The Cairo bulletin., 1908-01-16
INSANITY SHOWN
IN MANY WAYS
SEVERAL WITNE SSES TESTIFY
TO THAW's IRRATioNALITY
AT TIMES.
WHIST CLUB STEWARD
to Himself Few Hours Before
Tragedy---TeIcphone
Girl Tcstifies.

aa New York, Jan i5.-Adhering strict
ly to their promise to interpose nc
ether defense than that of insanity
{ in behalf of their ellen, the attorneys
a representing Harry X Thaw at the
trial today continued the examination
Of witnesses who swore that young
Thaw at various times In his life ap-
pcarcd to them irrational and men
tally unsound.
Practically all of the testimony was
entirely new to the case and had to
du with acts down to the day of the
tragedy itslef Then came decla-
ration of ten men VINO sat on the
coroner'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 to
discuss his state OF mind after their
formal verdict had been rendered.
In the days testimony there was
more delving into the history of the
Thaw family. Alfred Lee Thaw, of
Richmond. third cousin of the defend
ant, taking the stand and telling of
the taint OF insanity which carsed his
father and brother to die in the state
asylum.
Some of Thaw's alleged eccentrici.
ties revealed for the first time were
related today by Christopher Baggan
steward of New York whist club; by
Miss Matilda Stein telephone oper
ator, and by Per August Wells, a for
mar butler In the Thaw household.
Thaw si:1nt portion OF the after.
noon of jtme %. 1906. at the Whist
club and at that time. few hours
before the tragedy, was pictured by
the steward as be1ng highly nervous
and as frequently exc1aiming This Is
awful" He asked the steward to have
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
thtIt Win many WV I
ness declared he was not supposed to |
know what Mr.. Thaw. Mr.. Gates, Mr. |
Schwab and others played for, but he
was sure nothing but mineral was |
ever served at the tables.
The telephone operator told of
Thaw putting in Is calls one morn.
ing at the Grand Hotel and forgetting
ali about them.
The butler told many details of
Thwa's life at home in 1903, and was
still under examination when adjourn.
ment was taken. Separate incidents
OF alleged irrational conduct on the
part of the defendant was being put
In evidence by Mr. Littlefield as
for expert testimony that
is TO come. He also hopes to accumu-
late such a mass of testimony as to
Thaw's erratic conduct as to make
il impossible for the district attorney
tc fulfill the task the law places upon
him of proving Thaw sane beyond
every reasonable doubt"
Criminal lawyers of prominence
who are following the case outlined by
The defense and who are taking into
the fact that the specific
plea of insanity has been entered this
year. declare that acquittal under the :
can come only with the /
added clause "on account of the in $
sanity of the defendant at the time 5
he act was committed" This il is I
declared. would compel the presiding I
Judge to commit Thaw to Mattewan ,
asylum, from whence a fight TO prove :
his present sanity and thus gain free '
lom would have to be conducted =
though habeas corpus proceedings