New-York tribune., 1908-02-02
THE TH4W VERDICT.

When a iurv brings in q verdict OF acQuittal
an tho .rrouud of insanity as If has in the Thaw
case the chief public anxiety is that there may
not result slch n virtual miscarriage OF justice
as has too often happened In past instances,
when men who have been guilty Of cold
blooded and cowardly homicdes after brief
confinement have regained their freedom on the
ground that they have been cured or have
recovered their sanity Perhaps in some Of
these cases which have hitherto grieyed respect
ers of the law the jury have used an insanity
verdict as a cloak for their Sympathles, ANA
recovery is unScientifically easy. In the pres
emf case there seems TO be little reason TO expect
such en- unfortunate consequence. No SYM
nathv could have been felt by the jury
with Stanford Whites Cowardly slayer. the rate
of whose worthless and dissoute life rested on
their decision. We believe that their VerdlcC
represents their honest opinion regarding the
mental state of the man who sat before them
with all the marks of abnorniality about his
pbysiognomy and with a history for loathsome
va-aries comporting perfectly with his strange
appearance
Besides this the evidence which the verdict
WAS founded was of such nature as 70
strengthen the belief that justice will not mis-
carry Thaw was not adjudged insane. as oth-
ers have been because at the time Of his homi-
eide he appeared TO be overmastered by wild
!
testimony went to show that in the hours and
even in the minutes preceding the Staying of
! Mr. White he had his usual degree Of self-pos-
/ session II was In spite of this uncontradicted
/ evidence that the jury found him unbalanced.
deciding that notwithstanding his apparent csiIm
/ he was moved TO his act by an insane impulse
/ for his mind throughout his whole life was
shown TO have hung upon the obscure border-
/ land between sanity and insanity, crossing 4
with dangerous frequency in moments Oh Wild
ness and violence The evidence indicated that
! from his childhood up he repeatedly exhlblted
traits which his friends and his physlcians
1 ascrihed TO insanity i faint of madness ran
tbrnugh both families that contributed to his
make-ur His London physician. who had OBJ
served him during the process or one OF HIS
I wilder attacks. recognized his af1iction as
dangerous and recurrent type of insanity. one
! that would lead to deeds of violence and one
that was certain 10 return at Intervals through
ont his life His own experts, who had studied
! him physically and listened to his lie history
agreed with the English alienist in saying that
he was afflicted with dangerous type Of recur-
rent mania. Therefore, as there was no evi-
dence showing insanity at the time of the hom-
icjde but all of it went 10 prove that ne was
of unsound mind long prior TO the killing, the
iury in acquitting him have found him TO be
chronically insane. and since the experts nave
/ testified that his insanity is Of recurrent ana
dangerous variety IT is established both by the
/ evidence and by the verdict that he Is forever
unfit TO be at large.
We wish to extend 10 Justice Bowling our
warmest praise for the skill and resourcefuInesS
with which he conducted the case. From start
10 finish he was master of the situation, keep
ing the counsel always under proper judicial
I restraint He was quick and sure in his rulings
and PROMPT in checking the exuberance of the
ATTORNEYS holding them strictly TO the business
/ before the court. His course was a revelation
I such as we seldom have in this district of what
| even under this states rules of procedure a
iudce NAV do to effect the proper and reason
able conduct of a sensational criminal case II
his wits are quick enough and his will IS suf1-
cjently resolute The previous hearing OF the
case made American criminal trials a byword
Some idea of the difference between il and the
present one may be got from the duration of the
two Last years began January 2' and
lasted. with some brief intermlssion. 1lll aprii
13. This one began on January and ended on
February l.