Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-28
THAW VICTIM
OF MANIC
OPPRESSIVE
NEW KIND OF BRAIN STORM
DISCOVERED
DEFENSE SUPPORTS ITS PLEA OF
INSANITY
Testimony of Abe Hummel, Who Is
Now Prisoner, May Be
Taken on BIacl<welTs
Island

q
Tense closed its case today with "manic
Oppressive insanity as the explana-
tion of the death of Stanford White at
the hands of Thaw.
Tomorrow the prosecution will begin
its evidence in rebuttal and the case
will go to the jury by Wednesday
night or Thursday noon.
District Attorney Jerome tomorrow
morning will apply for the appoint
lnent of a commission to take the tes-
timony of Abraham Hummel, the con-
victed lawyer, who is confined in the
penitentiary on Blackwell's island, and
who is said to be too i'll to appear in
court.
Mr.. Littleton CT the defense said he
would oppose any such action, where
upon Justice Bowling announced if
necessary he would go to the island
himself tomorrow night in company
with the defendant and his counsel, to
preside at the taking of Hummel's tes-
timony. The jury, it is said, would
not be compelled to take the night trip
across the river. Thaw seemed de-
even TO the grim shores of New
York city's penal colony-and smiled
broadly at the courts suggestion.
Reads Former Record
District Attorney Jerome read from
the affidavit made by DR.. Wagner be-
fore the lunacy commission last year,
giving. conversations had with Thaw
in COURT which tended to show that
the defendant had a distinct recollec-
ton of occurrences on the roof garden
Immediately preceding the tragedy.
Justice Bowling desired to know the
exact nature of ''manic Oppressive" in
sanity and If the attacks were likely
TO recur. He also asked if a person
ar4rf In HI.
would be likely to commit assaults
He learned that it was a recurrent
form of mental disorder, the attacks
coming suddenly and without warning,
a period of insanity being followed by
q maniacal outburst, then by a period
of complete depression, and then by
another lucid interval. 1t seemed that
the presiding judge was securing infor-
nation upon which to base judicial ac-
ton in case verdict of not guilty on
account of insanity, or of a straight
acquittal. Even in this latter event
it was pointed out that Justice Dowl-
ing would have the right to have Thaw
committed for examination.
Physician TestlfIes
DIR. Charles Francis Bingaman, the
Thaw family physician of Pittsburg,
was put in the witness chair when
court opened today for the beginning of
the fourth week of the second trial of
Harry K. Thaw for the killing of Stan
ford White.
DIR. Bingaman told of the early synp-
toms of nervousness in Thaw, saying
he was first called to attend the boy
when he was 2 years of age. At that
time his nervousness often bordered
on commissions.
The attacks usually followed various
children's disorders. Thaw slept badly
as a child, requiring a 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 nervousness and mel
ancholia. This was after Thaw's trip
abroad with Evelyn Nesbit.
The witness saw Thaw several times
in the Tombs after his arrest, and the
defendant always referred to the Mad
ison Square garden affair as the "act
of Providence
Thaw's acts and appearance in the
prison impressed the witness as IRA
tional. It was of DR.. Bingaman that
District Attorney Jerome said at the
first trial, when Thaw's mental condi-
ton was under investigation, 81 had
rather had the testimony of an old
practitioner like this than all the ex-
perts you could put upon the stand
EngIishman Comes Next
The prosecutions cross-examination
today was very brief and courteous.
Following DR. 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 very nervous
condition" said DIR. Wells. His pulse
Vas extremely rapid and he complained
of pains in the head. I diagnosed his
case as one of mental disturbance"
On one of his visits to the defendant,
witness said, he found his patient in a
highly eXcitable state, despite the fact
that his temperature was only 80 de-
grees. He feared that he might harm
himself
Thaw did not respond to treatment,
even opiates falling, and DIR. Wells said
he decided to send the young man to
the DeYonshire Nursing association
hospital On a visit he found Thaw
dancing about the room like mad
man.
''Mr Thaw at the hospital had per-
fectly enormous room," continued Dr.
Wells, but he complained that he
did not have room to bzreathe. He
also complained of the heat, and de-
manded that 10000 pounds of ice be
placed in the room. He did not like the
nurse assigned to him and wanted me
10 employ whole staff of nurses so he
might find one he liked. When he was
in the bed, the patients eyes glared
into vacancy. The acute attack at the
hospital continued for six days He
had no fever at any time. His talk was
largely incoherent. There was no evil
dence of alcoholism"
During your entire attendance on
Mr. Thaw in 1859, doctor, what conclu-
sion did you reach?" asked Mr. Little
ton.
IT diagnosed his case as acute recur-
rent insanity -
DIR. Wells said he saw Thaw in 1901
1909 and 1908 or 1904. He treated him at
those timer, but there were no acute
symptoms, as In 1899.
On cross-examination by District At
torney Jerome DR.. Wells said that at
the time he treated Thaw in 1899 he
had made no particular study of mem
tai diseases and had had but little ex-
perience along that line. The witness
said that Thaw remembered him and
the things that happened during his
outbreak, and was anxious to apollo
gize, especially to a nurse whom he
felt he had offended.
Miss Lillian Z. Mcbride of London,
professional nurse, followed DIR. Wells.
She was called in to attend Thaw as
nurse in hil rooms in London in July,
1899.
ssThaw was very restless and his talk
WINS fnroherenf the expression on his