The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1907-01-30
JURY IS NEARLY FILLED.
Testimony In Thaw Trial May
Begin Wednesday.


Of Difference Between a Reasonable
Doubt and a Possible Doubt - De-
fense Readily Accepted Him.
New York, Jan. 29.-The jury which
is to try Harry X. Thaw for killing
Stanford White Is rapidly nearing
completion. When court adjourned
last evening there were nine men In
the jury box, one having been added
during the morning session and a sec
ond Just before the hour of adjourn
ment, o'clock. 1t is thought that
the taking of testimony may be begun
Wednesday afternoon.
Fifty talesmen we're examined yes
terday. So rapidly were the remain
ing members of the special panel dis
posed of at the morning session that
at the noon recess orders were hur
ried from the court that an additional
100 men be summoned to report before
Justice Fitzgerald in the morning.
This will make total of 300 men thus
far summoned. OF the original panel
there remain but 35. 1t was not con-
sidered this number would be suffi-
cient for the selection of the three
jurymen necessary to make up the
trial complement of II.
OF the 80 men examined 43 we're eX-
cused upon doctors certificates; upon
| the ground that they had formed opin.
| ions too strong to be shaken by the
forthcoming testimony; because they
| knew Stanford White, or some i'm
| portant witness in the case, and for
various other reasons. Five talesmen
were challenged peremptorily, the
state leading in the exercise of this
| privilege with three challenges. The
defense exercisd the right in two in
| stancs.
The two men of the 80 who proved
acceptable to the state and to Thaw
and his counsel were Charles d. New
ton, retired railroad official, who is
perhaps 65 years of age, and Louis
Haas, the New York representative of
Philadelphia wholesale candy con.
cern, who is not more than 30 years
of age. Both Mr.. Jerome and Mr.
Hartridge, the leading lawyer for the
defendant, were congratulated upon
securing two such capable jurors as
Messrs. Newton and Haas appeared to
| be.
In accepting the latter Mr.. Jerome
dwelt for some time upon the question
of reasonable doubt. He questioned
the talesman searchingly as to his
ideas of the difference between a rea-
sonable doubt and possible doubt.
Mr.. Haas seemed to incline to the idea
that conviction for murder in the first
degree should be voted only when
such doubt as a man might feel in re-
gard to some vital issue in his own
life had been removed by the evidence.
| This seemed to satisfy the district at
torney. The defense readily accepted
the juror, and facing Harry Thaw he
was sworn. Mr.. Newton became
| juror No. and Mr.. Haas No. 8.
District Attorney Jerome continued
to base his examinations of the tales
men on the belief that Thaw's attor-
neys may offer two defenses, one of
emotional insanity at the time of the
shooting and the other the 'unwritten
law" He asked the accepted tales
men If in the event two defenses were
offered and they were not consistent
with each other, which they would ac-
cept. Both of the new jurors declared
they would be guided by the courts
instruction when it came to questions
of law.
All of the defendants family were in
court. Mrs. Harry X. Thaw and her
companion, Miss May Mckenzie, were
the first to arrive for the morning ses-
sion. Then came Mrs. William Thaw,
mother of the prisoner, accompanied
by her two daughters, the Countess of
Yarmouth and Mrs. George l.. Carne-
gle. Edward and Josiah Thaw and
Mr.. Carnegie were also present. The
family sat closely groupedfn two rows
of chairs just back of the prisoner. AS
usual, they seldom spoke to each
other.
Mrs. William Thaw had a gracious
bow and smile for the prisoners wife
when they first met and the latter
was quick to return the greeting.
Thaw seemed delighted when he saw
all of his family in court and appeared
to be in high spirits throughout the
day.
The morning session of the court
was cut short an houZ because of a
break in the heating apparatus In the
Criminal Courts building. The court
room was very cold and the women of
the Thaw party kept on their heavy
wraps and furs. Several Of the attor-
neys wore their overcoats and Justice
Fitzgerald paced up and down in the
effort to keep warm. Finally at II
o'clock he ordered recess until 2 p.
m, "in the interest of public health"
The engineer promised to have the
break repaired and the room comfort
able at the hour set for the afternoon
session and kept his word.