New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-05-16
THAW ON STANDT0-DAY?
.JEROIE RESTS HIS CASE.
Erpert Medical Witnesses Testify
at POughkeepsie Hearing.

Poughkeepsie N Y, May DISCRIMINATION of ex-
pert medical witnesses in endeavor TO show
that Harry X Thaw is sane was begun here late
to-day by Thaw's counsel in the habeas corpus
proceedings instituted to free him from CONNIE
ment al the Matteawan Hospital for the Crinlnai
Insane where he confined al The close Oh MS
trial for killing Stanford White
District Attorney Jerome. who is opposing Thaw
release rested his case before the close OF the al
ternoon session and James @. Graham, OF Tna"s
counsel called several witnesses IN repu'eai' ai
them the Rev Luke p. Evers and me REV Joili'
A Wade chaplans of the Tombs prison potn "a
whom testified that they had talked Win iLaM
many times during his confinement mere aiiU i
Invariably found him rational.
rr George w Jacoby. qualifying as an eHper l.
said that he had examined Thaw twice ouIllie me
s.av al Marteawan. once in the PouShheelsie Jan
end IN court to-day He had found Thaw' ne saiu'
800 viii, good memory and capable Of following
an argument He gave il his unquaihed opinion
that Thaw was at present
DR. Jacoby was under cross-exannlna'loli ny ~
1.-oroe 81 tho evening session. Or. Graeme Ham
,aond another expert mental diseases pne 'ast
witness the session. declared that InaW was iio'
a r.aranoiac and in his opinion was sane now
After halt OF half an hour, awaiting the arrival
Of further witnesses for the relator court was -N
journed at O'Clock tonight until CLOCK W
morrow morning the expected witnesses not haV-
ing appeared. A.,
An interesting development of the da' was 'he
quoted report Of A Russell Peabody OF ina" ;
counsel, that Thaw would on the witness stand
Experts called by Mr.. Jerome earlier In the aaV
,es+i6ad that in their opinion Thaw an in
durable paranoiac. and that his release Woulo De
dangerous public safety
DR. Amos T. Baker, of the Matteawan Hospital,
was called as the first witness to-day he 'oiu
of conversations with Tlaw and said that the
latter had said to him: If L ever insane IN
NV life the attack began minute before shot
White and ended minute after lie tesuiieu
that the relator had solved a problem in mental
arithmetic fairly well. but was badly mixed on
many well known dates. He said that physical
examination showed Thaw TO be generally normal.
He told Of Thaw's criticism of the conduct OF his
trial and of Thaw ordering two hundred choco-
late cellars for distribution in the asylum
Thaw made notes of the reports Of DR.. Baker s
conversations with him and of his observations.
DIR. Baker just before he was qualihed by MI.
Jerome as an expert described Thaw as domineer-
ing and peevish- He declared. in answer TO MI
Jerome's questions, that he knew OF cases Where
insane persons were able cunningy TO conceal their
insanity DR.. Baker then said that he thought
Thaw insane and dangerous TO the public If allowed
to be at large
Mr. Graham. while cross-examning Dr. Baker
tried 10 show that the witness had admitted that
Thaw was not suffering from manical depression OF
naranoia DR. Baker told Of other patients who
were discharged from the Matteawan asylum on
hsheas corpus Nrts and of the strange things they
did after their release in answering Mr. Grahaul
DR. Baker said that he had observed no halluclna-
tons in Thaw's conversations
DR. Carlos F. Mcdonald. who was qualified as an
insanity expert yesterday. was then called by MI
jerome He said that Thaw was an lncuraple
paraneac whose confinement was oenandeo pE
considerations of public safety.
DR. Macdonald was cross-exaInined by Mr. Graham
ar the opening of the afternoon session and MI
Jerome admitted that he was going TO pay the VII
ness SIS an hour out of New York Countys money
from his observations of Thaw. witness said that
he thought he had certain characteristics often
reen in insane people but difficult TO describe. He
admitted that Thaw is now more passive than at
his first trial Witness then read extracts from
letters which he considered the writings of a
paranoiac but said that the letters alone would
not he sufficient warrant judgment of paranoia,
exoept when they were considered with other facts
the case
The facial expressions of Thaw's face and his
bearing while his wife was testfyhg in the homi-
eide trials. Drs Macdonald said were those VI "
person Of unsound mind
AT AS Mr.. Jerome announced that the respondent
rested.
M Graham called his first witness in rePuttai
DR.. Valdemar Sillo of No. S55 East 9th street
New York The latter said that he had ATTENDED
Tbaw many times and had found him normal ana
rational
The Rev Luke ]. Evers. the Roman Catholic
chaplain and the Rev. John A Wade. the hIlsco-
mai rraplain of the Tornbs. were called as the
next witnesses and they concurred in the opinion
that Thaw was rational and talked coherenty on
the occasions Of their visits. John J. Hatey, a
To.nbs keeper said that he had never seen Thaw
acting in any other than normal rational manner
DR. George w Jacoby was then called. and MI
jerome conceded his competency as an expert lie
said that he had examined Thaw at Matteawah
and found him in good mental condition and fairly
good physical condition. Thaw, the witness sald'
told him that ne had carried revolver only be-
cause he feared White and had killed him because
of an irresistible impulse and had felt rernorse
He said he regarded Tlaaw being sane at present
Mr. Jerome began the cross-examination of Dr.
lacobv at the beginning OF the evening session, and
secured an admission from the witness that he
disagreed with Dr. Wagner when he declared that
Thaw had ''brainstorm'' when he committed the
murder DR. Hammond said that he thought Thaw
sane after an examination, less superficial