The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-01-17
IRRATIONAL AS A BOY
Former Teacher Of Harry Thaw
Tells Of His Queer Doings.
COMPLAINED TO HIS MOTHER
Letter Written by Parent More Than
Twenty-Five Years Ago Expressed
the Fear That Her Boys Mind Was
Unbalanced.

Twenty-Five Years Ago Expressed
the Fear That Her Boys Mind Was
Unbalanced. .-..
New York, Jan. 17.-More evidence
as 10 alleged irrational condition on
the part of tho defendant was offered
at the trial of Harry K. Thaw, the
most impressive witness being Abra-
ham f. Beck, m uncle of former As.
sistant Attorney General James M.
Beck. The elder Mr. Beck taught a
select school of fifteen boys in Penn
sylvania in 1881 and 1882 and young
Thaw was one of his pupils. Mr..
Beck described Thaw as boy of I'M
governable temper. He produced a
letter from Mrs. William Thaw, the
mother, who said in it that she feared
that Harry's mind was unbalanced. He
was so different from her other four
children.
One of Mr.. Thaw's eccentricities,
which, it is said, soon will be testified
to, was the sending of eighty-four
pounds of beef to Evelyn Nesbit one
morning whom she was ill. The attor-
neys have the receipts for the meat.
Raymond A. Brown, a music pub
Usher and eyewitness of the killing of
Stanford White, testified to Thaw's
irrational appearance on the roof gar
den.- Brown said he knew Thaw per-
sonally and spoke to him during an
intermission in the performance, but
could not get coherent reply.
did you ever try to get a coherent
reply from any other man twenty
minutes before he took the life of
fellow human being?" asked District
Attorney Jerome. .',.'.
NO. replied the witness.
Abraham R. Beck of Lancaster
county. Pa, uncle of former Assist
ant Attorney General James NJ. Beck,
was called as the next witness. He
said that Harry Thaw was one of fif-
teen boys in his school in 1881 and
1882. The memory of the boy had
always lived with him, said the wit
ness.
'The boy was excessively nervous"
said Mr.. Beck, land was very unsocial,
sullen and distracted. His eyes were
most striking. One of the principal
things I remembered about young
Thaw were the spasmodic and
startling outbursts of animal like
bowls. These howls would stop as
suddenly as the turning off of foun-
tain"
Letter From Tnaw's Mother.
Mr.. Beck identified a letter he had
received from Mrs. William Thaw,
the mother of Harry. about the boys
conduct at school, and it was read to
the jury. The letter was dated Oct.
rs, 1881. and was in reply to a COM
munication from Mr.. Beck complain
ing of Harry's conduct. The letter
speaks Of the distress the communica-
ton caused the parent and the mother
expresses horrible feeling of dread
that Harry's mind is unbalanced, as
his actions are similar to that of an
uncle who became weak minded.
Mr.. Beck said he had had many
years of experience in teaching and
training boys, but Thaw's conduct was
different from any he had ever known.
Il couldn't help but think him IRA
'tiona1," declared the witness.
Mr., Beck is now seventy-nine years
of age. His testimony was impressive
and District Attorney Jerome asked
but one or two questions on cross.
examination.
Annie Baggan, sister of Chris
TOPPER Raggan and housekeeper at the
Whist club, told of several instances
of what she termed irrational conduct
on the part of Thaw. -. .:.~ -.
The next witness was Benjamin
Bonan, former stage doorkeeper at
the Madison Square theater,. where
Evelyn Nesbit, on Christmas eve,
1903, was appearing in "A Girl From
Dixie" Bonan testified that after
Thaw had called at the theater and
taken the girl away Stanford White
arrived. When he found that Miss
Nesbit had gone away the witness
said White displayed a pistol and
vowed he would kill "that Pittsburger"
before morning. Bonan said he COM
municated the threat to Thaw.
Mr.. L1ttleton announced that some
of his most important witnesses, en-
route here by steamer and train, had
failed to arrive and asked for an ad-
journment until morning, when Mrs.
Mrs. William Thaw is expected to
take the stand. The motion for ad-
journment was granted.