The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-05
INSANITY THE PLEA
OF HARRY K. THAW
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.

Evelyn Thnw Takes stand To-day.
The principal witness tomorrow is ex-
pected to be Evelyn Nesbit Thaw her
self. She will tell Of her relations with
White and the circumstances that led
her husband 10 shoot the architect.
For half an hour before Justice Fitz-
gerald took his seat on the bench this
morning there was a probability that the
district attorney would ask for the ex-
clusion of az least one, and possibly two
members Of the jury. There is no doubt
whatever that the district attorneys Office
was not wholly satisfied with the records
OF these two men SC far as they might
affect their abilities as jurors. There was
a hurried conference over them there,
but at the end of it Mr.. Jerome had de
cided to go or with the case without any
effort TO alter the complexion Of the jury.
II was reported that he felt he had not
sufficient circumstantial information TO
justify him in going before Justice Fitz-
gerald with a request to excuse the two
jurors.
The opening of court was delayed twen-
" minutes because Justice Newburger
was opening the February term Of his
y
trial Before Justice Fitzgerald took his
seat, the Thaw family party had arrived.
The Countess Of Yarmouth was the only
one absent whose face has become IA
miliar at the previous sessions Of the
trial Il was stated that she had a cold.
Thaw's Mother Has Good Seat.
Harry Thaw's mother gray-haired and
self-contained as usual sat In an aisle
seat, her daughter, Mrs George L. Car
negie. sitting between her and Evelyn
Nesbit Thaw, who as usual was accom-
panied by the never-failing May McKeu-
zie. In front Of the women sat Josiah
Thsw and Edward Thaw. The wife of
Harry Thaw was gowned in the blue
tailor-made suit that she has worn since
the trial opened. and, as before, she wore
a heavy veil through which her pale face
and pretty, pallid features were dimly
seen.
When Clerk Penny announced that. by
order of the court. all persons who were
10 appear as witnesses in the trial would
be excluded from the courtroom the exit
of Evelyn Nesbit Thaw, Mrs. William
Thaw, and May Mckenzie was the first
official information that all of these
ness stand. The only exceptions 10 this
rule of exclusion were the various physi-
clans and other expert witnesses EN-
ployed on both sides.
These included DTs. MabOn. Macdonald
and Austin Flint. for the prosecution.
These three alienists, who are expected
10 testify that Thaw was sane when he
shot White. occupied seats inside the
rail. DR.. Britton d. Evans. superintendent
ent Of the Morris Plains Insane Asylum,
one of the defense's alienists, arrived ear
~ In the afternoon and sat with Thaws
counsel DIT. Dana and DR.. Allan Nc
Lane Hamilton are also expected to ap-
pear for the defense.
Handwriting Expert There.
Before the case for the prosecution was
all in, David \. Carvalho. the handwrit-
ing expert who has testified in so many
murder trials. appeared He. too. con-
suited with Thaw's lawyers and then. sat
down near them. 1t is supposed that he
viii be called upon 10 prove the author
snip OF certain letters and notes alleged
to have been sent TO Evelyn Nesbit Thaw
by Stanford White
The courtroom as a whole presented a
spectacle most unusual in the course of
murder trial Of such Importance. The
spacious apartment was not half filed
II contained. with half a dozen excep-
tons, absolutely nobody. save persons
connected with the case before the court
and writer's for the newspapers.
From the very first Justice Fitzgerald
mas taken every pTeCaution TO prevent
the case from taking on any of the at
tributes Of a hippOdrOme or n public
show, and the knowledge that admission
could not be had discouraged thronRs of
the curious from besieging the Criminal
Courts buildings and the courtroom. A
strong detachment Of police was on hand
20 picket the courtroom, and nobody got
10y them who could not show cause.
No Dramatic Features.
The proceedings themselves would prob
ably have disappointed the curious If
they had succeeded in getting in. There
was little OF the dramatic and no neIo-
drama at all Everything went on in a
straightforward. businesslil1e manner that
might well have obtained in a hearing be-
fore the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion.
Not that there were not moments Of
tensity. There were. But they were
tense because Of the issues Of life and
death that they involved. not because
Of anything theatrical in the method or
the manner Of the actors in the scene.
Such moment arrived when after As
sistant District Attorney Garvan had di-
recuy, briefly, formally accused Harry
lhaW OF the deliberate malicious. and
premeditated murder of Stanford White.
ne announced the name of the prosecu-
ton 3 first witness, and Clerk Penny
called Lawrence Grant White"
There was a hush that lasted several
seconds. while the mUff1ed voice of q
court officer was heard outside in the
corridor repeating the name Then the
door opened and a handsome dark-haired
slender lad entered and made his way
10 the witness stand. It was the son of
the man whom Harry Thaw slew. He is
a sophomore in Harvard University. and
told the court that he was nineteen wears
Old
Defendant Watches Young White.
Harry Thaw. sitting with his face
directly toward the boy whom he had
made fatherless, gave one swift glance in
the lads direction Then his lips twttched
his eyes fell. and ne dropped his fore
head into his hands He did not lift his
eyes from the table again while Stanford
Whites son sat in the witness chair.
For the first time during the trial. Thaw
seemed nervous and III at ease TODAY.
But his bearing was al all times dlgnifed
and quiet, and he gave close attention TO
al the testimony that did not relate
closely 10 the killing OF White. When
the prosecutions witnesses were describ-
ing how White died. Thaw glanced about
the courtroom or up at the ceiling. quite
as though he did not hear a word of what
was being said. When the bullets that
the corOner's physician. Iehane. svvore ne