Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-15
Strange Request Of Har.
ry Thaw Told of by
Witness at Trial.
WAS OFTEN IRRATIONAL
Gates and Schwab Mentioned
as Playing Cards at the
Club.

Wood of Philadelphia was called to
the stand as the first witness today in
the Thaw trial. DR. Wood some months
ago made an examination of Harriet
Alice Thaw, a relative of the defend
ant. District Attorney Jerome object
ed to the physicians testimony, bul
lations between the physician and pa
tient did not cite in this instance DR..
Wood said Miss Thaw was of unsound
mind.
Tells Of Eccentricities.
The next witness told of new eccen.
tricities of Thaw just before the kill
ing of Stanford White He was Chris
topher Baggan. steward of the New
York Whist club. Thaw was in the
club June 20. 1906, just five days be-
fore the roof garden tragedy. Although
/ the day was hot, Thaw insisted on TAX
| ing a screen with him wherever he
went about the room.
Put CIgarets in Safe.
He was highly nervous, eXcitable
and irritable. and once as he passed
the witness he was muttering "This is
awful" Baggan said Thaw finally
came up TO him and asked him to have
a package put i'll the safe.
| What was in the package?" asked
Mr.. Littleton.
Three cigarets wrapped in tinfoil.'
Seemed Irrational.
Witness said Thaw impressed hin
las irrational. On cross examination
witness said he had known Thaw /:
years. Thaw was playing whist a
the club the day of the tragedy Cap
ltain Wharton, John A. Drake and Johr
b. Gleason, one of Thaw's counsel a
1.-THE first trial, were there. At othe
times 'Mr. Gates" and Mr. Schwab'
were present. Thaw did not play 70
money, or drink other than minera
lwater. No liquors were served by tn,
club, he said, and playing for none.
was against the rules. He though
iThaw generally held his own at bridge
Heard Phone Conversation.
Thaw was at a telephone nearly al
hour the day of the tragedy, and vii
mess heard repeatedly This is awful.
Thaws nervousness seemed to in
crease the last years the witness ha
known him.
Building Up Case.
New York, Jan. 15.-The attorney
for Harry K. Thaw at his trial yestel
day began TO build up the case of lega
insanity which they have interpose
in his behalf as defense for the KILN
of Stanford White. The two principe
witnesses of the day were Professo
Charles H. Koehler of Winona, MINI
, who acted as instructor to Thaw in tn
Wooster, Ohio, university in 1886, an
Mrs. Amy Grosette of San Mateo, Cal
who attended Thaw as trained nurs
, at Monte Carlo in 1897. They bot
told of the young mans eccentricitie
and declared that his manner alway
. Twas irrational
Blocks Much Testimony.
a District Attorney Jerome, by une
Z Ipectedly invoking the sacred priviles
lof physician and patient, blocked muc
a lof the testimony as to unsoundness
. mind in the Thaw family, but II
:, lcalling of the witnesses and the que
4 tions they were allowed by the cou
to answer left the desired impressic
o upon the jury. Mr.. Jerome explaine
a that the law compelled him to obje
o to such evidence without an EXPIRE
waiver from the patient. Even t!
nurse who attended Thaw was not (:
Y lowed to testify until Thaw had pc
sonally made a waiver of the confide
If tial privilege in open court.