power on earth could keep him
out Of Mat,eawan. And while Thaw
may be better than he was last sumner,
confinement with crazy people might 90
expected to aggravste his complaint 90
that no board OF examining physicians
would be able, at a later date, to pro
nounce him cured. The outcome Of such
q situation would mean life imprison-
ment. Thaw breads life imprisonment
more than he does the electric chair, and
he Is demanding from bis attorneys that
they save him from such fate at
al pnz'a