Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-16
PROOF THAT THAN HAS
BEEN INSANE YEARS
Counselor LI|lIsIon is Keeping His
Promise 10 IRlerp0se But
One Defense
aAHY WITNESSES BELIEVE HIM MAD
Old Family Butler and Steward Of One
OF His Clubs Tells of Strange Things
He Did - Believed That Accuse
Man win be SEM to Matteawan
Asylum.
(py Associated Pressl
Asylum.

NEW YORK. Jan. l5-Adhering
strictly TO their promise to mtcrpose
no other defense than that OF lnsan-
i,y in behalf of their client. the at
'orneys representing Hairy X. Thaw
at his trial today continued the exam
lnation OF Witnesses who swore that
young Thaw. at various times in his
HE. appeared TO them as irrational
and mentally unsound.
Practically all of the testimony was
entirely new 10 the case ana had 10
do with acts down to the day of the
tragedy itself. Then came the de-
'ara'ion OF the ten men who sat on
the coroner's jury during the in
qniry into Stanford Whites death all
of whom declared that the defendant
the day following the shooting acted
irrationally
HIS manner and appearance were
such as 10 cause the inquest Jury 10
discuss his safe OF mind after their
formal verdict had been rendered.
In the days testimony there was
more delving into the history of the
Thaw family, Alfred Lee Thaw OF
Richmond, Va. third cousin OF
the defendant, taking the stand and
telling of the faint OF insanity which
had caused his father and brother 10
die in the state asylum.
Some of Thaw's eccentricities were
related today by Christopher Baggan.
steward OF the New York Whist Club.
by Miss Matilda Stein. telephone
operator and by Herr August Weber.
former butler in the Thaw house
hold.
Weber served as butler in the
Thnw house in Lafayette Square
washington, from January to May.
i'oa. The witness said he formerly
was In the employ of Senator Fora
ker of Ohio. He related MANY in
cidents of what he described ms ir-
nationality on the part of the defend
some times pace the floor of the din
ner be prepared certain evenings. and
rev hours later would come I'm and
demand TO know why there was moth
Ing TO eat. He would call the butler
out of his bed and give him So for
some trifling service. Thaw would
some times pace the floor of the din
ing room in the midst of dinner. NUT
tering 20 himBef. Once Thaw called
for carriage at 3 n. M, and when
told 1t was not available became hvs-
'erical and fell prone on the couch.
Describing the Irrational outbreaks tn.
witness said Thaw's eyes were shiny
and had vacant stare.
Preparing Task for Jerome.
Criminal lawyers of prominence.
who are following the case outlined
by the defense and who are taking
INTO consideration the fact that a
specific plea of insanity has been en-.
tered this year. declare that acauittal
under The circumstances can come
only with the added clause ION ac-
count of The insanity of the defend
ant ct the time the act was com
mitted."
The butler told many details of
rhaw's life Mt home in 1909 and was
still under examination when ad-
journment was taken
The separate incidents of alleged
Irrational conduct on the part of The
VITO Dul III eflUCncp nv
MIR. Littleton as the foundation of
expert testimony that is to come
He also hopes to accumulate such a
mass of testimony as to Thaw's er-
ratio conduct as to make IT impossi-
BILE fer the district attorney to full
fill 'he tack the law places upon him
of proving Thaw sane beyond every
reasonable Goiht
This IT is declared would compel
the presiding judge TO commit Thaw
10 Matteawan asylum and to gain
bis freedom fight would have to be
conducted through habeas corpus
proceedings.
The first witness called TODAY was
Horatlo c. Wool. a practicine plivs-
ician of Philadelphia. who testified
he had examined Harriet Alice Thaw
for inssnity. She is half-sister of
The defendants father. DR.. Wood eaid
NE was not her attending physician.
(CcntInned OH Third page.)