The sun., 1908-01-16
THAW RELATIVES DIED INSANE
THAT EVIDENCE GETS IN OVER
JEROME'S OBJECTIONS.

DWM1a ~ NAfhDWa Nlm9e-WtoWAfU OF
the whist club was the Noes IMssrosl.
mg-A Letter writing Crank Arrested.
Harry K. Thaw had another disagreSabls
day in court yesterday, for he had to cit ali
day long and hear witness after witnsas
tell OF eccentric and violent things that he
had done and express the opinion that hS
was irrational. The man who killed Stan
ford White was visIbIy depressed by What
he heard. Gloom was written large upon
his face.
But whatever Thaw may have Thought
about Il, his counsel we're pleased because
when the day ended they had made oon-
siderable progress In the work Of plIinG up
the evidence on the basis OF which they ex.
poet q verdict OF acQuittal on the ground
Of insanity.
Despite the objections Of the DISTRICT
Attorney Alfred Lee Thaw, . second cousin
Of the defendant, testified that his father.
William 8. Thaw, . cousin OF HAry's
father, died IN an insane asylum at wfIliams-
bursh. Va, and that his own brother, HOr-
ace s., died at the age OF - In anothsr insane
asylum at Staunton, Va. The records Of
these institutions, recounting the same
things, were also admitted IN evidence.
A physician who examined HArriSt Alice
Thaw. q half sister Of william 3. Thaw. wa
permitted TO state that he diagnosed her
afIiiction a. dementia.
Several witnesses told Of strange dcanes
Of Thaw at various places and tiInas. The
most interesting Of this group was the
steward Of the Whist Club. who told o6
Thaw's strange appearance and sxdtablS
manner at the club on the afternoon before
tho killing Of Stanford White.
His testimony was supplemented By that
Of . telephone girl who was at the Grand
Hotel when Thaw and Miss Neshtt we're
staying there, Of a witness formerly ON
plOyed by Thaw's mother a. a butler, o.
several more persons who saw the shooting
and Of nine members Of the Coroner's jury
before which Thaw appeared soon after
the killing.
The District Attorneys efforts we're
largely confined to the effort TO show that
all the eccentricities thus testified to might
have been those Of a man who was merely
nervous and dissipated but not necessarily
insane In this he seemed reasonably
successful
Justice Dowling is getting a large number
of anonymous letters bearing upon the
Thaw case. Almost without exception
they give internal evidences Of having been
written by persons little lees insane than
Thaw's counsel are trying to prove him to
be. A man who said he was Cole Whits
and who refused my further information
about himself insisted on sending to 1us-
tice Dowling a letter saying that he must
find out why Stanford White lost bis life
or lose his own life. He was taken 10 charge
by the court Oficers and sent TO beilSvue
for examination
There is now a chance that young MIRA
Thaw will take the witness stand on Friday
II witnesses from abroad do not arrive bv
that time this will probably take place. II
they do Harry ThaW's wife will not testify
before Monday.
In its present stage the trial does not
attract many spectators. Not more thai
half the court room seats were occupied
yesterday at either session. The exclusion
OF all women spectators has had its ehecs
and the absence OF Mrs. William ThA~
on account of illness and Of Mrs. GeorEs
Lauder Carnegie aIso is a contributing
cause. Il is understood that Mrs. Carneeies
absence is due to the fact that the eviosnos
touching on insanity in the Thaw family
is 80 distGsteful to her that che cannot brAg
herself to hear It.
But the absence OF the WoHen ~ tbs
Thaw family has at least one bsnevoisnE
result. II has worked havoc with ths
activities OF the Pity Patrol. Only three
members OF the Woe Workers Union werS
in attendance yesterday.
At ths first trial Mr.. Delmas was always
great inspiration to the Moan Makers.
There was o suggestion OF pathos in every
graceful we've Of his hand and tears lurked
ever just beneath the surface OF his resonant
voice. But Mr.. Httleton is distressingly
businesslike thus far. And as for Dan
O'Reilly, there's no emotional suggestion
to be found in his rubicund face. And ~
for Mr.. Jerome, sardonic Ia the word for
him. So these are dull days for the Sym
pathy Squad. However, they are still
cheerful, for they believe the worst 10 shl
to come.
ONE DOCTORS TESTIMONY ORrs IN.
DIR. Horatio c. Wood, Jr, OF Phila-
celphia was the first witness, and he got
a good deal further in telling about the
mental condition OF one OF Thaw's relatives
than had any previous witness. Has testt-
mony to the effect that Harriet Alics Thaw.
whose father was a blood relative OF Harry
Thaw's father, was OF unsound mind when
he examined her in 1904 was admitted
by the Court over the objection Of the Dis
trict Attorney.
Its admission was apparently based On
the theory that as DR.. Wood was q city
physician Of Philadelphia and not en-
ployed by Miss Thaw to examine her the
privileged relations between pnysician
and patient could not be invoked. Any
how, IL got In, though its value was
somewhat decreased b. Mr.. Jsroms's
According 70 Dr. Wood Miss Th&w DAva
evidence OF having lived for yeaFs IA ca
treme poverty. The witness said he
diagnosed the case a. one Of demantia. and
signed commitment papers 70 the Frank
fort asylum. He FASTENED 10 ny. however.
that he did not regard hknsek 40 an expert
on the sub iect OF mental diseases. DR.