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

life with reference to Stanford White"
Thus laying the ground work Tor
the plea Of insanity, the defendants
LAWYER declared that brain disease laid
hold of Thaw some three o. four years
ago. 1t was claimed there have been
many cases where a person had been
d insane pom n subjecc
and that alone Mr.. Gleason cited in
stance of temporary insanity, based
upon a single act.
we viii not base our pea, however,
upon a single act" he added. 1T viii
be shown that there was insanity N
both sides Of this defendants family
Hredi-y has made us what w arc.
Heredity has made the living word.
Our case is far removed from the mucn
discussed defense Of emotional insani-
ty. You must diSabuse you minds o.
all you have read in the newspapers
and especially of the idea that has
gone abroad that we are TO rely upon
some higher OF unwrittep law. We rely
upon the constitution and the laws or
the imperial state of New York and
upon them acne. You will understand
his mans insanity. II Will DOT re-
quire experts to tell you OF It. II IS
within you t judge him and you viii
say from the evidence that he killed
Stanford White when be was an insane
man"
1T was asserted that ThaW laboTed
under the delusiOn that his life was
always in danger when he was in New
York CITY and he believed threats had
been made to kill him. This account
ed for the fact that since January 1904
he had carried a pistol. He had placed
it in his Overcoat pocket h night he
went to the Madison Square GoOf gar
den. There he turned suddenly and
saw what he thought was Il demon
glOwering at him. The impulse came.
He felt that to kill White would be an
act of providence and so believing lie
set deliberately about his task. It WAS
the work of an insane man, Mr. Glea-
son declared, from the decisions or d
disorderd brain.
Counsel told the story of the defense
in conversational way as if he We're
taking every juror of the II into his
confidence. They listened intentIy.
Mr.. Gleason was twice interrupted by
District Attorney Jerome on tAe
ground hat he was arguing the case
| from the evidence instead Of plainly
stating what the evidence was to be.
| The interruptions caused Mr. Gleason
to repeat in some instances, but his
| rmarks dod not seem to lose weight by
! the process.
In adopting a calm, dispassiona,c
! note in addressing the jury, Thaw .
attorney followed in the pathway hewn
by Assistant District Attorney Garvan,
| who opened for the prosecution at the
beginning of today's session.
The rumor that there were TO be
further changes in the jury box would
not down until Mr.. Garvan actually
began his address. 1t was said tina,
District Attorney Jerome had brought
| all the pressure and persuasion at his
command to gain consent for h re
moyal of one or two Of the men, but
Thaw's counsel held out against all
pleading for a further revision OF the
trial panel.
Mr.. Garcan in telling the story OF
the killing occupied less than 10 min
utes and the prosecutions entire case
was kept within two hours. With the
exception of young White and the
coroner's physician h performed the
autopsy and described the wounds OF
Whites body, the only persons called
to the stand by the state were eye
witnesses.
They were cross examined briefly
by Attorney Dolphin Delmas Of the de-
Tense who thus appears actively IN the
proceedings for the first time. The
witnesses related the deliberate man
ner in which Thaw approached White
faced him and fired. They repeated
Thaw's assertion "he ruined my wife,
and Mrs. Thaw'S remark to her huo-
band. Yes, but look what a fix you
are in now" To this last remarE
Thaw replied: "Dearie, l have prop
ably saved Jour life
1t was brought out that Thaw looked
back at his victim as he walked away
with a staring look in his eyes"
Mr.. Caravans outline Of h states
testimony was the briefest possible
story Of the crime. He told how White
went to the roof garden on Madison
Square Garden to see the initial pro
duction of a summer musical coined!
and then related i'll simple Language
the incident Of the killing.
tthe. .tuuuoht.i rl.LlnOtri'wgB1abmt
THE people claim" he concluded
that it was a cruel, deliberate, MA
licious, p~remeditated taking Of a hu
man life. After proving that fact u
you, we will ask you to find the de
!, PENDANT guilty of the crime Of murde
: in the first degree"
1t was not until after Mr.. GarVai
) had spoken that the prisoners wiz
} and mother were barred from the rOon
~ r.