The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-08-04

tinus tomorrow his examination Of DR..
Flint or DR.. Hirsch.
DR.. Carlos y. Mcdonald. has yet to
testify. He with be called by Mr..
Jerome.
= Justice Mills again stepped into
the examiners case ct today's session
Of the Thaw sanity hearing and from
DR.. Amos r.. Baker. acting supertn-
tendent OF the Natteawan Asylum, OBJ
tained the clearest statement yet ex-
pressed on the stand at the present
proceedings regarding the mental con-
dition of the slayer of Stanford White.
The result Of his questioning might
be claimed as an advantage by either
side. The witness said that he did not
consider the opportunities he had to ex-
anime the prisoner suficient for him
to form q satisfactory conclusion: new
ertheless. he declared his belief that
the prisoner is now insane. and that
his release would be a menace to pub
lie safety. Justice Mills began with
the observation that he considered DR..
Baker an extremely important witness,
since he was State officer and there
fore supposedly free from bias.
What is your position?" he asked.
rs 1t that you have reached from your
study of this case and observation Of
the man a full and firm conviction that
had sufficient opportunity to study that
problem and reach such conclusion.
one way or the other?'
I'VE have had limited examination,
from which We consider the man in
sane" replied DR.. Baker.
Examination Was Limited.
do you consider that limited ex-
animation sufficient to reach a full.
firm conclusion as to his condition."
mo. SIR"
you had him under observa ton
eleven months. don't understand why
that was not sufficient"
He hasn't answered our questions"
Didn't your notes of the past three
months cover this subtect?"
THAT covered 1t in a way, but he
would speak in metaphors and when
pressed would fall back upon advice
of counsel"
Justice Mills recalled the Jennie
Burch murder in which he had direct
ed the defendants acqufttal on the
ground Of insanity. After two months
in the asylum she was discharged cured
and free.
'sDo you notice any change in Mr.,
Thaw either way?" he inquired.
No; he is no worse, no better"
Suppose you had this man Thaw
with no previous history of the case,
what would be your position?'
Thinks T'haw Insane.
This man showed certain evidences
of mental feebleness. I should have
had strong suspicious of him, II con.
fined to the data at hand My position
is that the man Is insane"
That's enough" said Justice Mills.
land when you say he is insane, you
mean his being at large would be a
public menace?"
Yes, SIR.
This ended Dr.. Bankers examination
and then Mr.. jerome recalled Thaw.
Jerome put in evidence two letters
written by Thaw, one concerning Eve
Ign Nesbft and couched in such roman
tic language that the writer himself
concluded. II did not start to write
poetry" jerome questioned the wit
ness again regarding his famous green
pencil letter, in which he compared
himself to a white pencil that wrote
green when a green light fell on 1t,
Whites influence being the green light.
Thaw said he thought the figure such
one as a sane man would use.
The District Attorney asked the wit
ness If he had such faith In his men,
tai soundness that he would be willing
to submit to an examination by the
States alienists. Mr.. Morschauser OBJ
jected and Justice Mills interrupted
again to say that Jerome's experts had
had plenty of opportunity to study
Thaw during his long examination on
the stand. +,
DR.. Baker Forgets
Though DR.. Bakers testimony yes
terday left the impression that he had
asserted that Thaw showed no signs
of paranoia during the first three
months at Matteawan, on cross -exami-
nation today he failed to remember
having made the statement,
Did you ever tell Mr.. Thaw that
there was nothing the matter with his
brain?" asked Mr.. Morschauser.
NO. SIR"
The witness admitted having said at
a former hearing that in Thaw's case
the diagnosis OF manic-depressive in
sanity had never been established.
When asked at the former hearing
whether or not he would certify Thaw
as insane. Irrespective of the Stanford
White episode. the doctor stated he
might hesitate to commit the prisoner
to an asylum. Today, as then, he said,
relative to the prisoners condition,
that he showed bad judgment"
On cross examination three-quarters