Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-05-16
HARRY THAW IS NOT
FIT TO Be AT LARGE.
Is Statement Of Supt. Baker Of Mat
teawan Insane Hospital, In Fact
It Would Be Dangerous.

ION Feb % there arrived at the hos
pital 200 Chocolate eclairs,' said DR.
BAKER. Il found that Thaw had or
dered them and wished them dis
tributed among the attendants, who
were to have a dance that night 1
told him that the rules prohibited gifts
to the employees. He said he could see
no harm in buying the eclairs."
Mr.. Jerome by questions to the wit
ness brought out the testimony that
Evelyn Thaw was fond of eclairs and
enjoyed eating them at Whist parties
While DR.. Baker was reading his
typcWriitcn statement ThaW made
notes of the doctors testimony Dr.
Baker told of Thaw's wanting to hire
man to tune the piano on which he
practiced. He also wanted to buy lilies
to decorate the ward in which he WAS
confined for Easter Sunday. flc pur-
chased q quantity of Gospel Hymn
books for the use Of the patients. "On
one OCCASION" said DR.. Baker, "hc said
the newspapers We're behaving beauti-
fully"
DR.. Baker said that Thaw refused,
by advice of counsel to have his pho
tograph taken.
DR.. Baker described his manner as
domineering and peevish.
Dr. Baker said that in his opinion
it would be dangerous to public safe
ty to have Thaw go at large.
Mr. jerome then qualified DR. Baker
as an expert. He has been on the med
ical staff of the State hospital at Dan
nemora and Matteawan for eight
years.
Mr.. jerome asked "Have you en-
countered many insane persons who
were able by cunning to conceal the
fact Of their insanity" II have. Such
cases are not uncommon"
you have seen the letters written
by Mr.. ThaW and the codicil to his
Will?" II have"
"From your reading of those docu-
mentS, together with your conVGrsa-
tinns with and observations of Mr..
Thaw. is ne. in your opinion, sane or
insane?' "Hc is insane
'In your opinion would it be danger
Gus II public safety for him to so at
large?" ''t would
This testimony apparently qualified
DR.. Baker as an expert but it was
learned that Mr.. jerome would later
ask the court OF rule that DR.. Baker
was not to be classed as an expert
since he IS named as respondent to the
proceedings The court has limited the
experts to five on each side. The relat-
or, ThaW, has five. DR.. jacob,
DIR. Gracmc Hammond, DR.. Hilgrim,
DR.. Evans and DR.. Jeliffe. By an in
advertent question by Mr.. Graham
yesterday. DR.. Mcclure, the Tombs
prison physician. was qualified as an
expert If the court insists upon this
ruling, one of Thaw's experts will have
to be kept off the stand. The respon-
dent had examined but one expert. DIR. |
Flint, prior to Dr. Bakers cxamina
ton.
Mr. Graham cross-examined Dr. Baker
to considerable length, pressing him To
admit that he had made statements to
him (Graham), to Thaw and to some Of
the doctors sent to Mattcawan to exam |
inc ThaW that the young man was not
suffering from manic depression or para |
noia. DR.. Baker said he had talked with |
Thaw's lawyers and doctors and that his
conversation might lead them to believe
that he was not certain as to ThaW'S |
sanity. On March 16 he told Mr.. Gra-
ham that he had not discovered symp- |
toms of manic depression, but he would |
not say that he had made the statement |
regarding paranoia. In any event what !
ever opinions he may have expressed
during the early weeks of Thaw's CON
Continued on Page Twelve)