The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-16
SAYS THAW IS
 STILL INSANE Dr. Amos I. Baker Gives
 His Views. CONDUCT IN THE ASYLUM Relates Conversations With Thaw During His Confinement. pr. Baker Declares That 1t Would Be Dangerous to Public Safety
 for Thaw to Go at
CONDUCT IN THE ASYLUM

Poughkeepsie. May l5.-At the sec- ond days hearing of the Thaw habeas corpus case Dr. Amos T. Baker was the first witness to take the stand. He was called by District Attorney Jerome to give the court a statement as to Thaw's conduct during the three months he was in the Matteawan in- stitution. beginning February 1. is0s-
 Dr. Baker related conversations with Thaw in which the latter told of epI- lepsy and nervous ailments suffered by a sister and uncle. Thaw. the witness said, also told of the desultory way in wh ich his education was acquired. At years of age he said he had Saint Vitus' dance. He described an attack of pneumonia at Monte Carlo concern ing which he did not agree with the diagnosis of his physicians. Thaw told Dr. Baker, the latter said, that he used tobacco at IS. used alcohol In moderation and denied ever using drugs. The witness said Thaw de- scribed his movements preceding the ahooting of White-his return from Europe and marriage to Miss Nesbit- Thaw told the witness that at his triad some of the doctors had greatly exag- gerated their estimate of his condition. Dr. Baker said that Thaw said to him. If I was ever insane In my life the attack began the minute before shot
 
 He said, said Dr. Baker, that his physicians and lawyers had advised him not to discuss what had occurred on the Madison Square roof the night he shot White. He volunteered. however. this much: He compared his situation at that moment to that of a man standing on the brink of a precipice. seized with an irresistible impulse to jump."
 Wanted no FavOritism.
 While Thaw had said he dld not want to be shown any favoritism, yet he was peevish when not given stirn- ulant and the opportunity to smoke. On one examination. Thaw said Roose- welt took office as President October l6, 1905. He solved a mental example ln arir4metie fairly. wen, but he was | mixed on many we'll known dates. Dr. Baker said that a physical examination of Thaw showed him to be generally | normal
 "on Febrary 25 there arrived at the hospital 200 chocolate eclairs." said Dr. Baker. "I found that Thaw had or dered them and wished them distrib- uted among the attendants, who were to have a dance that night. told htn that tho rules prohibited gifts to enl- ployes. He said he could see no harm in buying the eclairs-"
 Mir Jerome. by questions to the witt ness. brought out the testimony of Evelyn Nesbit Thaw in one of the former trials that she was very fiona of chocolate eclairs and enjoyed eating them at one of Stanford Whites par- ties.
 pr. Baker told of Thaw's wanting to hire a plano tuner to tune the hos pital plano on win lch he practiced Flo also wanted to buy likes to decorate the ward in which he was confined, for Easter Sunday. Dr. Baker. who has been on the medical staff of the state hospitals at Dannimora and Mattea- wan for eight years was asked Dy MT. Jerome.
 Hive you encountered many insane persons who were able, by cunning. to conceal the fact of heir insanityR"
 "I have. such cases are not uneom- mon."
 You have seen the letters written by Mir. Thaw and the codich to his wiilT'
 From your reading of those dccu- ments, together with your converse tions with, and observations ot Mr. Thaw, is he, In your opinion. sane or insane?"
 He is insane"
 ous to public safety for him to SC ~ larger"
 Tt would"
 Examination of expert medical wit- nesses In an endeavor to show that Harry K. Thaw Is sane was begun nere late today by Thaw's counsel. Dr. George W. Jacoby, qualifying as an expert. said that he had examined Tbaw twice during his stay at Mattea- wan. He had found Thaw. he said. log lcal, with good memory and capable Of following an argument. He gave 1t as his unqualified opinion that Thaw was sane at present. pr. Graeme Ham, mond, another expert on mental dis- eases. the last witness of the session, declared that Thaw was not a para- noiac in his opinion; he was sane now.
 An interesting development of the day was the quoted report of A. Russ sell Peabody of Thaw's counsel, that Thaw would go on the witness stand.