Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-30
THAT MOTIVE FOR MURDER
But This Motive, He Declared,
Forever Swept Away the
Claim of Insanity.
District Attorneys Manner Entirely
Different from What il Was n Year
Ago. Then Being Vindictive.

New York, Jan. S0.-Conceding that
Harry *. Thov may have had IRA
tional outbreaks now and then during
the 36 years az his life, Dist Atty. Will
liam Travels Jerome in his plea for the
conviction of Stanford whites slayer
declared there was absolutely nothing
in the case presented to the fury to
show that Thaw was so insane tho
night of the tragedy, that ne did not
know the nature or quality of his act
or that the act was wrong The prose-
outor followed this, however, ry sig
nifying very plainly that he believed
justice would be served If the Gefend-
ant should be found guilty IF some
lesser degree of criminal responsibility
than murder in the first degree. He
explained carefully all the elements
that entered into a verdict of first de-
gree murder and then pointed the way
to two other possible UNDERGRADUATES
in the second degree. or man slaughter
In the first degree.
Mr.. jerome surprised his hearers to-
DAY by the striking contrast OF his ar
gument with that of a year ago. The
Nlndictiveness was gone, the passion
ate defense of White was gone; the de-
uuuciation of EVELYN Nesblt had no
was calm, analytical presentation of
the evidence. concession of possible
weakness, both mental and physical IN
the defendant. but always a recurrence
TO the hard and fast rule of the law
that man to be excused must be so
INSANE as not to know what he was
about.
Mr.. Jerome declared dramatically
that there was no doubt Stanford
White had done Evelyn Nesbit a great
wrong and that Harry Tha.w had every
motive for revengeful murder upon the
man he killed. This motive, he assert
ed, forever swept away the claim of
insanity which knows not what it does.
COURTROOM CROWDED.
New York, Jan. 39-There was an
| other great crush at the criminal
| courts building today to hear Dist.
| Atty. Jerome make the closing ,,dL
dress for the people in the Thaw case.
| When the doors were opened tbe
| court chamber was found to re al
| ready hlled wit3 specially privileged
| spectators. justice Bowling was late
In getting down town and 1t was some
tl1ne after the hour set for converting
when he took his place on the bench
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw and Josiah
Thaw were the only members of the
defendants family present when Mr..
Jerome began his argument at IL
ClOCh- ne uEtldlcu INC CaSe n0u
been handled by him With some diff
Guilty as he had had many other mat
tiers of importance to attend to at the
same time.
JEROME RATHER APOLoGETIC.
III have at any time lacked in the
dignity that attaches to my Office
continued MIR. Jerome 'if at any time
] have shown any asperity or lack of
consideration, l can only say now that
| regret It, Any personal impression
/ have made or have not made should
have no part whatever in your verdict.
You are not trying the district attor-
ney ANY snoers he may have made is
not evidence for the people and neith-
er are they any evidence that Harry
X Tnaw was insane when he killed
Stamford White.
las to the woman, If my manner
was one Of disapprobation. that Is not
evidence. Neither l nor the woman
is being triGd here. Harry Thaw Is On
trial for the murder OF Stanford White
and the defense Is that he was insane
on the night of June 25, 1906; that he
was not generally insane or IS insane
now. All you have TO deal with. all 1
have to deal with. is whether or not
AZ "A tfdcular time and place this de-
PENDANT was insaue-whether when
he shot and Killed Stanford White he
knew that the act was wrong and
against the law OF the lauu.
Il shall endeaVor," Mr., Jerome added
colby, "to dlssect the evidence in this
case, TO trace 1t step by step, and to
show you that the burden the law
places upon the defense of proving the
insanity OF this defendant has not been
met"
Jerome explained the different dc
grees OF murder defined by the law, and
said IN this case the only verdict pos
sible under the circumstances was muir
der In the first degree murder In tho
second degree, mansiaughter in the first
degree, or not guilty on the grounds OF
insanity.
WHY THAW KILLED WHITE.
The district attorney declared Thaw
plainly had a motive for killing White
Every act OF his for two OF three years
before the tragedy pointed TO his deadly
and consuming hate OF the man he Kill
ed ThAw believed that White had
drugged and mistreated his wife, he
knew that White had kept hin out OF
a New York club; he knew that White
had threatened his life n the stage door
man is 10 be believed and no knew Just
a month before the tragedy White had
told May Mackenzie that he heard
Thaw ana Evelyn We're not living hap
PLY together and he would get the
girl back
1t matters not whether you pelltNH
the girls story OF the drugsing or not,
declared Mr., Jerome. The relations Of
this middle aged married man with the
girl OF Is cry out 10 heaven and no
decent man can say a word in defense.
] certainly have no intention OF doing
SO. But with all the things / have
pointed out 10 you, II there was no mo-
live IN the heart OF this defendant
can imagine nothing that can create a
motive"
In his speech last year Mr. Jerome
passlonateIy defended Stanford White
declaring that his spirit lowered ever
near the courtroom crying ont 20 bH
heard IN defense, crying for some one
To tell the truth and protect n charar
Ter Evelyn Nesbit had sought %
blAcEen.
CHARGES JURY TOMORROW,
Justice Bowling announced as lunrA
con reoesg was taken today that llf
would mt charge the jury until tompr
row morning, Dist Atty Jerome wAl
conclude this afternoon