The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-01-14

Di
On the fathers side Of the family.
Mr.. Littleton said, sister became In.
sane at five years of age and died at
fifty in an asylum In Pittsburg. A
cousin of the father, one William
Thaw, died insane In an asylum In
Virginia of melancholia. Harriet Alice
Thaw. still on the fathers side. is In
an asylum in Pittsburg suffering from
insanity of which decisions of perse.
cution are the characteristics. Hor.
ace Thaw, IA cousin. also Is insane, with
persecution as the basis.
From the fathers side Thaw inner.
tied the instability of nervousness.
Saying he would like to be spared the
recital Of the delicate details, Mr.. Lit
Teton next told of the insanity which
he said existed In the mothers family.
Mrs. Thaw would come on, sick though
she is, to tell her own story. The at
torney dwelt at length upon the sub
ject of heredity, saying II was impOs-
sible for boy in Thaw's position to
escape the despotism Of the destiny
forged for him before his birth.
Harry Thaw was an unusual child
suffered In infancy from unusual all
ments.
Mr.. Littleton said that Thaw's
teacher In childhood would be one Of
the most important new witnesses for
the defense and would give her i'm
pr~ssions Of the boy who seemed so
unusual to her that she set down her
observations Of him in a diary. He
was boy who lived apart from other
boys and who had no playmates.
His teacher, continued Mr.. Little
ton, will tell you Of the strange va
carries of the boy. whose mind at times
flashed with the brilliancy of a star
in the newborn night. but at other
times was wholly deficient. Her entry
in the diary the day Harry Thaw came
to school will tell you, A quiet. dis
tant, wide eyed boy. who came today,
could not speak Il word that any of us
could understand
When Mr.. Llttleton took up the sub
jet of Thaw's relations with Evelyn
Nesbit he mentioned Stanford Whites
name and District Attorney jerome
interp0sed an objection, which was
sustained Mr.. Jerome said Whites
acquaintance with Evelyn had moth
ing to do with defense of insanity.
District Attorney Jerome interrupt
ed Mr.. Littleton several times. saying
as he dwelt upon Evelyn's story that
he was going into evidence which the
district attorney believed would be ex-
Guided at this trial. Mr.. Littleton said
Thaw "drenched himself with poison
and was barely saved" after Evelyn
told him her story.
Mrs Evelyn Thaw, looking pale and
somewhat careworn, listened to the as
sistant prosecutors description of the
actual details OF the tragedy with
tense, drawn features. From time to
time she could be seen biting her lips.
The almost gay attitude which she as
| sumed during the selection of the jury
| was all gone. Josiah Thaw, the broth
er. and Mrs. George l.. Carnegie the
sister. completed the usual family
| group. Thaw sat with eyes fixed upon
the prosecutor, his head resting upon
his right hand.
After describing the manner in
which Thaw shot Stanford White three
times TO make his mission of death
trebly sure Mr., Garvsn declared in
conclusion that. judged by any test.
| the prosecution believed the homicide
could only he explained as "a premedi-
| tated, deliberate and cOwardly MUIR
der"
Walker H. Volkeuing. craftsman.
was the first witness called. He made
the diagram Of the scene Of the killing
which the prosecution will use
throughout the trial.
Mr.. Garvan referred to Thsw's con-
vsrsation with James Clinch Smith, q
brother in-law Of Stanford White. The
conversation, he declared, was entirely
sane and was INDUCED in just few
moments bsfore the killing. Eight sub
jscts. from Wall street to ocean travel,
were discussed, all in q normal way.
In great detail Smith, wAe had gone
alone to sse the Ast performance or
Mile. Champagne" a the Madison
Square roof. described the entry Of
Thaw and his party, who previously
had dined at Martins. With the de-
fendant were Mrs. Evelyn ThAw,
Thomas McCalsb and Trustsn 1eals.
Mr.. Smith then IN 4 narrative way re-
psaeed his conversation With ThAw,
which began BY the latter saying be
could ct ealy thrss seats On the rosf
and intsaAsd strclling himself.
Mr.. Smiths testimony followed that
sivsa at the Aest TRIAL almost Identical
". Thaw asked him IL no was dsiAa
anythiaG In wAn street and said h
thought Anaisamatsd Copper and the
Steel sticks were very gssd. He asked
Smith II he was going abroad during
the summer and discussed with him
the Accommodations on several we'll
knswA stAanors.
The witness also told Of Thaw ask
ing him II he was "a very much mar.
ried man" and Offering to introduce
him to "a buxom brunette" which the
witness declined.
"Thaw also asked me II knew any
Of the members Of his party" said Mr.
Smith, land wanted to know If re
| mamhered q case In California II