Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-03
SOME VERY ODD LETTERS
Defendant Has Written Many Curl
Gus Communications Recently.
HIS WIFE AT THE TOMBs
She Finds the Alleged Murderer in a
Very Bad Humor-He Assigns
the Cause.

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, March 2-The fear of the
appointment Of lunacy commission to de-
eide whether or not Harry K. Thaw is now
sane pervaded the entire defense yesterday.
including Thaw himself. Everything within
the last few days has pointed to just one
thing-District Attorney Jerome is going
by commission. It is not settled yet just
how MIR. Jerome will proceed to have the
commission appointed but it may come to
the point where he will lay before the court
evidence in his possession on which to base
the belief that Thaw Is not sane now.
Those who have talked with Mr.. Jerome
have got a firm impression that he believes,
on what he knows now. without having had
the chance of having his experts examine
him, that Thaw is insane. Mr.. Jerome fixes
have not become public during the trial.
The most interesting collection Of papers
which Mr.. Jerome has received are twenty
one letters written by Thaw to ]. Deniston
Lyon. the Pittsburg banker, since the kill
ing of Stanford White. Several of the let
tiers were written during the trial. From
what has been learned in this city and
from Pittsburg about the letters 1t would
seem that they were not written by a man
in the possession of all his mental facul-
ties.
Refers to q Conspiracy.
In some of the letters Thaw refers to a
conspiracy on the part of some reporters
attending the trial to hurt his case He
has also prepared list of the newspapers
which he describes as friendly and the
ones that are unfriendly. Thaw also speaks
in sort of rambling way about the con-
duct of his case, and asks the opinion of
Mr.. Lyon on some of the jurors. When the
letters about the jurors had been written
knew nothing about them except what he
had seen in the newspapers.
1t is within the discretion Of the court
to appoint a lunacy commission. When
man goes to trial 1t is presumed that
he is sane and able to advise with his coun-
sci. On that ground the lawyers for the
defense will make their stand against the
appointment of any commission. They will
contend that Thaw is sane now and that
he IS thoroughly able to advise with them
Thaw's lawyers, Hartridge, Delmas, Pea
body and OfReilly, had conference today
at which plans were formed to fight the
appointment of commission. After it
was over Mr. ,,Hartridge said: I'VE are
not afraid of'any application for. COM
mission. We are ready to fight it. and we
feel certain that a commission will never
be appointed. We are perfectly satisfied
with the defense that has been made and
we are confident Of the acquittal Of Thaw."
When Thaw read the newspapers in the
TombS today he was not very much pleas
ed. All accounts of the trial told him that
the apparent aim of Mr. Jerome was to
have a lunaey commission appointed Thaw
seemed to be very much depressed
Il guess It's combination Of the wealth
er and expert testimony" he said to one
of the keepers
Young Mrs. Thaw arrived at the Tombs
early in the morning.
She told the driver of her automobile to
return to the Lorraine and get Mrs. Will
liam Thaw. Then she had a talk with her
husband. She was in very good humor
She said she was going to talk with her
husband as long as she could and she did
She did not leave the Tombs until 30
O'Clock, the time for the departure of all
visitors.
In the meantime Mrs. William Thaw, ac-
companied by her daughter. the Countess
of Yarmouth, called. They remained with
the prisoner very short time. After that
they went to the Office Of Lawyer Delmas,
where they got some letters for Mrs. Will
liam Thaw.
His Sanity Doubtful.
1t was learned today mat a number of
physicians have examined Thaw in the
Tombs. These doctors were to be called as
witnesses, but it is said that a number of
them declined to testify that Thaw is now
sane. For that reason they We're shunted
aside by the defense. 1t is understood that
Mr.. Jerome has the names of these doctors
One Of tlem is DR.. Allan McLane Hamil-
ton, who viii be called as witness by Dis
trict Attorney Jerome.
1t was reported today that the representa-
tive of the American embassy at London
who has been mentioned in the testimony
of young Mrs. Thaw had written a letter
to District Attorney Jerome. When asked
about 1t Mr.. Jerome refused to make any
comment one way or the other. 1t Is
known, however, that this man, who is one
of the secretaries Of the American embassy
at London and still there, has written an
explanation of his connection with the
case to friends here.
Met at the Claridge's.
According to this man, who is well known
in this city. he met Mrs. Nesbit and her
daughter when they arrived at the Clar-
idges Hotel in London, after they had left
Paris. This was just after Mrs. EVELYN
NeSDlt InaW says she tOlQ ner husband the
story about White. The American repre-
sentative had known Mrs. Nesbit and her
daughter in this country and he called on
them In the hotel. He says that he found
Mrs. Nesbit sick and in bed.
He took her daughter for a drive and for
lunch. He asked her what she was doing
and she said she was with Thaw. He was
surprised and asked her what had changed
her opinion of Thaw as in America she
had told him that she couldn't tolerate
Thaw, and that when he sent her presents
of jeweiry and things to the theater she
returned them.
She told this man. according to his ex-
PLANTATION. that while she did not care
great deal for Thaw, he had been kind to
her and her mother and that he had prom
ised to marry her In two years and educate
her.
Miss Hmonton Appears.
The following day he called at the hotel
again. He found Mrs. Nesbit still in bed
and very much disturbed. She showed him
a note which her daughter had left Cor her.
In the note the young woman said she was
going motoring with Thaw. and that they
would be gone for fortnight. and for Mrs.
Nesbit not to attempt to follow. The bill
at the hotel had been paid up to that morn
q M ho vus val of noAf ~ 10,