The Washington herald., 1908-01-16

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Irrational
The man who killed Stanford White
was depressed by what he heard. Gloom
was written large upon his face
But. whatever Thaw may have thought
about it. his counsel were pleased. When
the day had ended, they had made con-
siderable progress in the work of piling
up the evidence on the basis Of which
they expect a verdict of acqulttal on the
ground Of insanity.
Insanity of Relatives Told.
Despite the objections of the district
attorney Alfred Lee Thaw. a second
cousin OF the defendant. was allowed 10
testify that his father. William S. Thaw.
. cousin of Harrys father died in an
insane asylum AT williamsburg. Va.
The witness also testified that his own
brother Horace S, died al the age of
twenty-three. IN another insane asylum
at stamtou, Va. The records of these
institutions. recounting the same things.
were also admitted in evidence
A physician who examined Harriet Alice
Thaw, haIf-sister OF William s. Thaw.
was permitted TO state that De diagnosed
her afIliction as demenua
Prisoners EccentrIcitieS Related.
4 large number Of witnesses took the
stand to tell Of weird doings OF Thaw at
various places and times. The most in
teresdHg of these was the steward of
the Whist Club who told OF Thaw's
strange appearance and excitable manner
az the club on the afternoon before the
killing OF Stanford White.
His testimony was supplemented by that
Of a telephone slrl, who was at the Grand
Hotel when ThaW and AilSe Nesbit were
staying there. Of a witness formerly EN-
ployed by Thaw's mother as a butler: of
several more persons who saw the shoot
ing. and of nine members Of the coroner'v
jury. before which Thaw appeared soon
after the killing.
The district attorneys efforts were
largely confined TO the efforts 20 show
that all the eccentricities thus testified
10 might have been those Of a man who
was merely nervous and dissIpated. but
not necessarily insane. In this he seem
ed reasonably successful.
Anonymous Letters for Court.
Justice Dowling is getting large num-
ber of anonymous letters bearing upon
the Thaw ease. Almost without exeep-
tion they give internal evidence OF having
been written by persons little less in
sane than Thaws counsel are trying to
prove the defendant to be.
A man who said he was Cole White
and who refused any further information
about himself. insisted ION sending 10
Justice Dowling a letter saying that stan
ford White had really committed suicide.
He was taken in charge by the court
officers and sent to Bellevue for examlna-
ton.
There is now a chance that young Mrs.
Thaw will take the witness stand on
Friday If witnesses from abroad do
not arrive by that time. this viii prob
ably take place. IF these witnesses ar
rive, Harry Thaw's wife viii not testify
before Monday.
In its present stage the trial does not
attract many spectators. Not more than
half the courtroom seats were occupied
to-day at either session.
The exclusion of all women spectators
from the courtroom has had It's effect.
and the continued absence Of Mrs. Will
lam ThaW, on account of Illness. ard
Mrs. George Lauder Carnegie. for sorie
reason, is also a contributing cause.
1t is understood that Mrs. Carnegie $
absence is due 10 the fact that the evl-
dence touching on insanity in the Thaw
family is 50 distaSteful to her that she
cannot bring herself to hear il.
It was announced that Mrs William
Thaw may be In court tomorrow.
Thaw's Cousin Called.
When the afternoon session opened. Mr..
Littleton broke in on the calling of MEM
bers Of the coroner's jury TO call to the
stand Alfred Lee Thaw, a second cousin
of Harry Thaw He said he was. about
forty-four years old. He gave his testi-
mony clearly and impTessively.
He is a son of William Simmons Tbaw.
His home is in Richmond. Va.
his Iatlef ana INdW rather were
cousins His father died in an asylum i'm
Williamsburg, Va, when he was sixty
nine years old.
Mr. LittletOn went back to the witness
grandfather and great-grandfather and
probed into the Thaws' antecedents. Mr..
Jerome objected.
With all these interhlending stocks"
he said. 1t seems that you might take a
directory Of the insane asylums and in
troduce here the name Of any Thaw."
But Justice DOwling allowed Mr. Little
ton to continue his investigation. with the
result that he brought out that the father
Of the witness died i'm an asylum There
was no taint Of insanity on his mothers
side, he said, but Harriet Alice Thaw. his
fathers half-sister, is now in an asylum
at Frankfort, Pa.
Witness Brothers Record,
His brother, Horace Thaw. died in an
asylum at Staunton. Va. He was twenty
three years old. He was taken 10 the
asylum from his home at Richmond.
Mr.. JeTome's cross-examination of the
witness did not develop much of interest.
Having laid the foundation, Mr. Little
ton then introduced the records of the
Continued on Page 3, Column O.
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