Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-16
THAW'S FAMILY
DOCTORSHOWS
LUNACY STRAIN
DR.. DEEMAR TEsTIFlEs THAT
SEVERAL RELATIVES OF DE-
PENDANT HAVE BEEN COMMIT.
TED TO INSANE ASYLUM

New York Jan. IA. DR.. John T.
Deemar of Kittaning, Pa. the Thaw
family physician, was the first witness
called in the Thaw trial today. He tes-
titled that he treated Harry Thaw for
st. Vitus dance and measles and also
told of attending members OF the
Copley family, the mothers branch of
the defendants antecedents. Deemar
said brother older than Mrs. ThaW
had turned imbecile.
Littleton Overcomes Objection.
| On cross examination District At.
| torney Jerome drew out the fact. that
Copley while incapacitated for mental
work was never confined. Two physi-
clans connected with lunatic asylums
were called to the witness stand, but
objections by Jerome. which were
sustained. prevented them from giving
any evidence.
Littleton here recalled Deemar and
succeeded in circumventing the OBJ
jections of the district attorney as to
the case of John Ross, cousin of
Thaw. Deemar said he had ceased to
be Ross physician after the latter had
been committed to the Hope institu-
ton of feeble minded He declared
Ross mental condition was unsound
and that the symptoms were maniacal
.i1a Sanity the Only Issue.
Littleton in mis- opening address to
the jury said that the only issue was
the sanity of the defendant at the
time Of the murder.
if9Now, / fthe facts are that this de-
PENDANT committed murder in the first
degree without any excuse, any ex-
planation,. any ameliorating circum-
stances, then the only manly thing for
me to do for everybody connected with
the case TO do, is to say that this de-
PENDANT was sane and therefore re
sponsible under the law and to say:
This is murder in the first degree.
Here and now tell the distinguish
ed counsel of the other side, that there
may be no misunderstanding, that 1t
will be warfare from now on between
that degree and the acquittal of this
defendant. So we have added to oul
plea Of not guilty another-that he
: was Insane at the time of the act a AM
. not responsible
, Then came the. court yivisectlon. o.
, the Thaw family, against when Harry
Tfaw, his mother, his Il sister,; the
Countess of Yarmouth, and othel
lnembers Of the family h1ffae fought TO
Years.
SON, the, fathers side of Harr,
: Thaw's family began Mr.. Littleton
q 4 with frank brutality, there was an In
/. sane sister, who died in an asylum a
the age of fifty. She had been insane
= 4 Long List 81 Insane Relatives.
r. '.His fathers cousin, Adolph, die
!, in Lynchburg, Va, so Eighty and in
!, balanced that he was generally regard
: ed as insane. Horace Thaw was
q young man. son of William Thaw
~ n the first He died in 1899 of hered
ID tary delusions.
: Harry Thavis Thaw was also il
,e sane. His half sister is confined in a
~ insane asylum. s
III AS Mr.. Littleton progressed with tn
n merciless recital, the prisoner did nc
N seem able to keep STILL He shifted |
I'd his chair and whispered to Mr.. Peabod
There were no indications of "brai
as storm or one of Thaw.'s bitter TRADE
ne against his counsel. He fairly cringe
it The defendants mother was a Co
eh ley" continued Mr., Littleton. "The1
a were six brothers and sisters. Of til
ly six brothers., Josiah Copley, stude1
ne at Amherst. while delivering the elias
Nv address, became insane. All Of hi
ce went in an insant. Every chart an
u- compass of his mind was gone.
II lives today, broken and infirm, wit
lit out strength Of mind.
ng "One of Mrs, William Thaw's 81
ng tiers, Margaret Copley, married ma
lie. named Ross At an early age the
son became insane.
he Affected From His Birth.
81 Let us look into the strain of tn
boy who is charged with coward
uI murder in the first degree, for no ma
can get away from the despotism al
circumstances thrown around him,
nc man can escape from the tyranny
PC his ancestry or can flee from the few
III. in his blood. So that is the reason
NV ask you to look into the timber fro
}le which he comes.
Ss' Harry Thaw was peculiar instl
w. ment from his youth. He was On t
ese verge of infirmty. Sleepless nigh
70 he passed in the arms of nurses a
'ou mother He had a nervous instabili
zee and infirmity. But though weak,
aV- many of us know, he was active
.u. mind He spent his infancy w
ult sleepless, wide-eyed nights. At thu
a. months he had brain fever: at fc
ils months conyulsions, and so his Eor
went on until between six and sew
'fh he had Saint Vitus, dance.
ON AT six he could talk. His fl
loll teacher, Belle Moorhouse Lawren
'tn: has come here to tell you of it. s
" has come clear across the contint
.Mo for that purpose. She loved the
see and tried to help him. Here is wi
YOU she says: There came to scnood t
ea' day. some time in 1887, Harry Tnaw
ZEN quiet, wide-eyed, distant boy OF
e.s years. who cannot speak a word t
III any one but his mother can unt
you stand
ant Sent Home From Boarding schoo
NO Never for a moment had the j
,o,, taken their eyes from the speaker,
wavered in their attention. Mr.. Jero
,sia however, began to fret. Occasion;
for Mr.. Littleton threatened to ascend
Parnassian heights and the district
n. torney made ready to hand him do
nv Mr.. Littleton declared that the di