Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-03-01
JEROME QUESTIONS
DEFENSE ALIENIST
DR.. EVANS CROSS-EXAMINED RE.
GARDING LETTERS WRITTEN
BY THAW.
ASSERTS PRISONER
INSANE AT TIME
Reported That District Attorney Is
Preparing to Charge Bribery of
Expert Witnesses for Defendant
AIIege Insanity Slammed.

Hey jerome thursday continued his
cross examination of DR.. Britton d.
Evans, one of the aIienists for the de-
tense in the trial of Harry K Thaw
for the murder of Stanford White.
The entire morning was taken up with
questions concerning details of certain
OF Thaw's letters which have been
admitted to evidence. DIR. Evans
would examine the letters closely from
time to time and Mr.. Jerome was
obliged to repeat some of his interro-
cations many times before securing
what he considered a definite answer
insane When Letters Were Written.
In the end DR.. Evans said the letters
convinced him the writer was insane
at the time of the writing, but not
insane il the sense that he would al
ways remain insane" the expert
added
There were only half a hundred
spectators in the courtroom when
the proceedings began Thursday and
half of these had left by the time the
luncheon recess was ordered.
The ong-drawn-out cross-eXamina-
ton of DIR. Evans precludes the possi-
bility of the defense concluding its
case this week.
Thaw paid little attention to the tes-
timony, but sat in his usual place read
ing letters and chatting: with his law
yers. Mr. Delmas sat close to the wit
ness box wrapped in large overcoat
and spoke only once or twice during
the morning. DR.. Evans was still on
the stand when the luncheon recess
was taken.
Jerome to Charge Perjury Plot.
New York, March district Attor-
ney Jerome is planning to fire a care
fully laid mine under the defense in
the Thaw case that will blow it higher
than Gilderoy's kite, it was declared
Thursday by an attache of the prose
cutor's office.
If this mine is exploded, it is de-
clared that it will wreck the citadel of
Thaw's defense and expose an alleged
conspiracy of alienists and others to
secure the acquittal of Stanford
Whites slayer.
According to this story, Thaw has
spent fortune in the effort to buy
testimony of reputable alienists to the
effect that he was suffering from fl
of temporary insanity when he killed
White.
All of Thaw's so-called delusions
and irrational conduct since the muir
der are declared to be clever acting,
intended to deceive those alienists
who could not be bought and to pro-
vide the less scrupulous experts with
the foundation for their opinions that
the prisoner was insane.
To Order Arrests of Alienists.
Jerome, it is said, after completely
ensnaring the defense alienists, will
make startling move by ordering the
arrest OF persons in the alleged plot
and will lay before the court most as
founding charges of conspiracy to de-
feat justice, perjury and subornation
of perjury.
If this coup is successful, the prose
cutor believes that it will result in
revulsion of feeling against the de-
fense, which will bring the certain
conviction of Harry Thaw for murder
in the first degree, with a death SEN
tence.
Belief in the truth of this report is
greatly strengthened by many things.
First, there is the peculiar fact that
several alienists employed at the out
set by the defense either were dismiss
ed or refused to serve as witnesses for
Thaw after they had examined him.
DR.. Allan McLane Hamilton is one
of these experts and Jerome has an
nounced that he will call him to testi-
fly for the state. DR.. Hamilton, it Is
said, believes that Thaw's insanity was
shammed-that he is not insane and
never was insane.
Other experts, it is said will testify
the same. Moreover, it is declared,
they will swear that they were sound
ed as to whether or not they would be
willing to give favorable testimony for
the defense, regardless of their find
ings, if they were richly recompensed.
In disgust they are alleged to have
spurned such suggestions.
Another peculiar circumstance in
the case was the trouble Thaw had
with his lawyers, resulting in his los
ing the services of the big legal firm
of which Ex-Governor Frank Black is
the head. 1t is now declared that
these attorneys, disgusted with the
methods of defense proposed for them
to follow, threw up the case, though
they had been retained under prince.
ly fee by Mrs. William Thaw.
Most significant of all in connection
with this report, however, were the
astonishing charges of unprofessional
conduct and sinister motives which
Mr.. Jerome hurled at DR.. Evans, the
alienist who has testified most strong
1y for Thaw The prosecutor has
plainly intimated that the experts tes
timony is the result of some improper
influence, and it is believed that he is
laying the foundation in his cross-ex
animation to impeach and discredit the
expert.