The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-02-22
OF UNSOUND MIND
Evans Opinion of Thaw at Time
OF Killing White
IAN ACT OF PROVIDENCE"
Defendants Talk With Alienist
Is Admitted Indications That
jerome May Demand Appoint-

LIS Admitted Indications Tha
jerome May Demand Appoint
ment of Lunacy Commission
New York, Feb. 19.-"I never wanted
to shoot the creature. never wanted
to kill him. knew he was foul crea
ture, destroying the mothers and daugh
tiers of America, but wanted through
legal means to bring him to trial.
wanted to get him into court-to bring
him to justice. But Providence took
charge Of it; it was an act of Provi
dence." tr-
This Is Harry X. Thaw's own story
of the killing of Stanford White. II
was told by him to DR.. Britton D.
Evans. the alienist, last August in the
Tombs. Yesterday Evans repeated tie
prisoners words to the jury, which is
trying Thaw for his life.
District Attorney Jerome fought hard
last week against the introduction OF
ILLS SNlutlC6, "ulCD LhS uCtS1SS w
lieves is conclusive proof that Thaw
did not know his act was wrong. once
the testifying physicians had declared
that in their opinion Thaw was insane
at the time he made the statements to
them, however, the rules of evidence
permitted the introduction of the pris-
oner's words.
In further bulwarking their con-
tention that Thaw was insane when he
killed Stanford White, the defendants
counsel succeeded in placing before
the jury the will executed by Thaw the
night of his marriage in April, 1905, and
a codicll to the will executed at the
same time. Again jerome fought the
evidence, but he significantly withdrew
his objections after Evans had given it
as his expert opinion that Thaw was
insane at the time he executed the will.
The fact that the district attorney
seems disposed to let in testimony Of
every character, provided there is a pre-
liminary opinion from the witness that
the man was of unsound mind at the
time to which the testimony refers,
Is taken as further indicating that Je-
rome may, at the psychological mo-
ment. If he deems his hand strong
enough, demand the appointment Of a
conf .ssion to pass upon Thaw's state
of mind at the present moment.
The will and the codicl as read to
the jurors were offered in evidence as
cumulati\e testimony of Thaw's men
tai unsou ndness prior to the killing Of
White. In his will Thaw provided that
his executors should set apart the sum
of $4,000 for the investigation Of his
death il, ease of a violent or suspicious
end. and for the prosecution Of the per-
sons suspected Of having had a hand
In his thklng off.
In the .odicil Thaw left to lawyer
In Pittsourg the sum of $500 to be used
in securing legal redress from Stanford
White and one other person, whose
name was not allowed to be read, for
the benefit of four young women who.
Thaw declared. had been the victims
of degrading assaults" in house
"furnsht and used for orgies by Stan
ford White and other inhuman scoun-
drels." The names of the four young
women were mentioned by Thaw, but
were moi made public.
Thaw also bequeathed sums of $500
each to Rev Dr. Charles III. Parkhurst,
to Anthony Comstock and to the lawyer
named n his codicil to be used in dis
covering further alleged misdeeds by
Stanford White and securing redress
for the women.
At the end of the day 1t seemed that
Thaw's counsel had made still harder
the task to be met when they begin to
carry out their plan of having Thaw
declared to be of sound and discerning
mind today.
The trial yesterday entered its fifth
week. The opening of court found At
torney Delmas again in his accustomed
place at the head of Thaw's counse!
table. During the day there was no
surface indication of the storm which it
is said ragged among counsel for the de-
Tense during the latter part of last
week, after the trial had been adjourned
because of the death of Juror Bottoms
wife. Bolton said that he felt perfect
ly able to so on with the trial. 1t was
decided that the jurors should not
again be confined until they finally re-
tire to make up their verdict.
Trial Delayed by Death
The wife of Juror Joseph B. Bolton
passed away Thursday afternoon,
soon after her husband had reached her |
bedside. He had been summoned from |
the courtroom where the trial had been |
in progress for less than 10 minutes.
The formal announcement of Mrs.
Bottoms death was made In court short
" after 2 p. m, the hour set for the af-
tcrnOon session, and Justice Fitzgerald
ordered an adjournment
Of the case. until next Monday morn
rg. The cOur. also ordered, with the
Of counsel that the other II
jprymen be given their liberty and no
longer be held together. He admOn-
shed the jurors to be guided by their
aonor and their oath and not to read
ne newspapers or discuss the Thaw
81 sc with anybody.
Testimony Favorable to Defense
DR.. Evans, superintendent Of the
Gate hospital for the insane at Morris
2lains. N. j.. was on the stand all
iay last Tuesday. Evans proved to be
pe by far the most satisfactory expert
witness to The defense so far pro-
luced. He detailed to the jury his