The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-21

From Testifying.
New York, January 16. The non
arrival Of important witnesses who are
hurrying to New York by steamer and
train. caused an aba andonment Of the
afternoon session oE the Thay trial
today and cut the morning sitting
down to less than two hours. Mr.. Lit
tleton, leading counsel for the defense
announced that. beginning tomorrow
he would hurry the case along as
rapidly possible. 1t was neces-
sary, he explained. that all the evil
dence having to do with Thaw's al
legged rational acts Of the past sew
eral years should be introduced before
the medical experts are called to the
stand to express q scientific opinion
as to the defendants mental condition
at the time he killed STANFORD White.
Mrs. William Thaw, mother of the
accused, arrived from Pittsburg today
and if strong enough may take the
stand tomorrow. She has been i'll for
more than a month and ut one time
it was thought she would not be able
to- attend the trial ut all.
Mrs. Evelyn Nestit Thaw will not
be offered as a witness until some
time next week. All Of the Indications
so far have been that District A.ttor-
ney Jerome wilt make desperate
effort to have her testimony ruled out
this year. Counsel for the defense
are confident, however, that it will be
allowed to go i'll now that they have
entered a formal specification of in
sanity in connection with the plea of
not guilty.
The elder Mrs. Thaw figured indi-
rectly in the evidence taken today. A
letter written by her in 1881 to the
master Of the little Pennsylvania
school where her son was a pupil was
identified by she master and read to
the jury It told Of the mother > great
anxiety over the conduct Of her son
cn,' the feIr she emf ArtA:i;.'l that his
mind even then was unbalanced. The
school master, now 70 years OF
age was an Impressive witness. He
is Abrah ham r. Beck. an uncle "t for
former Assistant Attorney Jas. M. Beck
and he related ma ~ incidents which
led him to the conclusion that young
Thaw undoubtedly was Irrational.
Benjamin BOmar. formerly door
keeper at the Madison Square Theater
where Nespit played in "a Girl From
Dixie in 1903, repeated the story he
told at the first trial OF a threat made
by Stanford White to find and k'!l
Thaw before day 1tgnt.
Per August Weber. the former
Thaw butler. who yesterday testhed
to various incidents in the life of
Harry .Thaw during the early m'Lths
ue 19hi was iecalleI 70 'he witness
stand when the triai was opened today.
He was asked by Mr.. LittletOn or tie
defense or Thaw's actions as he OBJ
served them waile er.pioycd In the
WASHINGTON and PittShurg homes I'M
pressed him as rational or irrational
'IrratiOnal,' replied the WlIhess
promptly.
District Attorney Jerome had the
witness repeat several of the inclicnts
he related yesterday afternoon ana
was asked if he considered a 50 tip
from Thaw an irrational act.
"It seemed queer. for what I did,
said he,
Witness declared that Thaw was not
dissipating and seemed healthE Wheu
he knew him, but always was nervous
and excitable.
Christopher Baggan, steward or the
New York whist club, was recalled TO
give the dates Of Thaw's visits to the
club in 19O4-5 and 1905. Mr.. Jerome
brought out from the witness the FacC
that he was able on each or the6e
occasion to play bridge Whist with the
best players IN the CLUB.
Usher and eyewitness of the kllllng
of Stanford White. was called and tes-
tilted to ThaW's irrational action on
the roof garden. He said he hne"
Thaw personally and spoke to nm
during an irterrlission in the per
forrnance, but could not get coner-
ent reply. o,,or.,+
ren1v from any other man twenty
minutes before he took the lie or
fellow human being" asked Mr.. Je-
rome.
.sNo." replied the witness.
Abraham r. Beck, Of Lancaster
county, Pa, was the next witness. ne
said that Harry Thaw was one or the
Is boys in his school In looi anu 80
ThA memory of the boy had always
1;ved yyit him, said the witness
."T1he bow was excessively nervous
said Mr.. RecF, and was very un-
social and sullen and distracted Hls
e1,es rore most striking. One or the
principal things I remember aoous
Young Thaw were the spastnoolC anu anu
startling outbursts OF
1,owls These howls would stop rs
1,,saar,v as the turning off OF foun-
tain ha bod
Mr. Reck identified letter ne n1o
received from Mrs. William IhaW' the
mother of Harry about the boy cuh-
dnct a+ school and Il was read 10 the
Jury. The letter was dated oc.ooer
18th. 1851, e"a was ir reple 20
from Mr. Reck COM
n,ai-:,g of Harry's conduct and
speaks of the distress the letter caused
the parent , ub,,e
1onpero" the letter from Mrs TnaW
read ITO Weld to his wishes now ana
to send him home 1 am afrali might
ruin i'm. began to fear that MS con-
duct and his outbursts are not an
the results of temper ana re re-. IL
hr+ +hat his mind is unbalanced. DO
Won think there is any danger OF
that" His uncle who became weak
minded was st,riect. as boy; 10 Jus
such outbreaks of tempers and l haNe
a horrible feeling of dread won you