Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-23
CLOSING THE DEFENCE
IN THE THAW TRIAL.
Mrs. VIM. Thaw Completes Testimony
Regarding Sons Mental Condition.
Doctors and Experts to Be Called.

New York, Jan. 22.-The end of the
| second ThaW trial is fast approaching.
| This fact was indicated late today
| when DR.. Charles Wagner, the first
OF tn. alienists to be called by the de-
fence, took the stand for his prelim-
mary examination. Anthony Comstock,
vice president of the Society for the
Suppression of Vice, had been heard as
a witness earlier in the day and Mrs.
William Thaw, mother of the defend
ant, had completed her testimony. The
kindergarten teacher, who had charge
of Harry Thaw as a lad of six, also
testified and the day marked long
stride toward the conclusion Of the eel
ebrated case.
Mr.. Comstock's testimony, while new,
had been discounted by the known facts
| of Tnaw's appeal to him to assist in
closing up the houses where Stanford
| White was alleged to have maintained
| deliberately furnished apartments and
| where young girls were said to have
| been mstreated. A dozen letters ThaW
| wrote to ComStock regarding the mat
ter and giving detailed description of
| the oath street house, were admitted in
evidence and read to the jury. District
| Attorney Jerome seemed as pleased as
the defence with the letters and later
in the day read into the record himself
most Of Mr.. Comstocls replies to
Thaw. The witness indicated in his
testimony that nothing had ever come
of the complaints, legal evidence being
lacking.
Mrs. William Thaw, still unable to
walk unassisted, because Of her recent
illness, was not long upon the stand.
She told of Thaws early life, of in
| fluences before his birth and of the
mental unsoundness of two of her
| brothers. There was no crosS-eXamin-
alton, Mr.. jerome contenting himself
| by reading to the jurors the affidavit
made by the elder Mrs. Thaw last year
| when the question of her sons sanity
| was pending before u lunacy commits
| sion. In the affidavit she declared that
iii the direct line Of descent there had
been 10 insanity in Harry Thaw's fam
| lily for four generations. AS to the col
| lateral cases Mrs Thaw said there
! were but two and they were easily ac-
counted for. In her statement to the
commission. Mrs. Thaw also resented
the insinuation that she had been COM
| PEELED to suffer because Of the news
paper reports of insanity in the fam
lily and declared there were no family
secrets to hide and no skeleton to be
| barred.
Mr.. Littleton may continue with eX-
pert testimony tomorrow or he may Of
fer es witnesses the doctors from Rome,
| Paris and London, who are to tell
briefly of attending Thaw in those
cities. Another doctor is expected to
tell Of an outbreak on a train and that
will end ALL save the expert testimo-
ny. Today the codicil to Thaw's will
was placed in evidence. but the will
itself was temporarily ruled out be-
cause of the insufficiency of evidence
showing its custody since 1908. Mr..
LittIeton said he would supply this to-
morrow or Friday.
| New York, Jan. 22.-It was 1O.22
o'clock when the trial Of Harry K.
Thaw for the killing of Stanford White
was resumed this morning and Mr.. Lit
Teton. of the defence began at once
the prelininaries Of proving Harry
Thaw's will and codicil, executed the
day of his wedding to Evelyn Neshit
in Pittsburg. Mrs. Francis Pierce, who
witnessed the signatures and who tes-
titled at the last trial. was called to
the stand.
Miss Pierce identified the papers but
District Attorney Jerome objected to
its Introduction in evidence until wit
nesses had come forward to prove it's
custody from the time of signing up to
the present moment. Mr.. Littleton de-
| do
lay matters but he temporarily with
drew the offer of the will Justice
| Bowling said the condition of the will,
a long rambling affair. was such as to
make the proof of custody desirable.
There are many changes and altera-
tons in it. AS to the codicil Mr.. Je-
rome objected to its introduction on
the ground that it was in the defend
ants own handwriting and was a self
serving document Justice Bowling
said the codicil was a compact con-
tinuing document and was competent
as evidence.
Mr.. Littleton then read the codicil to
the jury. The codicil, it will be re-
membered, provided a number Of be-
quests to lawyers and others TO- aid
alleged victims of Stanford White to
prosecute claims of damages against
him and for the prosecution of all per-
sons engaged ''in such unlawful prac-
tees as said Stanford White"
Among those to whom the funds were
made available were r. Ross Perry of
Washington, DR.. Charles Fl. Parkhurst
and Anthony Comstock. Thaw named
a number of young women now on the
stage as possible claimants against
| White.
Mr.. Litt1eton then created 2 stir by
calling Anthony Comstock to the stand,
his first appearance in the case. Mr..
Comstock said he was vice president
and special agent of the Society for
| fl,o GiIfarracci1Ara nf Nina nd ifarr ton