The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-15
Number Of Witnesses to
Show Insanity on Both
Sides Of Family.
j JEROME CUTS OFF
MANY QUESTIONS
Plea Of Sacred Relation Between
Physician and Patient Prevents
Virginia Specialists and
Others from Telling
What They Know Of
Family Weakness.

NEW YORK. January ,4.-The at.
torncys for Harry K. Thaw. at his
trial today. began rclentlessly to
build up the case Of legal insanity
which they have interposed in his be-
half rs a defense for the killing OF
Stanford White.
day wero Professor Charles H. Kohler.
of .,inona, MINI, who acted as In
structor to Thaw In the Wooster. O..
University In 1856. ard Mrs. Amy
Crozette. OF San AIateo, Cal. who at
tended Thaw as trained nurse at Monte
Carlo. iE 1897. They both told OF the
young mans eccentricitles and de-
clared that his manner always was ir
rational. DR.. John T. Deemar. Of Kit
tanning, Pa. one OF the Thaw family
physicians. was also heard. as were
the attending physicians OF three in
stitutlons for the insane, where mem
bers Of Thaw's family on both paternal
and maternal sides were confined.
District Attorney Jerome by unex-
pectedly invoking the sacred privi
lcge of physician and patient blocked
much OF the unsoundness of mind in
the Thaw family. but the calling of
the witnesses and the questions they
were allowed by the court to answer.
left the desired impression upon the
jury. Mr.. Jerome explained that the
law compelled him to object to such
testimony without an express waiver
from the patient. Even the nurse who
attended Thaw was not allowed to
testify until Thaw personally had made
waiver OF the confidential privilege.
Uncle Died An Imhecile.
There was half hours delay in be-
ginning the trial to-day. Justice Dowl-
Ing having been caught in a subway
blockade. DIR. John T. Deemar. of Kit
tanning, Pa, one OF the Thaw family
physicians, was the first witness call
ed. Dr.. Deemar testified at the trst
trial that he treated Harry Thaw as
a boy for St vitus dance and measles.
He repeated this testimony to-day and
told also OF extending; members OF the
copley tamfly-the mothers branch OF
the defendants ant.cedents. DR.. Dee
mar said that Henry ". Coplcy. q
brother OF the elder Mrs. Thaw. died
an imbecile.
Dr.. Deemar was asked as to the
present mental condition and where
abouts Of John Ross. maternal cous-
in OF the defendant, but District At
torney Jerome objected on the ground
that the doctor obtained his informa-
ton while acting In professional ca
pacity. and it would require waiver
from his patient before he could tes-
tify. Justice Dowlng sustained the
objection. On cross-cxamination Mr..
Jerome drew out the fact that Henry
Copley, while incapacitated for men
tai work, was never confined In an
asylum.
virginia Specialists Not Heard.
DR.. William w. S. Butler, of Roam
oke, former assistant physician at the
Western Lunatic Asylum, Staunton, Va,
where Horace Thaw. a paternal cousin
Of Harry Thaw, was confined. was the,
next witness. When DR.. Butler was
asked as to Horace Thaw's condition
up to the time OF his death. District
Attorney Jerome again objected on the
ground OF confidential relation, and
was sustained. The district attorney
also successfully objected to the in
PRODUCTION in evidence of the commit
ment papers prepared when Horace
Thaw was admitted to the asylum on
the ground that they were hearsay.
DR.. L. S. Foster. OF Norfolk. Va. for
merly of the Eastern State Hospital
for the Insane. at Williamsburg. Va.
where William S. Than, another cous
In Of the defendant was confined was
next on the stand. DR.. Foster was
asked to identify the records OF the
asylum as to the admittance Of Will
liam S. Thaw. and did so. When the
record was offered In evidence Mr.. Je-
rome objected on the ground that 1t
was not competent testimony, and was
sustained.
Mr.. Littleton recalled DR.. Deemar
and succeeded in circumventing the
former objections Of the district at
torney as to the case of John Ross.
DR.. Deemar said he ceased to be
Ross's physician after the latter was
committed to the Hope Institution for
the Fceblemmded. where he is still a
patient. He was allowed to tell of
teoss's mental condition, and declared
1t unsound. the symptoms being mani
fold. 3a
Was Nervous nnd Jerky.
Charles ISoehler. OF Wlnona Mimi.
who was a teacher at Wooster Uni-
Versity, Wooster. o.. in 1886, when
Harry Thaw was student there, was
asked to tell his Impressions of Thayv
as a boy Of sixteen or seventeen years
OF age.
Harry Thaw always had nervous
gait and walked Jcrkily." he said. "His
eyes were striking, his complexion
anaamic, Fills manner in the class
room was abstracted and indifferent
His eyes usually had fixed. starins
gaze. There was never any warmth
In his ewes, no illumination."5
! Mr.. Koehler said he set down many
of Thaw's eccentr!cities In diary
| which was DESTROYED ten years ago
isThaw's mind ALWAYS worked slowly
| and he had great difficulty In follow
Inc anv den1onstration.
Cross.eSaninad hv District Attorney
Z, Jerome, Mr.. Koeher said zoo boys
came under his care at wooster anf
since that time, as a teacher, he had
heen thrown In contact with 1900 "a,
more bows, The witness insisted, how.
ever. that his memory of Thaw. 4
pale-face, twitching lad, stood on
above tho others When Mr. Jerome
'Ensked II the witness had carried Thaw
along In his mind as "a horrible ex,
annie, Mr.. Llttleton objected ana wn,
sustained. Mr.. Koehler said he hat
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