Evening star., 1908-01-24
THAW CASE ADJ0URNS
Storm Causes Delay in the Ar
rival of Witnesses.
JEROME AND COUNSEL TIFF
Littleton Would Not Give Up Names
to Prosecution.
LETTER FROM DIR. MITCHELL
Tells Of the Unbalanced Mentality of
the Defendant ON the Riviera.
Really Loved Evelyn.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. January o4.-Because Of
the delay the White Star liner Adriatic
which has on board several witnesses for
Harry X. Thaw. Thaw's counsel was
forced to ask for an adjournment this
morning when Justice Bowling opened
the criminal branch OF the supreme court.
Mr.. Littleton. Thaw's chief counsel. said
that he could not put the hypothetical
question to the insanity experts for the
defense until lie had finished up his lay
testimony.
On board the Adriatic are three phys-
clans and trained nurse from abroad
who will tell of Thaw's actions in differ
ent places in Europe. Besides, Mr.. Little
ton said. he wished to get before the jury
the testimony OF DIR. Bingaman OF Pitts
burg, the Thaw family physician. who has
been i'll with pneumonia and who VIII DC
able to get here Monday.
Justice Dowling granted the motion to
adjourn the trial until Monday. telling the
Jury that while he regretted the seeming
DELAY the loss of time might be made up
by the work that the prosecution and
the defense might do In the meanwhile IN
the way Of eliminating Objectionable mat
ter from the hypothetical question.
Tilt of the Lawyers.
The proceedings which led up to the
adjournment were enlivencd by clash
between Mr.. Jerome and Mr.. Littleton-
Mr.. Jerome said that he would like to
fa-- {f1a dat
names of the witnesses who were coming
on the steamship. Mr.. Lttleton objected
to this saying that he would on the ar
rival of the witnesses tell Mr.. Jerome who
they were and where they were staying.
He did not feel. however, that he should
give the names at this time SO tnat they
might be approached on THERE arrival at
the pier Mr. jerome said that this would
give him no opportunity to cable in order
to find out whether these Witnesses were
"shysters or charlatans. or people Ill good
standing" Mr. LIttleton then said that he
would give the names if the district at
torney would furnish to him the names of
the witnesses he was going TO call In re-
buttal This the district attorney refused
to do and the struggle ended
Mr.. Littleton gave out this morning
copies of the letter which he received
from DR. Price Mitchell of Monte Carlo.
Dr. Mitchell wrote Of the condition "f
Thaw as he saw him a. different times be-
that he thought Thaw was markedly ir
"a tional."
Letter of DR.. Mitchell.
The letter was follows:
VILLA HENRI. Monte Carlo.
November l.. 1907.
Dear Sir: first attended Harry Thaw
during the season of 1882. and on many
subsequent occasions up to 1904. He was
tremely shrewd. and exhibited none of the
ordinary symptoms of Weak-mindednesS.
The sense impressions were different to
the sense impressions of an ordinary per-
son, impetuOus and impulsivc, having
strong tendency to mislead his own mind
and to allow an idea, however crratic or
false, to become fixed. One could not but
notice the reckless, uncontrolled, nervous
instability, and one was forced to con-
clude that the inhibitory center of the
brain was seldom brought into action.
Il am convinced that a delusion In
man of his temperament. due either to his
sense of persecution or jealousy, or un-
selfish sympathy. would lead to tempo
rary complete loss of self-controi, so ab-
ject and overpowering at the time that
subsequent action and conduct could not
be attributed to thoroughly irresponsible
mind. He was impersonable. warm-heart-
ed. generous and always gentleman.
'The above is my definition Of Mr.. Thaw
as a bachelor.
with the advent of Mrs Thaw it was
most noticeable, his devotion and atten-
ton. 1t was rare and exceptional at
mosphere of boy and girl affection The
ego Of the man was now centered In his
wife, as regards habits. disposition and
personality. The former mass of seli-in-
diligence was transferred and concen |
trated in his wife. That is my definition
of Mr.. Thaw as l read him.
That Hypothetical Question.
Il cannot aid you by the expression of
opinion as to his sanity or insanity at the |
time of the unfortunate occurrence, but |
during his visits to the Riviera 1 should |
say that he was markedly irrational. 1t |
ed sane or insane in relation to himself |
and that temporary insanity is tempor |
ary perverson of the age. What was the |
nature and quality of the ego? Was the |
loss OF self-control the outcome of dis |
ordered sense impression-a delusion-or |
was the fixed idea well founded that some |
danger OF persecution threatened that |
ego? Such persons have a iaculty they |
cannot reason they only fool. Very truly |
yours, PRICE MITCHELl.
Mr. I.ittleton said today that he was hard |
at work on his Hypothetical question. which |
he said would probably be the longest |
one submitted in criminal case in this |
country The one that Mr.. Jerome sub |
mitted at the last trial contained 5000 |
words ThaW's counsel said that his chief |
clerk Hugh Herndon. and two of the med |
ical experts had been working on the |
question until 80 o'clock this morning |
and were Tar from through with it then