The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-01-16
CORONER'S JURY
TEST|F|ES FOR
HARRY THAW
New Lot of Witnesses For the
Defence
HAD MANY ECCENTRICITIES
Crank Named Cole Arrested for Send
Ing Threatening Letters to Justice
Bowling.

NEW YORK, Jan. 49, - Adherine
strictly to their promise to interpose
no other defense than that Of insanity
In behalf of their client, the attorneys
representing Harry X. Thaw at his
trial continued the examination of wit.
nesses who testified that young Thaw
at various times in his life appeared
to them as irrational and mentally un-
sound.
Practically all Of the testimony was
entirely new to the case and had to do
with acts down to the day Of the trag.
edy itself. Then came the declaration
of ten of the men who sat on the cOro.
ner's jury during the inquiry into
Stanford Whites death, all Of whom
declared that the defendant the day
following the shooting acted irration-
ally. His manner and appearance were
such as to cause the inquest jury to
discuss his state Of mind after their
formal verdict had been rendered.
A sensation marked the session when
q man named Cole White was arrested
at the doors Of the courtroom for
threatening Justice Bowling, presiding
over. the trial.
Since the beginning Of the case JUS
tlce Bowling has received a number
OF letters, evidently written by a
crank. These contained directions, ad-
vice and threats. The man taken into
custody appeared at the door and gave
q letter to Lieutenant Berry, asking
him to deliver 1t to the justice.
He was at once placed under arrest.
He was committed to Bellevue hospi
tai to be examined as to his sanity.
The letter which the man wished
Justice Bowling to receive was as fol-
lows:
IL am the man, Cole White, who
wrote you two letters and have re-
ceived no answer | am the Cole
White who must find out why Mr..
White lost his life or lose my own
life Will you see me and let me
speak for a few minutes, and then you
will know whether l am right or
wrong"
In the days testimony there was
more delving into the history Of the
Thaw family, Alfred Lee Thaw Of
Richmond, Va, third cousin Of the
defendant. taking the stand and tell
ing of the faint Of insanity which had
caused his father and brother to die in
state asylums.
Some of Thaw's alleged eccentr!ci-
ties, revealed for the first time. were
related by Christopher Baggan. stew
ard of the New York Whist club: by
Miss Matilda Stein, telephone opera
tor, and by Per August Weber, for
mer butler in the Thaw household.
Thaw spent portion Of the afternoon
Of June 25, 1906, at the Whist club
and at that time, few hours before
the tragedy was pictured by the stew
ard as being highly nervous and as
frequently exclaiming. This Is aw-
full" He asked the steward to have a
valuable package put into the safe.
After the shooting the package was
opened and found to contain three
cigarettes wrapped In tin foil. District
Attorney Jerome In cross examining
the club steward brought out the fact
that Thaw played bridge there with
many prominent men. The witness de-
clared he was not supposed to know
what Mr.. Thaw. Mr.. Gates, Mr..
Schwab and the others played for, but
he was sure nothing but mineral wa
ter ever was served at the tables.
During the examination of the wit
ness Mr. Gremmels, the foreman OF
the jury, wanted to know If Thaw's
eyes as the witness saw them In the
they did now. The witness took look
ut Thaw and said that they did not.
This was the first time in the course
of the trial that question came from
the jury box.
A young woman who was tele-
phone operator In the Grand hotel,
where Thaw was known as Parr, and
Evelyn Nesbit, who also lived there,
was known as Miss Parr, testified
about Thaw's actions in the hotel.
Once, she said, he ordered his break
fast three times, not knowing that he
had ordered it before, and enc day he
used seventy-fve telephone calls In
four hours. Mr.. Jerome wanted to
know IL all these telephone calls were
not used on the day that Evelyn Mes.
bit left the hotel. The witness said
they were used before she left. She
too, thought Thaw irrational.
LittletOn called Per August Weber
butler In the Thaw house in Lafa'
yette square, Washington, from .Janu
AIRY to May, 1903. He said he formerly
ly was In the employ Of Senator Fora
ker of Ohio He told of many Incl
dents Of nationality, as he described
on the part of the defendant. Thaw
would order that no dinner be pre-
pared certain evenings and few
hours later would come in and demand
to know why there was nothing to eat
He would call the butler out of hi
bed and give him S. for some trihint
service. Thaw would sometimes pace
the Hoor of the dining room In the
midst Of dinner. muttering to himself