Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-01-30
Only the Argument Of the Counsel
Remains TO Close the Sec
ond Thaw Trial.
A0F1PERTs FOR THE STATE
Thursday Afternoon or Friday Morn.
Ing Justice Bowling viii
Charge the Jury as to
the Law.

| Nv" AOIh, Jdu. zo.-WILn no ~
tempt on the part o. the state to com
bat with scientific testimony the claim
Of insanity urged In behalf of Harry
X. Thaw, the taking of evidence In the
second hearing of the Madison Square
garden murder trial ended Tuesday
Wednesday morning Martin W. Little.
ton will begin his plea for the de.
PENDANT and Is expected to occupy
both morning and afternoon sessions
With his summing-up argument. Dis
trict Attorney Jerome will speak on
Thursday. He has promised to be
brief and II his address should not
extend beyond the morning session
Justice Bowling will hand the case
over to the jury on Thursday after
noon. The court announced, however.
that he probably would not deliver his
charge until Friday morning.
Contrary to his policy Of last year,
when he called nine experts In in.
sanity to the witness chair, Mr..
Jerome this year utterly ignored the
scientific phase of the rebuttal case.
He produced several eye-witnesses to
the tragedy and several police officers
who handled Thaw the night Of the
homicide and placed on record their
opinion that the defendants acts and
manner were rational Under agree
ment Of counsel the testimony given
by Abraham Hummel at the last trial
was read to the jury and the Thaw
will was admitted In evidence without
further proof as to its custody during
the six months folloing the shooting
Of Stanford White. The affidavit al.
legged to have been made by Evelyn
Nesbit in Hummel's office, charging
rhaw with cruelty and attempting |
falsely to place the blame for the Mes
bit girls downfall upon Stanford |
White, also was admitted by Justice
Bowling and then the case, so far az
testimony was concerned, was at an
md. Mr.. Jerome's elimination of ex-
'ert testimony from the rebuttal case
accustomed much talk. Based upon
lis assertions Of last year that Thaw
vas an incurable paranoiac, rumor had
t that the prosecutor might not be
lispleased with verdict of not guilty
N the ground Of insanity with an en-
uing committal of Harry Thaw to the
sylum for the criminal insane at Mat
eawan. Throughout the trial, how
yer, Mr.. Jerome has attempted to |
elittle and discredit all testimony
aving to do with Thaw's irrational
y. He has attempted to show that
he youthful outbursts Of the defen-
ant were fits Of temper which de-
erved spanking" as he expressed
, rather than scientific discussion.
Le has attempted to discredit the
ntbreaks in later life with the sug-
estion that they were the result Of
70 much drink and nothing more.
That the prosecutor will ridicule the 9
Ipert testimony is generally agreed. G
aving no experts of his own, he has y
free hand in that direction this year. ;
r. Jerome's move also frustrated q .
an Of the defense to call in sure v
lttal several Of the experts who tes =
Iied against Thaw at his last trial, Z
It who, when Mr.. Jerome switched q
the appointment Of a lunacy COM
ission, made affidavit setting forth y
9 opinion that Thaw was SO insane 9
to be incapable Of understanding q
e nature Of the proceedings against X
n or Of intelligently advising with s
unset. u
Mr.. Littleton, in his argument,
1ich IL expected to be an eloquent
I straightforward presentation Of =,
Q facts, win contend that the prose n
ton has failed to shake the case Of n
sanity built up by the defense. Il
Mr.. Littleton has made no claim Of u
esent sanity for Thaw. In fact the 4,
perts for the defense have testified 3
1t in manic-depressive insanity, the N
lgnosis now applied to Thaw's con. b,
ion Of mind, the patient is very apt al
have attack Of increasing frequency OF
violence. M
n.
Minor Bills Pass Senate, "