Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-01-28
THAw DEFENSE CLOSES CASE
Experts Testify that Hs e. Afflicted
with Maniac Depressive
Insanity.


NEW YORK. Jan. E.-The Thaw defense
closed its case today with aniae-depres-
sive" insanity as the explanation OF the
death Of Stanford White az the hands OF
the young Pittsburg millionaire. Tomorrow
the prosecution win begin its evidence in
rebuttal and tho case should so to the jury
by Wednesday night or Thursday noon.
District Attorney Jerome tomorrow morn
ing will apply for the appointment OF
commission to take the testimony OF Abra-
ham Hummel. the convicted lawyer who is
confined in the penitentiary on Blackwens
Island and who is said to be too M to
appear I'm court. MIR. Littleton OF the de-
fense, said he would oppose any such ac-
tion. whereupon Justice Dowling announced
that II necessary he would go to the island
himself tomorrow night in company with
the defendant and his counsel to preside
at the taking OF Hummers testimony. The
jury. It was said, would not be compelled
to take the night trip across the river.
Thaw seemed delighted at the prospect OF
the outing-even 20 the grim shores Of New
York City's penal eolony-snd smiled
broadly at the courts suggestion.
District Attorney Jerome disappointed a
crowded court room when he refrained
from hts tactics OF last year in batting the
expert witnesses for the defense, three OF
whom-Drs. Wagner. Evans and Jeliffe-
declared that Thaw at the time he killed
Stanford White was suffering from such
defect of reason as not to know the
nature or quality Of his act or that the
act was wrong The prosecutor contented
himself with drawing from the alienists
the fact that last year they swore IL was
during a %brain storm" that T'haw com
mitted the homicide. He also read from
hn al
the lunacy commission last year giving
conversations had with Thaw in court
which tended to show that the defendant
had distinct recollection OF occurrences
on the roof garden Immediately preceding
the tragedy
1t was left to Justice Bowling 70
make most important inquiry OF the
alienists. He desired 70 know the exact
nature of 'maniac-depressive" insanity
and il the attacks were likely to recur
He also asked IL a person suffering
from this form of insanity would be
likely to commit assaults. He learned
that II was recurrent form of mental
disorder. the attacks coming suddenly
and without warning. a period of in
sanity being followed by a maniacal out
burst then by a period of complete de-
preston and then by another lucid in
terval. II seemed that the presiding
judge was securing information upon
which to predicate judicial action in the
event of verdict of not guilty on the
ground of insanity or Of a straight ac-
quittal. Even I'm this latter event it
was pointed out that Justice Bowling
would have the right to have Thaw COM
mttted for examination.
An English physician, one OF the three
men of medicine who testified. first gave
the name Of maniac Oppressive" or
sub acute mania" to Thaw's mental
condition. DR.. Sydney Russell Wells of
London made the diagnN is during an
outbreak by Thaw in london in 1899.
when with normal temperature Thaw
demanded that the walls of his rooms in
a. nursing home he torn down so that
he might have air and that twenty tons
of Ice be put in the apartment TO cool IL.
Mr.. Littleton's question, which was
answered by the three experts, was a
complete resume of the evidence. with the
exception, District Attorney Jerome
pointed out, of the testimony of James
G. Smith, brother-in-law of Stanford
White, who talked with Thaw for fifteen
minutes just before the shooting on the
roof of Madison Square Garden The
question contained some 5000 words.