The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-01-30

New York Jan. 29-Martin ". Little
+ ton. chief counsel for Harry X. Thaw,
this afternoon spoke the last word that
will be uttered for his client before the
jury selected 10 try him for the murder
Of Stanford White on June 25, 1906.
Littleton spoke for four hours and forty
five minutes with a recess OF only an
hour for luncheon. Those who heard him
We're unanimous in the opinion he had
made a logical and powerful argument
for the acquittal Of Thaw on the ground
OF insanity.
Some auditors who crowded the big
/ courtroom and who had often heard Lit
Teton speak feared In advance that he
would distribute flowers OF rhetoric with
a rrodigal hand from beginning to end OF
his speech. a few even predicted he
would outdo DeImss and his far-aung
words about the angel child" and the
Young Sir Galahad."
Logical MarshaIIng OF Evidence.
He did nothing Of the kind. With one
or two brief but effective interludes. Lit
/ Teton confined himself largely 70 argu-
ment a logical marshaltng OF the evi-
dence presented on the witness stand and
the differences which. the defense urged.
We're only proper to draw from the evi-
/ dence.
He traced the indications Of insanity in
/ his client from the insane history Of his
uncle, through prenatal happenings that
might reasonably be supposed 20 have af-
fected his mental health. through the days
Of his infancy and childhood, his youth
and his early manhood down TO the June
night when he killed Stanford White on
the roof Of Madison Square Garden.
/ His opening remarks were made in a
tong scarcely audible outside the railing
within which he stood. His voice quickly
rose until it became distinctly heard ali
over the courtroom. But he never rayed,
and his closing words. though solemn and
impressive were pronounced IN q tone
little louder than those with which he
! opened his address.
/ Step by step Littleton built up the
] stones composing tie wall of the defense.
( When he got through il looked ike an
almost impregnable structure. 1t i'm
pressed all who heard il, lawyers and
/ lsymen alike. The question asked a score
Of times, the moment court adjourned.
was.
How IS jerome going TO get around
I that argument
| There is not much doubt. If the spects-
4 tors in the courtroom had been the jury,
I they would have been practically unani-
nous in acquitting Thaw on the plea Of
insanity.
Failure Of jerome 10 Impeach.
ta,,sd morning session. Littleton con-
dence tending {Tith reviewing the evil
and bringing the case. Thaw's insanity
/ feature is concerned, down TO the@tr4lthat
the shooting. Then he pointed out that
of All these witnesses, with two excep-
tions. Jerome had made not the slightest
attempt TO impeach
The district attorney. he declared. simply
sneered and let it go at that He re-
peatedly reminded the jury this case vas
not TO be tried on sneers or smiles or
smirks
Evidence that Thaw was sane when he
killed Stanford White was what was de-
manded in view of the defeuse's produe-
ton Of evidence tending 10 show the con-
trary. Instead of this, he averTed, the
district attorney had only sneers 10 Of
fer.
He made a strong point Of Jerome $
failure to produce any expert witnesses To
swear Thaw was sane at the time Of the
killing.
Three weeks ago. in my opening adj
dress" he said Il challenged the dis
trict attorney to produce a single expert
witness to testify that this defendant was
sane. lie hasn't done il.
Where are all these lost alienists, so
many OF whom appeared FOR the prosecu-
ton at the first trial Of this cause?'
good many observers thought Jeroma
was unwise in the attitude OF harsh hos
filthy he adopted in his ss-examination
j of Mrs Evelyn Nesbit Thaw. and they
were all saying L told YOU So after
S I.ittleton touched on that phase Of the
% case in the afternoon.
May Have Thought Wife on Trial.
/ He dwelt at some length upon the eyi-
S dent bitterness felt by Jerome toward
n Thaws young wife and upon that saw
r aEeness with which he examined her. Tie
declared again and again ne sometimes
I thought the district attorney was OF
d opinion young Mrs. Thaw herself was or
d trial
r He was most bitter IN his attack eT
Abraham Hummel, whom ne referred e
r as THAT vermin OF the bar" that rat.
{ and that rogue" He also declared
n Jerome had tried TO dump "ali the slime
/. of Hummels office into the Jap of Mrs
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw.
1 Everybody who could be jammed int
the courtroom was there at each session
n For the first time in the conduct Of tn
case there were a few women present
besides reporters and the members Of th'
Thaw family
J. Thaw's wife came in early and quit'
n by herself She was followed a few min
h utes later by Mrs. George Lauder Car
Y negie and then by Mrs. William ThaW
accompanied by a traiSed nurse, on WHOM
v she leaned heavily Thaw's wife wore NJ
e veil but the face OF his mother va
' heavily swathed
r Thaw himself stood the day we'll HI
Y listened quietly TO everything Littletol
Continued on Page ., COiumR 3.