Evening journal., 1908-01-29
.LITTLETON ASKS
FOR THAW'S LIFE
CONTINUED from First Passl

1T has been said by a great writer that
herdity is the first great cause of in
sanity. I expected therefore. that when
show you that this defendants aunt and
uncle Of both sides. the maternal and
paternal side were insane you will give
heed to this great law of heredity.'
Littleton then took uD Mrs. william
Thaws evidence. From 1t he argued chat
the defendant had been mentally un-
sound possibly from birth. I'VE have not
invented any defense" he continued we
only ask you twelve men to take into
consideration thefundamen tai rules Of
organic life and say If this prenatal in
huence is not responsible for the shadow
ing Of this boys life"
In direct, short. sharp sentences Little
ton sketched the early life of Harry Thaw
from three months until he finally learned
to talk at the age Of seven years. The
nervous spells then, he declared. showed
conclusively what was to be expected in
later life.
THE footprints Of that boy" he de-
clared. Marked the later course of the
man."
Littleton laid great stress on the fact
that all Of his witnesses came voluntarily
and that those who testified in Thaw's s
behalf did so because they believed a
wrong was being done him.
Littleton devoted much time to ex-
planning the affidavit made by Mrs. Will
Lam Thaw at the time of the lunacy COM
mittee hearing In which she denied the
presence of direct insanity in the Thaw
family line.
From that document penned by law
yer in the flowing terms Of the legal pro-
/ fession," sontinued Littelton, Il appeal
to the simple letter penned by Mrs.
Thaws own hand to Professor Beck more
than twenty-five years ago in which she
expressed the fear her son was not men
tally sound"
Masterful Argument.
In hs address Littleton steered entirely
clear Of "dementia americana" and other
rhetorical pyrotechnics. Littleton's plea
was a masterful argument, couched in di-
rect terms and delivered in an emphatic
and impressive style, free from all spread
eagle tactics. It was plain insanity
plea with no other argument advanced
than that ThaW could not be adjudged
guilty of murder because of his mental
Incompetence at the time he killed White.
Occasionally the speaker sneered at the
methods pursued by Jerome during the
trial, but for the most part his argument
comprised review Of the evidence and
the development Of its worth. He COM
batted absolutely the insinuation Of the
state that the defense Of insanity was by
him as a subterfuge and only intended
for use to save the defendant
Littleton had a brilliant and attentive
audience. Not a single inch Of unoccupied
space could be found inside Of the court
room and some FIVE hundred spectators
weer turned away because Of lack Of
room.
Thaw, himself was extremely nervous
Across the courtroom where he could
easily see them without turning his head
sat his young wife, side by side with her
/ sister-in-law, Mrs. George L. Carnegie,
and his mother. Sitting bolt upright in her
chair her face hard set and stern. she
listened with pathetic intentness to every
word.
Evelyn Thaw, and her sister-in-iaw sat
there absolutely unmoved with their faces
utterly expressionless as Littleton mar
shalled his facts for the iury's benefit.