New-York tribune., 1908-01-30
THAW FACES MADHOUSE
HIS LAWYER POINTS Hr.1T.
I.itfIeion Ends Argument ana
Jerome Begins This Morning.

NJ stanford White All through It Thaw sat and
Soui-rned rneasy his seat as Mr. littletofS
argument showed that 1t was not the death cha'
n sing Sing but tho insane asylum thai was me
rrape- piace for his client. A. no time did Mr.
Iitreton Indulge in orator. but he naTshaiieo ms
cts and Up his argument in such way l''
no, once did eyes Of the jury turn from hin as
nc spoke District Attorney Jerome was not there
10 listen but stenoraphic reports were sent sheet
ly sheet TO him his Rutgers street home, where
he was at his final argument
From the shock his mother long before IhaW
birth TO his actions and appearance few minutes
before he slew Stanford White Nh Littleton told
story Of the prisoners errauc life ana ms
physical and mental unsoundness- His brain was
affected with a fever at three months, and he has
been passins in and out of the sunlight and shadow
Of this life until he finds himself before this jury
said Mr.. Littieton.
we established at the outset" he continued.
that iu this defendants family there had been
here and there cases Of insanity. And il has
been said by s great writer that heredity is the
greatest force insanity. l do not expect 10 be
wilder and deceive you by showing that a remote
relative insane 10 befog the issue. / do eN-
rect however that when / have shown you that his
uncle and aunt. from one cause or another, were
demented and confined in asylum / do eX-
tect that when 1 have demonstrated that. that you
viii give heed this great law Of heredity 10 de
fernine what effect this would have the mind of
The defendant IL is for you TO determine the effect
this strain and what predisposiuon this would
give this defendant break down. If this taint
should exist in this uncle and aunt, il is for you
10 say far il has been inherited by this de-
fendant.'
Nr Idttleton then spoke of the shock Mrs
Thaw when she found her baby dead in bed thir
teen months before Harry born, and its prob
able prenatal influence. He reviewed the early
testimony of the mother and that Of the nurse
who told Thav's peculiar behavior child
and then up the testimony of the kindergarten
teacher
DO YOU think" he asked that these women
I. I'D olla
would lend themselves to any effort or enterprise
20 free the man who had committed great crime?
Isn't il strange that boy six years old should
have 4 language-gibberish--of his own? The Dis
Attorney sneeringly insinuated that he might
have been cured by spanking. But all this needs
serious answer. Would the District Attorney put
brains in his head or a language on his tongue?'
Dwelling again the testimony OF the nurse and
kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Lawrence MI
Ijtsleton referred TO the effect his experience
of corporal punishment had Thaw, and then he
spoke of Tnaws life at school under Mr.. Beck
Has not told you he asked. referring to Mr.
Beck. that upon his pupil would come these ter
rfble outbreaks. in which he struggled and cried
like one denented? Has he told you how in
these spells which came upon him in his most
peaceful moments he would howl like wild ami
mai? that a manufactured phrase, invented for
tho occasion7 Let the District Attorney this
evidence: let him not with sneer an in
sinuation. II ne has testimony TO meet the evil
denoe I giving you, then let him silence his in
situations"
The letter Of tho mother, n which she told Mr.
Reck she was afraid that the boy might be of un-
sound mind. taken up. and then the testimony
of Professor Coler, under whom Thaw studied at
wooster. All the testimony concerning Thawr mp
20 his sixteenth year which he had just reviewed,
Nr Li1tleton said. showed that the defendant had
learned nov here school, and whatever he did
learn was in fugitive moments when his mind was
not occupied with nae}anchOlia and disturbed by
mania The testimony o and physi-
cans brought from abroad reviewed. Here
he spoke of the credentials of DR.. Wells. OF Lon
oon. and paused 20 remark Il have heard nothing
more tie remarks Of shysters and charlatans
since then. ] do not wish to attack the District
Attorney. but his mention Of possible charlatanisn
] call a sreer, a sneer. in advance"
Taxing up again the burden of proof which lies
ar the prosecution 10 show that Thaw
the night of the shooting Mr.. Littleton demanded:
The District Attorney has offered no evidence,
except his OWE ;nsinuation. that q patient of this
well known form Of insanity tmanic depressvej
could remember. Where all these scien-
lists? Why did he not call them TO disprove the
statements Of DT. Wells? Where oh where, is
that galaxy Of scientists he had here at the last
tr1ale l counted nine OF them-where, oh where.
they now?'
Mr. LittIeton continued in this strain for some
time. touching all the incidents Of the trips
abroad and then on the attack of alleged mania
On the Chicago train Two months before the shoot
ing. This closed the morning session. After recess
Mr. IdttIcton took Up the testimony of Miss
Fletcher. who knew Thaw and his family for
:wenty-six years. Then almost Immediately he
mentioned for the first time the name of Evelyn
Thsw. Ee told Of their first casual meeting and
rapidly reached the proposal OF marriage in Paris
and her rejection Of # because Of her previous
lstions with Stanford White Speaking Of the
young uonlan's testimony, he said
I believe that the District Attorney has been
inteut about destroying this young woman's
character than lie has been I'm proving Taaw
June p He have assailed her more
q destroy her credbiliiy than 10 prove Thsw sane
If were District Attorney I would have hest
rsted to destroy her character with the evidence
uf Convict-of \ whom 1 had convicted
myself
He said that Jerome had secured the world for
witnesses 20 disprove her statement and had not
succeeded until he pulled out of the dark cell
where he had sent him a man convicted of subor-
nation Of perjury. What has Hummei done that
;he District Attorney Mr. Littleton demanded:
that loathsome. discredited imprisoned lawyer
whose evidence has been called here The District
Attorney has thrown discredit her testimony
Where can he say he got that evidence? He
only say; I got II from that rats den-the office
cf Howe & Hum1nel-'"
Attacking Humnlers testimony further MI Lit
rleFon ca led him convicted felon the very
vernn of the New York bar and his evidence
the ''re.kirg slime from the Office Of Howe &
iFurnrnel" In this strain he continued until he
read Thaw's letter Frederick Longfellow in 1893
rellirg the story that Evelyn Nesbit is supposed
20 have told Thaw in Paris Of her wrongs This
proved he said that the story had heen told
Starting from this ne took the story of the
EFunllncI affidavit. which, he said made
order ia HummeTs Office. The effects Of stories
circulated that Thsw a cocaine iend, woman
l,earer and a lunatic the prisoners mind
presented to the jury. and the threat alleged 10
lssse BEEN made ley Stanford White TO Kill Thaw