The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-06
Rich Slayer Of Stanford
White Confident New Trial
Will Free Him.
FIRST JUROR SELECTED
Efforts to Be Made to Start
Case in Earnest as Soop as
Possible IS Evelyn Again
Wears Schoolgirl Frock
to Court.

NEW YORK, Jan. 6.--The second trial
of Harry K. Thaw was begun today be-
W bre Justice Victor J. Bowling in the
=, 81 ate Supreme Court. and at the very
son 1tset of the proceedings a plea of in
= nifty at the time of the killing of STAN
ord White was entered in behalf of the
defendant. Last year the case was
fought on a straight plea of not guilty,
out temporary insanity finally was re-
lied upon.
One juror, Charles e. Gremmels, a
. ship broker was accepted by both sides
at the close of the morning session.
None of the jurors will be sworn until
Z the box is filled. however, and all will
be subjected to peremptory challenge
until the joint oath is administered.
This arrangement is a departure from
last year. when each juror was sworn
as chosen.
Neither District Attorney Jerome nor
counsel for the defense would hazard
ar estimate today as to the time that
will be required to find twelve satisfdc-
tory men, Eighty-six of the first 100
talesmen summoned were present this
morning.
: Mrs Evelyn Thaw was pursued by
crowds as curious as ever, and had to
be escorted in and out of the court
house by "a detail of policemen.
After a somewhat informal discussion
as to the methods of selecting jurors,
the work of filing the box was taken
up without further delay District At
torney Jerome undertook the examina-
ltion of the first talesman called to the
kTitness chair. He was William Is.
MILLER, a decorator. Miller said he had
known Stanford White casually and
had formed an opinion upon what he
had read of the case. He felt he could
!. render fair and impartial verdict, and
! upon this statement Mr.. Jerome an
/ nounced that he passed the juror for
I cause.
:. Mr.. Littleton, for the defense, brought
< out the fact that Miller had had some
business relations with the architectu-
raj firm of which Stanford White was
a member, and that he had been
called but not accepted as a juror at
ne last trial Mr.. Littleton challenged
\ ,en the ground of actual bias and was
7 sustained by Justice Dowling.
+ Three talesmen who followed Miller
under examination were excused be-
cause of the unqualified opinions they
declared they held. Justice Dowling
himself took hand in examining some
of the proposed jurors, and was in
clined to cut the questioning short
| Thomas H. Harmer, who was foreman
J of the second Man" Patterson jury
and voted for acquittal, was excused
! because of illness.
AS to the plea of insanity District
Attorney Jerome explained to each of
the proposed jurors in turn that a per-
son is excused from criminal liability in
New York State only upon proof that
he was at the time of the deed suffering
from such a defect of reason as not to
know the nature or quality of his act or
that the act was wrong. He also ques-
toned each talesman closely as to any
opinion held or any conscientious scru-
pie entertained against capital punish
ment
Charles e. Gremmels, a ship broker,
was called for examination just before
the close of the. morning session. He
said he had certain scruples against
capital punishment, but if sworn as a
Juror he felt he could lay 1t aside and
vote for a conviction if the evidence
seemed to warrant it. Mr.. Jerome was
! inclined to challenge for cause, but JUS
: tice Dowling ordered the examination
to proceed. In other ways, Mr.. Grem-
mels was acceptable to the prosecution
and was turned over to Mr.. Llttleton, Of
tie defense. He was finally accepted
and took his place in the foreman's
. chair.
After Gremmers acceptance the
luncheon recess was ordered.
Thaw was seated at the counsel table
with Mr. Littleton, A. Russell Peabody
and Daniel O'Reilly. District Attorney
Jerome and Assistant District Attorney
Garvan represented the people.
Mrs Evelyn Thaw, attired in the blue
schoolgirl dress, which became familiar
during the first trial, was in the court
room when the proceedings began. She
was accompanied by Mrs. Carnegie and
Josiah Thaw.
Justice Bowling announced that until
further notice there would be three
court sessions each day as follows:
From 1915 a. m. to 1. p. M; from 2.
m. to D. M, and from p. m. to 10
p. m. He also announced that the jury
would be locked up throughout the
trial.
The prosecutions direct case will be
bliel' Inc aCtudi hilliHS wiz pS Pio'N
and then the defense will have an OPP
portunity to prove, If it can, that ThaW
was not mentally responsible when he
fired the shot which ended the life OF
Stanford White
1t is said that the defense has sub
poenaed a large number of additional
witnesses for this trial. but il is be-
leved that Evelyn Nesbit Inaw will
still be the principal witness for tho de-
Foense. That she will tel practically the
sei9me story as she told on the last
,,,1s2ipl is probable, but it is rus1ored that
.-Praa prosecution will cross-exaisline her
srnore severely than was done at
ther trial