The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-01-23
TEACHER TELLS
OF; BLIND RAGE
THAW SHOWED
California Woman Says Boy
Had Own Language None
Could Understand
Prisoners Mother Bares Secrets
of Home and Drags Out
Family Skeletons
Vice Crusader Comstock Testi-
fies of Thaw's Charges
Against White
SPECIAL pIspArcH 10 THE CALI

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL
NEW YORK, Jan. 22.-Miss Belle
Morehouse Laurence of California,
Harry Thsw's old teacher, was called
to the stand to testify in his behalf to-
day. In childhood the boy was
morose, nervous. subject to frequent
attacks of blind rage, she said. When
he came to her school and long there
after his language was unintelligible-
in fact, one entirely his own.
Thaw seldom associated with other
children, she testified, and often with
out reason created violent scenes in the
classroom Miss Laurence followed
Mrs William Thaw. the aged mother OF
Harry Thaw. who rounded out the plea
OF the defense that parental influences
and hereditary weaknesses caused
Harry Thaw to become insane
The prisoners mother, although pale
and I'll. took the witness stand and in
a quiet, faltering voice told of the i'll
ness that beset her before his birth
and the perils of his early childhood.
To do this she barred to the public the
secrets of her home and family. it de-
veloping that two of her brothers were
afiicted. one dying weak minded and
the other recovering after an attack of
insanity.
VICE cQTSA nxru aru-Srxz-s
Anthony Comstock. the vice crusader,
was the most interesting witness in the
morning session OF the Thaw trial to-
day. He testified to receiving a cali
from Harry Thaw early in 1904 and said
that he thought Thaw's mind was un-
balanced. Comstock Identified copies of
letters he had received from Thaw in
which charges were made against STAN
ford White. The letters showed that
Thaw was at that time greatly wrought
up over what he believed was whites
systematic warfare upon young women
Comstock's testimony. while new, had
been discounted by the known facts of
Thaw's appeal to him to assist in clos
ing up the houses where Stanford
White was alleged to have maintained
elaborately furnished apartments and
where young girls were said to have
been mistreated
JURY HEARS LETTERS
A dozen letters Thaw wrote to Com
stock regarding the matter, giving a
detailed description of the Twenty
fourth street house, were admitted in
evidence apd read to the jury. District
Attorney Jerome seemed as pleased as
the defense with the letters and later
in the day read into the record him
self most of Comstockss replies to
Thaw. The witness indicated in his
testimony that nothing ever came of
the complaints. legal evidence being
lacking.
That the end of the second Thaw
trial was fast approaching was indi-
Gated late today when DR. Charles G.
Wagner. the first of the aIienists to be
called by the defense. took the stand
for his preliminary examination.
Littleton may continue with ex
pert testimony tomorrow or he may
offer as witnesses the doctors from
Rome. Paris and London who are 70
testifys briefly of attending Thaw in
those cities. Another doctor is ex-
pected TO testify about an outbreak on
a train, and that viii end all. save the
expert testimony.
PUTS WILL IN EVIDENCE
It was 1915 O'Clock when the trial
was resumed today. and Mr.. Mttleton
Of the defense began at once the pre-
liminaries of proving Harry Thaw's
will and codicil executed the day of his
wedding 10 Evelyn Nesbit in Pitts
burg. Miss Frances Pierce, who wit
messed the signatures and who testf-
fed at the last trial, was called to the
stand
Miss Pierce Identified the papers, but
District Attorney Jerome objected to
The introduction of the will in evil
dence until witnesses had come forward
to prove its custody from ths time Of
signing up 10 the present moment.
Ldttleton declared the district attor-
ney's objection simply would delay
matters. and he temporarily withdrew
the offer of the will.
Justice Dowling said the terms OF the
will, a long. rambling AFFAIR. were such
as to make the proof of custody de-
sirabIe. There we're many changes
and alterations in it. AS to the codicil,
Mr.. Jerome objected 70 It's introduc-
tfon on the ground that it was not the
defendants own handwriting and was
a seif-serving document Justice Dowl-
ing said the codicII was a compact,
continuing document. and was compe-