The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-02-08

fENN1TS-E IE>l "AA1S IVA ~Aa"A
Tl,aw Will be Heard Today.
n
New York, February 4.-The state
laid its case against Harry *. ThaW
today-A plain. Unconditional story OF
the shooting on the Madison Square
Garden roof, leaving the malice and
the motive to be inferred from the
act-and the defense replied with a
plea of hereditary insanity. 1t was
asserted that Thaw, in Staying Stan
ford White, believed he was acting az
an agent Of providence, thai real OF
faneied wrongs committed against
him by the architect and former friend
of his wife, had boiled and dubbed
IN his brain until at last there came
an understandable impulse TO kill.
When the deed was done Thaw made
no move to escape its consequence, but
holding the fatal revolver aloft he
stood as If mutely proclaiming to the
WORLD: The deed is done; it was
right; it was not wrong"
Thus ThaW's counsel outlined his
use 10 the jury this afternoon, after
Vie prosecution had occupied less than
two hours of the morning sitting Of
the court in relating through eye Wit
nesses the narrative Of the tragedy.
When the defense had interpOSed its
plea and outlined it's case, an adjourn
meat was taken until tomorrow morn
ing when the first witnesses in Thaw 5
behalf will be heard.
You Will hear the s:Ory of this
mans insanity" Attorney John b.
Gleason, for the defense, promised the
iury from his mother, from his wife,
irons his relatives and from his physl-
clans. You will judge him by his acts,
by the heredity and stress which en-
tered into his madness, and when you
come to judge him 0 will say to
Yourself that his act may have been
one of insanity, but 1t was not one OF
crfRe."
That Thaw's wife was to be a Of
his most important witnesses has long
been known; that his mother, Mrs.
Wiuia6l Thaw. Of Pittsburg, was
to take the stand only became known
positively today when the court en-
forced the rule excluding from the
court room all witnesses save experts.
ihau's mother, at the command, iele
Vie room after Il moments hesitation.
She seemed unwilling to be Darted Tr"",
her son in the hour Of his need. His
wife, too, reluctantly left the room,
bes1owing a last radiant smile Of cOur-
age and hope pOn her prisoner nus
band. May Mackenzie vas the third
of the women who have been daily IN
Guided in the Thaw party 10 leave .ne
court room. Thaw seemed detected
Many times last week during the dull
days Of jury selection he turned to his
wife for comfort and found her ever
ready with a quick responsive smile
Now that the serious work of the trial
was 20 begin he was to be denied her
presence.
During the opening address by Mir.
Gleason, in which he entered the de-
fenseAR insanity Thaw sat with his
flushed cheeks which at times were
buried in his hands, and with eyes cast
down upon the table before him. He
seldom looked up, just a tieeting glance
now and the at the man who was
making the additional plea for his life
and freedom. Never once did his eye.
80 to the jury box. There was an
Ether period-during the morning ses
sion-when Thaw again looked only a
his hands, clasped before him on IN
table. This was when LaWrenc
White. the son of Stanford White, oe
cupied the stand as the first witnes
for the prosecution. Young White. WI
is a Harvard student, vas not a ma
-erial witness. He was with his fathe
at dinner the evening OF the traseo
INT left him before he went to Madl
SON Square Garden. White was Ion
it was testified. when Thaw appoache
slowly from behind, wheeled race
him and sent three bullets into NJ
body and brain
Thaw's counsel told the story OF ID
prisoners love for the girl he was /
make his wife. He met Evelyn Nes'
gk&t i'm 1901 and there and then bega
lin him an honorable love and regar
the girl. He told her mother OF n
Hove. The girl was in q precarlol
condition following a serious operate
in a santitarium n Thaw suggeste
to the mother that she take Evely
abroad to recuperate. 1t was arrange
that Thaw should accompany the tw
Is the open and avowed sutton of tn
daughter. In 1903 he asked her
marry him and she refused.
"#aA reason for this refusaN 70