Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-04-03
Lunacy Commission Makes Its
Last Mental and Physical Ex-
animation OF Him.
IT MAY REPORT TOMORROW.
Expert Testimony so Contradc-
tory Will Seek What is Want
ed From Defendant.
Decision WIN Determine Whether TriuA
Proceeds or He Is Sent 20 Grim
inal Insane Asylum.

New York. April 3.--After hearing
two experts as witnesses today, one
for the state and one for the defense.
the commission which Is inqniring into
the present mental state OF Harry X.
Thaw went into executive session and
conducted It's last mental and physical
examination Of the defendant Even
the lawyers on both sides We're barred
from this last sitting, the commission
inttnlatlng that after a mass OF COM
Trajectory expert testimony placed be-
fore H. the members believed they
would get all the information they re-
qulred from Thaw himself.
The commission expects to report
its conclusions to Justice Fitzgerald
tomorrow. at which time the trial Will
proceed, or an order will be Issued
committing Thaw to the MAtteawan
asylum for the criminal insane
When the Thaw lunacy commission
went into session today Dist Atty
Jerome called TO the witness stand DR..
Allen Ross piefNndorf, superintendent
of the state hospital for the insane at
Middleton. Conn, and professor OF
mental and nervous diseases at Yale
university. Or. Diefendorf testified
for the state at the trial OF Thaw,
declaring the defendant knew the ma
tUre and quality of his act when he
killed Stanford White and knew the
act was wrong. To the commission
today the alienist declared that from
what he had seen of Thaw and the
writings he had examined. he was OF
the opinion that Thew is not now cap
able of rightly understanding his own
position. Of ting the nature OF
the charged against him or of ra-
ttonally advising his counsel
Dr. Di0fendOrf explained at some
length the "a pages OF susgrS lions made
by Thaw TO Nh Deinlas for his sum-
ming up address and declared that they
e1nanated from a diseased brain. The
commission asked the witness TO point
cut what he considers insane evil
Dlefendorf pointed out one passage
which Dist Atty Jerome started TO
read aloud
II must protest against this inter-
rupted Mr., HarIIidge of Thaw's couEl-
sci. Those papers were produced for
the benefit Of the commission at a Sc
cret session and the district attorney Is
reading them to the reporters. 1t is
another case like the Lyon letters from
Plttsburg- They We're sent here TO the
clerk OF the court. IL was agreed that
they might be copied In the district at
torney's Office. and then they nlysterl-
onsly appeared in the newspap ers'
There WAS nothing mysterious about
the publication of those letters said
Mn jerome, 81 gave them out myself;
They We're public documents produced
In open court"
But they had not been admitted In
evidence" retorted MT Hartridge.
Chairman Mcclure put an end 20 the
discussion by saying the Lyon letters
were not before the commission.
Or, DieTendorf said The suggestions
made by Thsw indicated delusional
state of mind.
'Do you think he had delusions when
he committed the homicide| asked
Chairman Mcclure.
"Yes, . replied the witness who went
into an elaborate explanation of the
difference between medical and legal
insanity. declaring that Thaw WAS
medically but not legally insane when
he killed White,
Under questioning by Mr.. Hartridge,
Or, Disfendorf said that Thaws deln-
slons were similar TO those indicated in
the letters which formed part OF the
district attorneys hypothetical ques-
ton ut the trial,
ION similar WRITINGS, then you reach
the conclusion that Thaw was sane and
at another instance" asked NE Hart
ridge
Dr. Dletendorg said he would stand
On his answers. II 9 admitted he had
never personally examined 'rhaH but
thought him to be suffering from para
nOla-
The Tllnw lunAcy commission went
into executive session at I2-lS y. m. cor
the Hnal mental and physical eNamnu
ton OF the defendant.
The Thaw lunauy commission rcmain-
I'd In session to consider its report after
ihe examination o Thaw had been conf
peted.
Mr., Jerome atd counsel representing
the defendant were notified that they
We're no longer required by tho commits
sion and there would be 20 colnmunlca-
tIon OF any sort with any one tonight
Tho commission undoubtedly Will report
10 Justice Fitzgerald before the SQUIRT
conyeiCs tomorrow morning