The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-11
70 REACH M. AND IS
 1o:3o 7ODA y

roof garden and in such a manner that his enemy should have no chance to de- fend himself then turned suddenly, and, holding the pistol so close to Stanford Whites head that after he was dead MT. Smith, his brother-in-law, did not know him because of the powder marks, and fired once, twice, three times.
 MT. Jerome picked up the pistol from the table in front of him and as he spoke the words punctuated them by pulling the trigger three times.
 Deliberately he shot the man who had barred him from clubs, who had once taken from him the woman he loved and threatened to take her away again, and then, my learned opponent tells you he stood with his arms extended, like a priest dlsmissing a congregation. l did not see anything in the evidence about that.
 Ruined My Wife.
 ''He held the pistol up that the people present might know that there would be no more shooting in order to prevent a panic. When the man who answered him asked him why he did 1t the prisoner an- swered He ruined my wife,
 He did not say I am the apostle of God, appoitned to kill this ravisher of American virgins
 No, my friends this apostle of God business came after this defendant had the advice of my friend, Dr. Evans"
 MT. Jerome went into the details of the evidence regarding Thaw's actions and words after the killing, and said there was not one thing that did not show ab- solute calmness, coolness and rationality-
 Rational and Cool. "IIe was rational, he was calm and eool,' went on the district attorney. He walks up to his enemy, after care fully locating him, and carefully takes a m To tnlx Oh m nf hitting any one else You are told his face was white. Here was man who had nursed an enmity for three years, who for three years had glared at his enemy until after good dinner and hearing the story of two men and a woman, in which Truxton Beale had figured, de- liberately shoots down his enemy Is it any wonder he was white? Is the killing Of human being a thing so common that a man can do 1t without turning? You locate your enemy; you locate the man who black balled you at clubs. who you say raVished your wife, who spread stories of pervereion about you you shoot him down and then come here with your 'dementia Americana" 1t is absurd. Why the crime bristles with reconciliation. Un- explained 1t is murder in the first degree A man shoots down his enemy, who, no matter how bad he may be, is entitled to the protection of the law Let him be blacker than the cloak of midnight, which counsel yesterday threw about his mem- ory, and l say he still had a right to be where he was on the night of the 18th of last June. He had right to believe that the laws of this community would pro- tect him.
 Who Made Him Executioner?
 "Who made this man the executioner of Stanford White? Had he no right to put his faith in the laws of this state? Must , man go armed here as in a mining camp?
 "There Is nothing in this direct case. gentlemen, that does not show cold blooded, premeditated murder. And to this what answer is made?
 ." I was insane when I went thirty feet across that room and fired three shots into a mans head; I did not know 1t was a pistol l held in my hand: l did not know 1t was Stanfo~d writ-