Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-24
ONLY THREE
EXPERTS TO
BE ALLOWED
THAW CASE SHORTENED BY
COURT DECISION
LIMITATION OF ALlENlsTS' TES-
sTlMoNY HAsTENs END
Defense Expected to Conclude Evil
denee Today-Jerome Turns the
Tables on Mrs. William
ThaW

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK. Jan. 23.-When an early
adjournment of the Thaw trial was
taken today i'm order to enable the at
torneys for the defense to prepare their
long hypothetical question, covering all
the evidence I'm the case, there seemed
no longer any doubt that next week
will bring the second hearing to close.
Justice Dowling has decided to limit
each side to three experts, and two of
the defenses trio were heard today as
to the facts of the mental and physical
examinations they made of Harry Thaw
in the Tombs prison following his ar
rest for the killing of Stanford White.
No experts for the state have yet ap-
peared I'm the court room, and Mr..
Jerome has not indicated the manner In
which he viii combat the testimony of
the alienists for the defense.
All the doctors who served the state
at the first hearing are under subpoena
by the defense, not as paid experts, but
as possible witnesses in sur-rebuttal of
any action the district attorney may
take in rebutting the insanity plea that
has been built up.
Tables Are Turned
Mr. Jerome turned the tables yester'
day upon Mrs. William Thaw by read
ing to the jury the affidavit she made
year ago to the lunaCy commission,
which was testing her sons condition
of mind, and the defense shows SEEM
ing reversal of having the states alien
lists admit that they made affidavits a
year ago in which they expressed the
opinion that Harry Thaw was suffering
from incurable paranoia and had been
victim of that mental malady for
many years.
g..
with all of the attorneys interested in
the case before announcing his decision
to limit the amount of expert testimony
to be placed before the jury.
Last year the defense offered six ex
perts to answer the hypothetical ques-
tions, but these were overwhelmed,
numerically at least, by the battery of
nine brought forward by the district
attorney.
The effect of Justice Dowling's de-
cision will be materially to shorten the
case.
The defense should conclude its evil
dence tomorrow unless Mr.. Jerome ex-
tends his cross examination beyond the
limit Of his present intention.
AlienIsts Examined
DR.. Charles Wagner of Binghamton.
N. Y, and DIR. Britton D. Evans of
Morris Plains, N. j., both superinten-
dents of state institutions, were on the
stand today.
In detailing their conversations with
Thaw in the Tombs they brought out
more clearly two points which were
CLOSED over last year. The first of
these was to the effect that Thaw had
told them that in 1900 or 1901 he had
been a guest of Stanford White at
dinner party in the Madison Square
garden tower. He had left early and
had been accused of breaking up the
party. Some of the guests did not eat
much, Thaw declared. and the young
woman who sat next him declared that
the food was bad.
Thaw also told the physicians of the
first time he saw Evelyn Nesbit. 1t was
in 1901, in front of a theater.
"A pure looking girl" he declared.
Then he asked who she was. He was
told the name was Nesbit and that "she
belonged to Stanford White Thaw
managed afterward to meet the girl at
an after-theater supper in company
with several chorus people.
The European witnesses who are yet
to be presented for the defense will ar
rive tomorrow morning on the steamer
Adriatie.
The court session begins at 10 o'clock.
and every effort will be made to have
them there at that time, as Mr.. Little
ton is anxious that their evidence shall
be in before he puts his hypothetical
question.
Besides Drs. Wagner and Evans, the
question will be answered for the de-
fense by DIR. Smith Ely Jelliffe of
Columbia university, who also appeared
at the last trial.