Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-16
TIA w FAMIL Y
SHOWS TAMT
OF INSANITY
SERVANTS SAY HARRY WAS
IRRATIONAL
SECRETS OF LIFE AT CLUB ARE
EXPOSED
Telephone Girl Tells of Prisoner and
Evelyn Nesbt Living at Hotel
Under the Name of
Farr

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Jan. 15.-Adhering
strictly to their promise to interpose
no other defense than that of insanity
in behalf of their client, the attorneys
representing Harry X Thaw at his
trial today continued the examination
of witnesses who swore that young
Thaw at various times in his life ap-
peared to them as irrational and men
tally unsound
Practically all of the testimony was
entirely new to the case and had to do
with acts down to the day of the
tragedy itself. Then came the declara-
tion of the ten men who sat on the
coroners 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 jury to discuss his
state of mind after their formal ver-
dict had been rendered.
Insanity Tant In Family
In the days testimony there was
more delving into the history of the
Thaw family, Alfred Lee Thaw of
Richmond, Va, a third cousin of the
defendant, taking the stand and telling
of the taint of insanity which had
caused his father and brother to die In
state asylums.
some of Thaws alleged eccentri-
cities, revealed for the first time, were
related today by Christopher Baggan,
steward of the New York Whist clup,
by Miss Matilda Stein, telephone
operator, and by August Weber, for
mer butler in the Thaw household.
Thaw spent a portion of the afternoon
of June %. 1906, at the whist club
and at that time-a few hours before
the tragedy-was pictured by the stew
ard as being highly nervous and fire.
quently exclaiming:
This is awful"
II. asked the steward 70 have a valu-
able package put into the safe. After
the shooting the package was opened
and found to contain three cigarettes
wrapped In tinfoil.
District Attorney Jerome in cross
| examining the club steward brought
out the fact that Thaw played bridge
there with prominent men. The wit
ness declared he was not supposed to
know what Thaw, Mr.. Gates Mr..
Schwab and the others played for, but
he was sure nothing but mineral water
was ever served at the tables.
The telephone operator told of Thaw
putting in seven calls one morning at
the AOLel, hhN LhSA AOi 5NhhAi .
all about them
The butler told many details of
Thaw's life at home in 1908, and was
still under examination when adjourn
ment was taken.
The separate incidents of alleged
irrational conduct on the part of the
defendant was being put in evidence
by Mr.. Littleton was the foundation for
the expert testimony that is to come.
n1-~ 20 a
mass OF testimony as to Thaw's erratic
conduct as to make it impossible for
the district attorney to 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 con-
sideration the fact that a specific plea
of insanity has been entered, declare
that acquittal under the circumstances
can come only with the added clause
"on account of the insanity of the de-
fendant at the time the act was com
mitted"
This, it is declared, would compel the
presiding judge to commit Thaw TO
Matteawan asylum, whence a fight to
prove his present sanity and thus gain
freedom would have to be conducted
through habeas corpus proceedings.
Doctor First Witness
DR. Horatius w. Wood of Philadelphia
was called to the stand as the first wit
mes today in the Thaw trial. Dr. Wood
some years ago made an examination of
Harriet Alice Thaw, relative of the de-
fendant. District Attorney Jerome OBJ
jected to the physicians testimony but
was overruled by the court as the rela
tions between physicians and patient did
not cite in this instance.
DR.. Wood said that Miss Thaw was of
unsound mind.
The next witness to be heard told of
new eccentricities just before the killing
of Stanford White. He was Christopher
Baggan a steward of the New York
Whist club. Thaw was in the club on
June 20, 1906, just five days before the
roof garden tragedy,
Although the day was hot Thaw in
sisted on taking screen with him wher-
ever he went about the rooms. He was
highly nervous, exctabe and irritable,
and once as he passed the witness was
muttering, "This is awful"
Baggan said Thaw finally came up to
him and asked him to have a package put
in the safe.
what was in the package?" asked Lit
tleton.
"Three cigarettes wrapped in tinfoil."
Thaw's eyes, the witness said, had a
peculiar stare. A telephone message came
| for him, and when the witness touched
him to attract his attention Thaw
trembled all over. Thaw was in the club
rooms nearly every day.
did Thaw impress you as rational or
irrational?"
Irrational"
Playing Whist
| On cross examination witness said ne
had known Thaw for fourteen years
/ .t..k -
day Of the tragedy. Asked who else was
there, the witness said Capt. Wharton,
John A. Drake and John d. Gleason, one
of counsel to Thaw at the first trial. At
other times he said "Mr Gates and
''Afr. Schwab" were present.
But they always appeared calm, did
they not?" asked Mr.. Jerome.
"Yes."
(Continued ON psge two)