Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-03-01


UNDERGOING cross examination at tho,
hands of District Attorney Jerome.
The prosecutor said before adjourn.
mcnt that he would probably keep Dr.
Evans on the stand throughout to.
morrow, rhis means that the cross.
examination of Dr., Wagner. another
alienist, VIII not be reached until
next week. and makes Indefinite the
time wnen the defense VIII rest,
Dr. Evans nnd MIR, Jerome spent the
entire day IN going over eight letters
written by Thaw ana culling out of
them excerpts on which DR.. Evans
based his expressed belief that they
were written by person of unsollnd
mind
DO you mean an insane person."
asked Mt Jerome.
Yes replied the witness. "but not
in tho sense that person might nj.
WAYS remain insane"
This was the essence of the days
work.
MI Jerome seemed rs intnrested
as the expert in searching out the
phrases In the letters which might he
construed as the writings of an IN.
sane man and for the first time the
JN'o'' t'SiN pCi ~ IllOTOuSlIN
examine Photographic copies of the
lettcr. AS The witness and the mose.
cutor poured tediously over the docu.
ments, the jurors were enabled 10
follow them closely. The district ut.
torney apparently wanted the letters
to he thoroughly scrutinized and un-
derstood by the jury,
He Thinks Thaw Insane.
DR.. Evans went into long expla.
nation of tho reasons for his theory
that tho letters showed mental insta.
bility. A letter written with lead
pencil by Thaw to Evelyn Nesbit, he
said. showed lack of sense of pro.
priety. n loss Of aesthetic sense and
various other things which the doc.
tor believed showed the writer was of
unsound mind, in view of the environ.
ment of wealth and luxury In which
he wns reared.
DIR. Evans said he assumed the let.
ter was addressed to the girl for
whose hand the writer was suelng.
would the fact" asTed Mr.. Je.
rome. that the writer had been tray.
cling through Europe with the young
woman MS man and wife. though not
married. have any effect upon your
opinion u
No. replied Or. Evans, "for man
under those conditions may love the
Woman just as much as though she
We're, bound to him by. holier ties"
Two other letters were shown DR..
Evans, In one of which he found evi,
dences of an unsound mind. The 9th.
er, he said. did not, taken by itsef,
showe suee eyil eRces, OF another, he
said: I'm my opinion there art cyl.
denccs here that tho writer was not
mentally balanced
The subject of the reports of his
examination made to the attorneys of
the defense came up ana DR.. Evans
admitted that he did make one report,
but that 1t was Il personal and pri.
vate report, and that he had never
been forced to produce such reports
Mr.. Jerome declared that Il sub.
pocnn be issued requiring him to pro.
dnce the report tomorrow.
Couldn't Read the Letter.
The letter which Thaw wrote from
Paris after Evelyn Nesbit had told
him her story was produced and DR..
Evans was asked IL IL showed evi.
| dence of insanity
Taken by itself. the doctor said. II
"Ouiu HOt elliUlp MIN 10 say positive
! ~ whether the writer was insane or
not.
Or. Evans started 20 read part of
| the Paris letter, saying:
MIR. Aston was here last week but
wont away again. There are n lot of
| hcauts-"
Mr. Jerome Interrupted: a did no,
ask yon to read the letter" he said
sharply. Mr.. Hartrldge, OF Thaw's
counsel said later that while the
name sounded like "Astor," he did not
think the name was mentioned. DR..
| Evans was given Il typewriter copy
OF Mr.. Delmas' hypothetical question
| which he promised TO read before to-
morrow when Mr.. Jerome win exam.
| inc him on It,
Many Letters for Thaw.
Thaw daily receives hundreds OF
letters, nearly all OF which express
hope and the belief that he will be
acquitted. He brings many of these
TO court with him in big brown paper
envelopes and spends good part of
the day in reading them with evident
satisfaction.
Texas LEGISLATORS
nEMNJIN%E RtUcy