Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-03-05
AL|EN|ST DECLARES
THAW Was CRAZY
DIR. EVANS HOLDS HE SUFFERED
FROM ADoLEScENT INSANITY
AT TIME OF MURDER.
JEROME MAY ASK FOR
LUNACY COMMISSION
Cross Examination by District Attor
ney Indicates Evident Intention OF
rosecution-Expert Witness Gives
More Definite Answers.

Prosecution-Expert Witness Gives
More Definite Answers.
New York, March 2.-District Attor
ney Jerome's intention of applying for
a commission in lunacy to examine
Harry X. Thaw seemed to have been
definitely established Friday morning
during the continuance of his cross
examination of Dr. B. d. Evans, the
principal medical expert for the de-
Tense. DR.. Evans stated that he be-
lieved Thaw to have been suffering
from adolescent insanity in 1908, and
at the time of his marriage, April 4,
1905, and that when he killed Stanford
White, June %, 1906, he was the vic.
tim of an acute and recurrent attack
of the same mental malady. DR.. Ev.
ans was more definite in his answers
Friday and was induced to. make
these statements with positiveness.
In addition to the explosions" he
said there were indications of mental
instability at other times.
To Hold Thaw a Paranoiac.
Mr. Jerome, during his examination,
constantly referred to the subject of
paranoia, but was unable to secure
from the witness any admission that
would tend to show Thaw paranoiac.
BY this line of questioning it seems
probable that the prosecution will at
tempt to show that instead of being
afflicted with the insanity of adde's
cence, Thaw is actually paranoiac.
DR.. Evans would not classify Adde'S
cent insanity as chronic in Thaw's
case, and said he had known cases Of
this form of mental unsoundness to
clear up over night.
DR.. Evans resumed the stand after
recess and District Attorney Jerome
continued to question him regarding
the so-called mental explosions he tes-
titled he believed Thaw had suffered
from.
Outbreaks Were Different.
DR.. Evans declared various out
breaks did not suggest paranoia, in
that they all differ. In writing the
will Thaw seemed to fear for his life;
at other times he Indicated simple
melancholia, and at last there was the
explosive outbreak on the Madison
Square roof garden. These variances,
the expert asserted, were indicative
of insanity of the adolescent period,
but there was no fixed form as in pa.
ranoia.
Mr.. jerome here read from DR.. Ev-
ans direct testimony, in the course of
which he said that Thaw's will and CO.
dicil showed paranoiac form of de-
velopf1ental or adolescent insanity.
The prosecutor asked if that testi-
mony was correct.
ut is" replied the witness. 1.-The
will and codicil suggested the parano-
lac form, but the outbreaks and exhi-
billions have shown other forms, in
dicating that it was not paranoiac
from which the defendant was suffer-
Ing"
Mr.. Jerome handed the witness the
original copy of the will and asked:
What paranoiac signs were dis
played in this?"
"The eighth section of the will"
said DR.. Evans, indicates paranoiac
form OF adolescent insanity, rather
than any of the other forms of adol-
escent or developmental insanity.
This section shows an apprehensive
state of mind because he was willing
to give large sums of money to prose-
cute men whom he suspected were
trying to kill him. have been asked
to classify this form of insanity, and
put 1t in the paranoiac class, as it
shows some of the characteristics of
paranoia."
Mr.. Jerome moved to strike out the
answer as irresponsible.
Il asked the witness question"
he said, land he has delivered an adj
dress. The question and the address
bear little relation to each other"
Justice Fitzgerald allowed the an,
swer to stand.
Defendant Reads Letters.
After luncheon recess Thaw brought
half hundred new letters with him
from the Tombs. He spent much of
the afternoon reading them, seeming
Tar more interested in what his volun-
teer correspondents had to say than
In the evidence Of his alienist.
4 During the morning session Thaw
asked and received permission to
leave the court room. When he got
into the prisoners pen it is said he
told his guard that he merely wanted
to stretch himself and get some exer-
else. He waved his arms somewhat
violently and walked rapidly up and
down. District Attorney Jerome was
informed of what had occurred.