Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-16
IN FLAWS BEHALF
Celebrated Witnesses Cross Ex. amined By Attorney Jerome
 To-Day.

Poughkeepsie, N. r., May l6.- Harry K. Thaw, the slayer of Stan ford White, may match his wits with District Attorney Jerome to-day in his effort to gain his freedom from
 the mad house to which he was committed after being acquitted by jury. Expert alienists called by the district attorney in his opposi- tion to Thaw's effort to obtain his
 discharge from the asylum already have testified that they believe the prisoner to be suffering from an in
 curable form of insanity. It is ex- pected that Thaw will be given an extremely hard examination when he confronts MT Jerome.
 Thaw has been quoted as saying | that he is anxious to meet this dis trict attorney and that he is confi- dent he can prove that he is sane
 and fully entitled to liberty.
 Several alienists and other wit
 nesses are yet to testify.
 When the hearing was resumed to- day James G. Graham, counsel for the petitioner, continued the presen- tation of evidence in support of the
 contention that Thaw is sane. Mich | ael Cummings and l.. J. Creery, keepers in the Tombs prison, testi- l fled to conversations with Thaw and said that his actions always inn pressed them as rational.
 Dr Britton D. Evans, superinten- dent of the New Jersey state hospital | for the insane at Morris Plains, N. J., was put on the stand as an ex- pert in Thaw's behalf It was Dr
 Evans, testifying in Thaw's defense at the first trial, who coined 8 new
 expression when he declared that
 Thaw was suffering from brain
 storm when he shot Stanford White. Dr Evans cited his various posi- | tions and experience of twenty years
 in the care of the insane. He said | he had written no works on insanity. Before giving his opinion Dr Evaus said he based his conclusion wholly
 upon the actual conditions of Thaw
 as he saw him during his last triai and in his several visits to him at
 Matteawan. & -a .- Mir Jerome obtained the consent of the court to cross examine Dr Evans on this one question as to how he
 reached a conclusion. He also brought | out the fact that Dr Evans excluded from consideration the letters and
 codicils of Thaw, everything in fact
 pertaining to Thaw prior to the first | trial so far as he was able 10 divorce
 the impression of these facts from his mind. stUyer objections by Mir Jerome
 the court admitted the doctors opin- I ion.
 Dr Evans recounted his conversa-
 tions with Thaw during four visits | to Matteawan. T advised him 10
 go on the stand in open court" said | the witness. '.I told him that be- lieved he could go on the stand and
 convince the court of his sanity. l told him if he did not feel that he
 could do this he could hardly ex- | pect his counsel to do much more for
 him. He seemed interested in this | suggestion and said he was perfect-
 ly willing to submit to any examina- tion that the court might desire but
 he did not wish to be subjected to
 the ordeal of severe cross examina-
 tion. I told him that MT Jerome
 would deal kindly with him." A smile went around the court
 room at this. Dr Evans said he had
 advised Thaw to apply for removal
 to a private institution but he did
 not wish to do this for fear of of- | lending the Matteawan hospital.
 Thaw told him that at Matteawan
 the food was good and nutritious but
 the manner of its serxee did not ap- peal to him.