The Topeka state journal., 1908-01-23
Evidence in the ThaW Tria
Nearly All In.
The Defendants Mother Com.
pletes Her Testimony.
HIS FIRST TEACHER
Tells How He Frequently Had
Fits in School.
Could Not Talk Intelligibly
When Six Years Old.

Ne" ork, Jan. 23-The end of the
second trial Of Harry K Thaw is in
slgnt. The greater part of the evidence
IN the case is now in the hands of the
jury and save for the technical evil
dence OF the alienists practically all the
.eslianony that the defense is expected
TO oner has been given Two or three
PHYSICIANS who attended Thaw at var
ious times in Europe are expected to
testlIy, their stories having been prom
1sed by Mr.. Littleton, when he opened
the case.
The first of the alienists. DIR. Charles
q. wagner, has told a portion of his
story Of Thaw's actions in the Ton,bs
aIter ne was incarcerated in that fam
GUS prison, but he will be recalled to
the stand to finish his evidence and TO
answer the inevitable lengthy hypo-
tnetlcai question. 1t is probable that
ne Will be followed by five or six other
alienists, each Of whom will be called
upon 10 express an opinion as to Thaw's
sanity at the time he fired the shots
that cost Stanford Whites life Unless
the defense has some surprise in store
whlcn is not thought likely this evil
dence VIII end the case, so far as the
DEFENDANTS side is concerned 1t is
not Known what the state expects to
offer in the way Of rebuttal testimony,
but it is not expected that 1t will have
many witnesses.
the defendant, was recalled yesterday
afternoon to conclude her testimony be-
gun last week.
Mrs Thaw told of waking up one
night shortly before Harry's birth and
finding that her eldest child an infant
was dead in her bed. The nervous
shock was SO severe. she declared, that
for more than seven months she scarce
ly slept at all. AS an infant, Harry
Thaw suffered the most remarkable
sleeplessness she had ever known in a
child. He was nervous and instead of
sleeping at night would insist on being
propped up to a sitting posture in bed,
his eyes having a wide-awake express
sion.
The mother went into details of the
defendants early life. telling of his
various ills and never-ending attacks
of nervousness. The first teacher he
ever had was Belle Moorehouse Law
renee, when he was years old. Mrs.
Thaw then told Of the various schools
the boy had attended
Mrs. Thaw also testified as to the
unsound mental condition of her
brothers. Joseph Copley and Henry
w. Copley and stated that her hus-
band and sister, Mrs. Hirsch were
epileptics.
District Attorney Jerome waived
cross examination of Mrs. Thaw un-
der agreement of the defense to admit
into evidence the affidavit, the mother
made last year, before the lunacy
commission, which was inquiring into
her sons condition Of mind.
Mr.. Jerome read the affidavit to the
jury. In the document Mrs. Thaw
declared that in the direct line of des-
cent for four generations there was
no epilepsy or insanity in the family
of the defendant. AS to the epilepsy
of Mrs. Hirsch. the affidavit stated
that her children were entirely free
from any taint of the disease, show
ing clearly that Mrs. Hirsch's attack
was due to scarlet fever in infancy
and not from Inheritance.
''The defendants grand parents on
both sides,'' continued the affidavit,
were responsible for their we'll bal
anced qualities Of head and heart
As to her brother Josiah, Mrs Thaw
declared in the affidavit that the boy
had a brilliant mind and was an
assidious student. His commence
ment day grafton at Amherst was SO
splendid an effort that judges decided
unwisely not to place a time limit
upon him. The result was an attack
of brain fever followed by three
days of acute mania. Josiah was in
the asylum seven months when he
was discharged cured. He enlisted in
the civil war and served under Cen
eraI Grant. Young Copley was a pris-
oner both in Libby and Anderson
| skeleton but in no wise mentally
! affected, although men about him in
| Andersonville daily we're going mad
Henry Copley's infirnity, according to
| the affidavit was due to fright wher
boy. These were the two solitary
| cases in the family, the other in
stances of insanity mentioned at the
former trial having no connection
with Harry Thaw. Mrs. Thaw de-
clared in the affidavit that she was
| glad to set at rest the many cruel In
| Situations she had had to hear as the
| result of published reports or insanity
| in the Thaw blood.
! There is no family secret to b.
guarded and no family skeleton to b.
barred" she concluded. Mr.. Jerom,
laid careful emphasis on the NOR
| critical points in the paper.
] AS Mrs Thaw was leaving the Grim
/ fnal court building after finishing he
| testimony she was served with paper
in the suit brought by DR.. Allen Nc
Lane Hamilton for $4,000 for pro
fessional services. DR.. Hamilton re
ceiyed $1,000 after he had been EN-
Of lawyers employed in behalf o
Thaw. Mrs. Thaw accepted the pa
| pers without a word
! Mrs Belle Moorehouse Lawrence
i the teacher. was next called to tn
stand IT was Miss Moorehouse tina
toneht Harry Thaw in her kindergar
ten school at Pittsburg. Mrs. Law
renee now is resident of California
Harry was delicate child" sh
said with a large head. He was al
WAYS brooding; he would stand wit
his mouth wide open ana ms eye
were blank and peculiar. When h
came to me he was five years and 1
months old, but his speech was un
intelligible After three weeks
found he had language of his owl
I had to give him private iessons-
..Did YOU note all these things a
-. .irna-his neculiar appearanct