Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-01-24
After an all Days Session Exam
lining Ta|esnen Two Men Were
Accepted as Jurors.
QUESTIONS ASKED BY JEROME
Wife, Mother and TWO Sisters of the
Accused Man Were Mt His Side
Thaw Was at Times Very Indiffer-
ent as to What Was Going on in
Court.
(py Associated presa.l

tBy Associated Press.)
NEW YORK, Jan. 23.-The curtain
was rung up today for another act in
the tragedy of real life on the Thaw-
White scene. The setting was not
the gay all night restaurants of the
Tenderloin, where the principal act
ors in the tragedy were once familiar
figures. 1t was not the roof garden
crowded with the summer jewellers
who on fateful night clinked glass
es In rhythm with the orchestra and
lent largely to merry scenes which
were suddenly hushed into a silence
or horror as three pistol shots crack
cd and Il noted architect lay dead at
the little round table where he had
been chatting with friends The story
of the drama was broughtt down to
the grim court room scene where
twelve men are to sit and render
Judgment which may mean either
-@thc taking of another life, this time
by the state, or a determination that
Harry X. Thaw was justified in the
claim that he shot the man who had
ruined his wife" There may be a
third decision, that Thaw was insane
at the time he committed the crime
in demoniacal insanity.
The long awaited trial began this
morning shortly before 1890 o'clock
and when an adjournment for the day
had been taken about 5 p. M, there
were two jurors in the box. A thir.
Juror had been accepted and sworn.
but he was excused in the closing mo.
ments of the days session, the rea-
son fer the action being of a private
nature and was not made putlic.
Nineteen of the 200 talesmen who
were summoned were examined be.
fore the day closed Nearly all of
them seemed anxious to serve and a
small percentage was excused for
cause. The challenge in nearly every
instance was of a preemptorv char
acter and about evenly divided be.
tween the prosecution and the de-
tense. The examination of the first
twelve men called was followed with
the keenest interest as it was thought
the line of questioning by the attor-
neys for Thaw would develop the
character of the defense. 1t was dis.
appointing in this respect. The de.
fendant's' counsel seemed perfectly
, willing to accept any juror who salts.
factorlly answered the questions by
District Attorney Jerome, who per-
sonally conducted the examination.
The defense peremptorily challenged
two talesmen, however, who gave
their business as architects. Mr.. Je-
rome asked each talesman in turn If
he would be influenced by the So
called higher or unwritten law to the
exclusion of actual laws OF the
State as they would be laid down
by Justice Fitzgerald. There was
none to say he would not accept the
courts ruling as to all questions OF
law.
The Question Of Insanity.
On the question of insanity as an
explained to each talesman that the
law excused only those persons who
we're laboring under such defective
reason as not to know the nature
or the quality of the act committed,
or even to know that the act was
wrong.
THAT is the law" declared Mr..
Jerome. Now would you import into
your conclusion any imaginary form
of insanity you might have in mind
or that might be suggested to you,
to the exclusion of the law that will
be laid down to you by the court?"
In reply the talcsmen said in turn
that they would be guided solely by
the court. Thaw's counsel entered
objections only to certain forms Of
the question propounded by Mr. Je-
rome along this line. They declared
they had no objection to the question
in principle.
Questions Asked of TaIesmen.
The usual privilege of talesmen
who declare their conscientious scru-
pies against capital punishment was
missing today. On the other hand.
however every talesman examined
said he had formed or expressed an
opinion In the case. All admitted,
however that their opinions were
based on newspaper reports and these
had been SO conflicting from time to