Evening star., 1908-01-27
THAW'S TRIAL NOW
ENTERS FINAL STAGE
FOREIGN Witnesses Were Put
on the Stand Today.
LONDON DOCTOR SPEAKS
Prisoner Acted Like a Maniac in a
Nursing Home.
FAMILY PHYSICIANS STORY
LONDON DOCTOR SPEAKS
FAMILY PHYSICIANS STORY
Told of the Boys Unhealthy Child
hood-Witness Handled Very
Respectfully by Jerome.

The defense in the Thaw case
completed this morning the intro
duction of all its testimony, and
shortly before the noon recess MIR.
Littleton. chief counsel for the de-
fendant. began to read long and
carefully prepared hypothetical
question to the three alienists en-
gagged to testify in Harry Thaw S
behalf The question covered all
the testimony in the case, and be-
fore being read had been submit
ted to District Attorney Jerome
for any objection the prosecution
had to offer. Only slight changes
resulted. AS the testimony in the
present hearing has differed large
ly from that of the first trial, SO
the hypothetical question differed
from the one propounded last year
by Mr.. Delmas.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, January 27-The closing
Of the case for Harry X. Thaw was seen
in the criminal branch of the supreme
fourt today when Martin W. I.ittleton
/read the long hypothetical question to
the three insanity experts for tine de-
tense. The question contained about
10000 words and Mr. Littleton began to
read it just before the lunch hour re-
cess. The question was read to the
three experts. Drs. Evans. Wagner and
Joliffe, collectively.
The question recited all the evidence
Of the various witnesses. beginning
with the testimony of those who told
about the existence of insanity in
Thaw's family. The testimony OF Thaw's
school teachers was then reviewed, the
letter which the prisoners mother
wrote to Abraham Beck being included.
Then came the incidents through which
rope. The recess was taken before Mr..
Littleton was half through.
'Sub-Acute Mania"
Three foreign physicians testified before
Mr.. Littleton reached the closing point
of his case. One told of treating Thaw In
London in 1899. when he found him suf-
fcrirg from sub-acute mania District At
torney Jerome drew from the witness
THAT Thaw was in this state for five days
and that he cleared up in two. The
witness said that following this per.od
Thaw talked OF incidents during what
Mr.. jerome called his Hlaniacai state and
apoogized for them. Another physician
told of treating Thaw in Rome in 100:
when lie thought Thaw was suffering from
a mild form Of mania. physician from
Paris told of being called to attend Thaw
while he in that city and at the time
when. according 10 his wife's story. he
took laudanum with suicidal intent in
hotel. The physician told of treating
Thaw at the time. but he could not tell
what he was suffering from. About all
ne knew that Th:w had spasms of
the stomach. He thought at first that he
might be suffering from ptomaine poison
ing. trained nurse testified about the
time that Thaw was under the PHYSICIANS
care in London. and DR.. Charles F.
BinSaman told some more about ThaW
peculiaiities a child
Thaw's Unhealthy Childhood.
Dr. Charles Francis Bingaman. the
Thaw family physician. of Pittsburg, was
put on the witness stand when court
opened today for the fourth week of the
second trial of Harry K Thaw for the
II.
told of the early symptoms of nervousness
In Harry Thaw, saying he was first called
to attend the boy when he was three
years old. At that time his nervousness
often bordered on convulsions. The at
tacks usually followed various other chill
dren's diseases. Thaw slept badly as
child. requiring relay Of nurses most of
the time.
DIR. Bingaman said that in the fall of
1903 he was called to attend Harry Thaw
in Pittsburg and treated him for nervous
ness and melanchoiia. This was after
Thaw's first trip abroad with Evelyn Nes-
bit. The witness saw Thaw several times
in the tombs after his arrest, and the de-
fendant always referred to the Madison
Square Garden tragedy as 1.-The act of
Providence"
Thaw's acts and appearance in tn
prison impressed the witness as irrational
II was of DIR. Bingaman that District
Attorney jerome said at the last trial
when Thaws mental condition was under
investigation, II had rather have the tes-
timony of an old practitioner like this
than all the experts you could put upon
the stand The prosecutors cross-ex-
animation today was very brief and cour-
teous.
Seemed Mad in London.
Following DIR. Bingaman came the first
Of the foreign witnesses. DR. SYDNEY
Russell Wells of London. who was called
TO attend Thaw In the English capital in
the early part of 1899.
Mr.. Thaw was in a very nervous con-
dition' said DR.. Wells. His pulse was
extremely rapid and he complained of
pains in the head | diagnosed his case
as one of mental disturbance
On one of his visits to the defendant
the witness said, he found his patient in
a mighty excitabie state desp.,e the fact
that his temperature only 90 de-
grees. He feared Thaw might harm him
respond To
ment. even opiates failing, anu Dr. Wells
said he decided 10 send the young man to
tSe Devonshire Nursing Association Hos
INtal On another visit he found Thaw
dancing about the room like a madman
lie reported his case at the hospital as
acute mania.
Mr.. Thaw at the hospital had q per-
fectly enormous ROOM continued Dr.
Wells. but he complained that ne did
not have room to breathe. He also. COM
Continued ON Second PaRel