The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-29
HARRY THAW TAKES STAND Defendant BeforeL LunacY
 Commission. HIS LAWYERS ARE JUBnANT The Examination Was Conducted
 Behind Closed Doors. Slayer of stanford White Was Asked Rapidly a Number of Random
 auestions--Jerome Wanted
 Expert Testimony.
HIS LAWYERS ARE JUBnANT

IhAw for two hours touHy suDit.oA hir1seIf to a running fire of questions f4 es the three men appointed by Jus ti.s Fitzrerald as commission in iunacy to determine his present state of mind.
 The examination was conducted be- hind closed doors and when few minutes before o'clock this afternoon an adjournment was taken until 10 o'clock Saturday morning. no one con nected with the hearing before the commissioners would discuss the de- tails of the inquiry.
 Thaw went willingly and confidently before his judges. and when the two ihours' secret session was concluded his attorneys appeared with smiling faces and declared that they were more than satisfied with the course of the pro- eeedinEs District Attorney Jerome hurried away from the Criminal Courts building, declining absolutely to say one word about the commissions work.
 Tho most important feature ofs the day's proceedtngs was the decision of the cofnmission to limit the scope of its Inquiry to the exact language of the statute--to determine solely the question as to whether or not Harry Tiiaw is able today to understand the courts proceedings against him and Is capable of advising his counsel in rational manner.
 District Attorney Jerome announced fo the members of the commission that all of the experts he had employed in the case had advised him that Thaw Was suffering from typical case of rarafaoin--a disease of the mind in which the recoveries are limited to 2 or per cent. He offered to adduce testitifonv to support this statement, Mt the commission waived 1t aside, yfng that the purpose of the inquiry ss IS a veiy simple one and had to do not with any classification of mental eliA. asea. rut with the prisoners pres enta state of mind as judged by lay-
 Put lip To Jerome.
 laying down this decision, the css, i, Tsfsaton confronted the district att 5 wax 4he very position he has nihfnsAfned in putting Thaw on trial for his life. Mr. Jerome contends that Thaw was suffering from paranoia on the night Of June 26. last. when he shot and killed Stanford White but he added that paranoiacs have often Knowledge of what they are doing and that Thaw knew the nature and quali- ty of his act in killing White and knew that the act was wrong.
 Thus, while medical experts may de- termine today that Thaw Is still suf- fering from paranoia. the question to which the lunacy commission has de- cided to confine itself deals solely with Thaw's knowledge as to the proceed ings against him and his ability to ad- wise his lawyers.
 The commission got under way with a rush this afternoon and plunged at once into the personal examination of the defendant. District Attorney Je- rome protested at first that he was not able to proceed. saying he would like to have his medical advisers present during Thaws examination. He final ly stated he would have no objection to the examination going forward pro- viding he was permitted to reserve his cross examination.
 The commission forthwith settled the matter of the presence of the experts by excluding them from the room along with every one else except the defen- dant and his counsel. the district att torney and assistant district attorney Garvan. As to the cross examination by the district attorney the commls- sion said the matter would be taken up when it was reached.
 Thaw Acted Well.
 It was stated that during most of the two hours Thaw was before the commission this afternoon the notes and letters which he has written to his counsel since the trial began were under consideration. This put Thaw thoroughly at ease. The commission CTS addressed their questions to him in q conversational tone and in a cas- ual manner. as though he were in con ference with them; asked him from time to time to explain incidents in the trial which had called forth cer- tain of the letters placed before the commission by Thaw's attorneys
 It was said that Thaw answered tba questions calmly and went into lengthy explanations of some of the notes ha had addressed to Mir. Delmas, while his trial was in progress These notes and letters were made part of the affidavit filed by Mir. Delmas with Justice Fitz- gerald, when Thaw's counsel were op- posing the appointment of commits sion.
 Thaw's examination was not conclud- ed today and he will appear again be- fore the commission when 1t meets Saturday morning, no session being The Saturday session also will be held behind closed doors.
 The commission had not determined today whether or not a physical exam ination of the defendant will be neces- sary. There was an intimatfon. how ever, that the men who are to report as to Thaw's present condition would content themselves with an observation of him during his mental examination
 One of the members of the commis- sion Is a physician and an expert fin mental diseases, pr. Leopold Putzei
 If the commission should decide that A physical examination Is essential, pr Putzel will probably make 1t. The commission may or may not allow the experts for the State and for the de- l fense to be present at such time. Cllnord W. Hartridge, the attorney of record in the Thaw case, will con. | duct the case for the defense before ths lunacy commission. Mir. Hartridge said 1 today that he saw no necessity for the rresence of Mir. Delmas before the com. | mission. Mir. Hartridge also said that Thaw will take the witness stand In bis own behalf during the commission, ! investigation. Mir. Hartridge said ina | Thaw will answer any questions tho members of the commission might asl, | v1in put no obstacle in the way of { ' thorough investigation of all the fact and will help the commission by ev, | 'But," he added. "t, Te will be nc