Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-01-17
WITNESSESARE HURRIED
All Testimony TO Prove Prisoner
is Not in His Right Mind
Nothing Being Spared.
EVELYN THAW ON NEXT WEEP
1t Is Understood That jerome Will
Endeav0r to Have Her Testi-
mony Barred This Time.

Special bD United Press Wire:
NEW YORK, Jan. 17:-Looking
decidedly pale and worn, and show
ing that she suffered severely both
in mind and body since she was last
In New York, Mrs. William Thaw,
mother of Harry K. Thaw, reached
the court house this morning She
was obviously very weak and i'll and
had to be assisted into an elevator
and then Into an anteroom, to wait
until called to the stand.
She will probably be a witness this
afternoon.
Miss Alice Fletcher, of Washing
ton, one of the best-known scientific
women In the United States, was the
first witness today. She knew the
Thaw family well and has known
Harry twenty-six years. She fire.
quently visited at the Thaw home in
Pittsburg. She told about Thaw's
appearance as child, how very nerv-
GUS he was, how his face and hands
twitched and he was subject to vio-
lent outbursts from time to time.
Thaw always impressed the witness
as being a person who was not ra-
tional from certain points of view.
Jerome subjected her to a severe
cross examination, but she baffied the
district attorney and he failed to
shake her direct testimony.
At 1885 Evelyn Thaw was called
to the stand, but after being sworn,
Littleton conferred with his associ-
ates and then withdrew her tempo
rarily, explaining that he wasn't yet
ready to examine her.
The elder Mrs. Ihaw has already
figured indirectly in the evidence TAX
en-. A letter written by her in 1881 to
the master of the little Pennsylvania
school where her son was a pupil was
identified by the master and read to
the jury. 1t told of the mothers great
anxiety over the conduct of her son
and the fear she entertained that his
mind even then was unbalanced. The
schoolmaster, now seventy-nine years
Of age, was an impressive witness. He
is Abraham R, Beck, an uncle of for
mer Assistant Attorney General James
NJ. Beck, and he related many Incl
dents which led him to the conclusion
that young Thaw undoubtedly was ir-
rational.
Mr.. Beck described Thaw as a boy
Of ungovernable temper.
He identified the letter he had re-
ceived from Mrs. William Thaw, the
mother Of Harry, about the boys con-
duct at school, and 1t was read to the
Jury with the consent of District At
torney Jerome. The letter was dated
Oct. 25, 1881, and was in reply to
communication from Mr.. Beck CON-
planning Of Harry's conduct and speaks
of the distress the letter caused the
parent.
"Can you not bear with him awhile
longerT the letter from Mrs Thaw
read.
ITO yield to his wishes now and to
send him home am afraid might ruin
him. begin to fear that his conduct
and his outbursts are not all the re-
suits of temper and rebellion, but that
his mind Is more or less unbalanced.
Do you think there is any danger Of
that? His uncle, who became weak
minded, was subject as boy to just
such outbreaks of temper, and have
horrible feeling of dread. Won't
You deal gently with him for my sake?
How would 1t do to avoid noticing
him for one day? 1 really do not
know what to suggest. Harry is SO
different from the other four children.
He ought to have been more carefully
watched and trained. Mr.. Thaw will
be home soon and will be able to ad-
wise with me-"
Mr.. Beck said he had had many years
Of experience in teaching and training
boys, but Thaw's conduct was different
from any he had ever known.
II couldn't help but think him IRA
tional," dacln~ed -f'e -,-if~oeS
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