Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-23
CLOSING THE DEFENCE.
Continued from Page One.)


and that if Mr.. Comstock needed more
funds to carry on the inquiry he might
ask Miss Helen Gould for assistance.
Naming a young actress, Thaw wrote
of an effort to save her from the
''blackguard." Thaw said he enlisted
q prominent man in the cause, who at
first was loath to believe that such
practices existed, but afterwards was
convinced. This man threw what pro-
lection he could about the girl, but
when he had gone abroad the black
guard got her."
Besides four victims. I have already
told you about there is another Thaw
continued. THE blackguard asked he-
TO marry him and she left her place. 1t
is now being talked about in the news
paper Offices and 1 hope to be able to
give you the name and details soon.
Please destroy this
In several of the letters ThaW spoke
of enclosing $500 more for the secret
service fund" Thaw wrote under the
name of Ferguson" in accordance with
an arrangement So that his name would
not appear in the annual report of con-
tributions,
asked Mr.. Comstock if he ever got into
the 9th street house. mo, sir"
The prosecutor called attention to
the fact that the statements in the
letters We're coherent. understandable
and rational III their references to his
toric events. The communications, the
witness said, came in the usual way
through the mails. with POSTAGE fully
paid and addressed according IL dircc-
tons given to Thaw.
Mr.. Comstock at the afternoon SEES
sion produced at Mr.. Jerorne's request
letter copy book containing the re-
plies sent by Comstock to Thaw's let
ter. There were also several letters
written by Comstock to the Children's
Society concerning the matters COM
planned Of by Thaw. These indicated
that the alleged crimes more properly
belonged to the province of the Chill
dren's organization.
The Cross-eXamination quickly ended
and John r. Gleason of counsel for
Thaw at the first trial was called in
connection with proving the defendant 8
Will.
Mr.. Gleason said the will came into
P''ssts's'i'AA
received it by registered mail from J.
Dennison Lyon, the Pittsburs banker.
who testified at the first trial that he
received the will from Thaw in 1905.
Justice Bowling said it would be nee
csS2ry 70 produce witnesses to show the
VIII was in its present condition pre-
yious to the homicide before it could
lie received in evidence. The district
attorney attempted to question Mr..
Gleason as to any letters written by
White to Evelyn Nesbit which may
have come into his position but was
blocked by the exercise of the attor-
ney's professional privilege.
As Mr.. Gleason left the stand Mrs.
William Thaw, the mother, was re-
called to conclude her testimony begun
last week. Mrs. ThaW told of waking
up one right shortly before Harry's
birth and finding that her eldest child,
an infant, was dead in her bed. The
nervous shock was most severe, she
declared and for more than seven
months she scarcely slept at all. AS an
infant Harry Thaw suffered the most
remarkable sleeplessness she had ever
known in Il child. He was nervous and
instead of sleeping at night, would In
sist upon being propped UP to sit
ting posture in bed, his eyes having 4
wideaWake expression.
The mother told of the defendants
various ills and attacks of nervous
ness as child. His first teacher was
Miss Belle MorehOuse Lawrence, when
he vas six years old. Mrs. Thaw then
told OF the various schools the boy had
s,4t al IN
Mrs. Thaw also testified as to the
unSOund mental condition Of her
brothers, Josiah Copley and Henry NJ
Copley, and stated that her husbands
sister. Mrs. Hirsch, was subject To
epilepsy.
Mr.. Jerome waived cross-eXamination
of Mrs. Thaw under agreement of the
d1fercc to admit into evidence the al
fidavit the mother made last year be
fore the lunacy commission which vas
inquirirs into her sons condition u.
mind.
Mr.. Jerome began TO read the aft
davit to the jury IS Mrs. Thaw, still
showing the effect Of her recent illness.
was assisted from the stand. In the
document. Mrs. ThaW declared that III
the dire ct line Of descent for four gen.
erationS there vas no epilepsy or in
sanity in the family Of the defendant
AS 10 the epilepsy of Mrs. Hirsch the
affidavit stated that her children were
entirely free from any faint of the dis
ease. showing clearly that Mrs.
HirsCh'S attack was due to scarlet fe-
Yer in infancy and not from inheri
tance.
As to her brother Josiah Copley. Mrs.
Ihaw declared in the affidavit that the
boy had a brilliant mind and was an
aSsiduous student. His Commencement
day GRAFTON at Amherst was so splendid
an effort that the judges decided unwise-
~ not to place Il time limit upon him.
TIE 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 as cured. He
enlisted in the Civil war and served un-
der General Grant. Young Copley was 4
prisoner both in Libby and Andersonyile
and was discharged Il living skeleton, but
in nowise mentally affected. although