The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1907-02-06
THAW CASE PRESENTED.
Defense Replied With Plea ei
Hereditary Insanity.

Story Of Mans Insanity Promised
From His Mother, His Wife, His
Relatives and Physicians - Thaw's
Demeanor During Testimony Of His
Victims Son-Eyewltnesses Called.
New York. Feb. 5.-The state laid
bare its case against Harry X. Thaw
yesterday-a bald. Unconditional story
of the shooting in the Madison Square
Roof Garden leaving the motive to be
tense replied with plea of hereditary
insanity. 1t was asserted that Thaw
in Staying Stanford White believed he
was acting as an agent of Providence.
that real or fancied wrongs committed
against him by the architect and form.
er friend of his wife seethed in his
brain until at last there came the ex.
plosive impulse to kill.
When the act was accomplished
Thaw made no move to escape its
consequences. but holding the fatal
revolver aloft he stood as if mutely
proclaiming to the world: The deed
is done; it was right; it was not
wrong"
Thus Thaw's counsel outlined his
case to the jury, after the prosecution
had occupied less than two nours OF
the morning sitting of the court In re.
lating through eyewitnesses the mar
rative of the tragedy. When the de.
fense had interposed its plea and out.
lined its case an adjournment was
taken.
You will hear the story of this
mans insanity Attorney John B.
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 en-
tered into his madness, and when you
come to Judge him you will say to
yourself that his act may have been
one of insanity, but 1t was not one Of
crime
Mother and Wife Excluded.
That Thaw's 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 when the court excluded
experts. Thaws mother at the COM
mand left the room after a moments
hesitation. She seemed unwilling to
be parted from her son in the hour of
his need.
His wife, too, reluctantly left the
room, bestowing a last radiant smile
of courage and hope upon her prisoner
husband. May Mackenzie was the
third of the women who have been
daily In the Thaw party to leave the
court room. Thaw seemed detected
Many times last week during the dull
days of selecting jury he turned
to his wife for comfort and found her
ever ready with a quick responsive
smile. Now that the serious work OF
the trial was to begin he was to be
denied her presence.
During the opening address by Mr.
Gleason in which he entered the de.
fense OF insanity Thaw sat with
flushed cheeks, which at times he
covered with his hands, and with
downcast eyes. He seldom looked up,
just a fleeting glance now and then
at the man who was making the first
plea for his life and freedom. Never
once did his eyes wander to the jury
box where the 12 men, with grave
faces, listened intently to every word
of Mr.. Gleason's somewhat lengthy
speech.
There was another period-during
the morning session - when Thaw
again looked only at his hands, clasped
before him on the table. This was
when Lawrence White, the 10 year old
son of Stanford White, was on the
stand as the first witness for the pro.
secution.
Young White, who is a Harvard stu.
dent, was not a material witness. He
was with his father at dinner the
evening of the tragedy but left him be-
fore he went to Madison Square Gar
den. White was alone, it was testl
fed, when Thaw approached slowly
from behind, wheeled, faced him and
sent three bullets into his brain and
body.
Thaw's counsel told the story of the
Hri,oner's love for the girl he made
his wife. He met Evelyn Nesbit in
1901 and then and there began in him
an honorable regard and love for the
girl. He told her mother of that
love. The girl was in a precarious
condition following a serious opera
tion in saniiarium and Thaw sug.
gested to her mother that she take
Evelyn abroad to recuperate.
1t was arranged that Thaw should
accompany the two as the avowed
suitor of Miss Nesbt. In 1908 he
asked her to marry him and she re-
| fused
"The reason for this refusal you will
hear from her lips" announced Mr..
Gleason. Suffice it to say the reason