Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-05
STATE CLOSES
IN THAW CASE
EMINENT ALIENlSTS DECLARE
PRISONER INSANE
SENSATION TODAY PROMISED BY
LEGAL ADVISERS OF SLAYER
Excited Italian Causes Commoton In
Court by Wildly Demanding
Opportunity to Denounce
Jerome
(By Associated Press.)


Thaw still is insane and would be a
menace to the community if released
from the asylum at Matteawan.
DR.. Carlos f. Macdonald was the last
alienist called by the state. He was
followed by John b. Gleason. Thaw's
original legal adviser after the shoot
ing of Stanford White Mr.. Gleason
came to Thaw's aid this afternoon and
cleared up a few old mysteries, sweep
ing away some of Thaw's apparent
Vagaries upon which Mr.. Jerome has
dwelt so persistently.
Mr. Gleason's most advantageous
statement from the prisoners stand
point concerned the dropping of the
law firm of Black, Gruber, Olcott &
Bonynge and L. L. Delafield. and the
engagement of Dolphin NJ. Delmas as
chief counsel for Thaw. This had been
done at his (Gleason's) orders, he said,
and was not due to a whim of Thaws
May Spring Sensation
Through Mr.. Gleason, Thaw's lawyer
hopes to show that Thaw's attitude to-
ward Stanford White was not the re-
suit of delusions, as the state contends,
but was prompted by what Thaw knew
of Whites practices. Mr.. Gleason has
about fifty letters received from Thaw
that may prove one of the sensations
of the hearing tomorrow If read. Mr.
against White by reading parts of Ev-
elyn Thaw's testimony at the trials.
| Thaw's letters to Mr.. Gleason bear
upon this, it is thought.
Trying to clear Thaw of another de
lusion," Mr.. Gleason presented a re-
port of detectives regarding an alleged
attempt on Thaw's life, December "a
| 1903 The wording of this document
was not made public, but ii was intro
duced to counteract the states conten-
ton that Thaw had delusions concern
ing the Monk Eastman gang, which he
believed had been engaged by his enc
mics to beat and perhaps kill him.
May Rehearse All Charges
If he can show that Stanford White
and a number of wealthy friends did
maintain establishments where young
girls were ruined, and that an attempt
really was made on his clients life,
Mr.. Morschauser will be able to dissi
pate some of the "delusion" evidence
of the state. He intimates that he has
some surprises in store for the remain
ing days of hearing.
The dull routine of expert testimony
was Jared today by an interruption
from Petro Caporale, Withholding
italian who had been hanging about
the place for several hours and who
tried to force his way into the room.
When the attendants refused to admit
him, he waved a letter and demanded
to see District Attorney Jerome.
Tell Thaw they will rob him, as
they robbed me of my children" he
yelled repeatedly. 1t developed that he
wanted Mr.. Jerome to help him obtain
the release of his little girls from the
Juvenile asylum in New York. After
DR.. William j. Meyer, one of Thaw's
experts, had pronounced him harm
less lunatic the man was placed on
train and sent to New York.
Thaw's "DeIusions" Are Facts
Thaw's attorney is preparing to prove
that his clients alleged delusions re-
garding Stanford Whites treatment of
young girls are well founded.
He prepared the way for this when
he had them identify the affidavit of
| Ada G.. Dickhart. This document has
not been offered in evidence yet, but
around 1t Mr.. Morschauser, 1t is sup
posed, will build up the remainder of
his case.
| DR.. Austin Flint, who yesterday said
Thaw was "A paranolac and incurable,
again took the stand today.
Mr.. Morschauser examined him re-
garding the sanity proceedings of Mrs.
Penelope Osborn in which he appeared
as an expert in 1907. Thaw's attorney
declared the doctors testimony result
ed in this womans discharge, although
| he classed her as a paranoiac.
Mr.. Morschauser amused the court
room when he held up a can of baking
powder with DR.. Flint's signed indorse-
ment printed on the label and said it
| contained alum.
Jerome enabled him to explain that
| he was employed in 1900 by a baking
powder company to investigate the ef-
| fects of alum in baking powder.
Tells of Thaw's "Ego"
SI did not authorize my indorse-
ment," he declared, land l threatened
to bring legal action If it were used"
DIR. Flint told Jerome Mrs. Osborn's
delusion was that a club existed for
F, the purpose of killing all persons
whose names ended with "ley," and
that the murderer of President McKin-
ley was a member.
She told him. however, that she was
not sure she was right. Her condition,
he insisted, was quite different from
Thaw's.
did you testify either before the
sanity commission or Judge Morschau-
ser?" asked Mr.. Morschauser, that
Thaw in the progress of his alleged
exaggerated ego had reached the
state of grandeur"
IT probably did" replied DR.. Flint.
Jerome then called the last of his ex-
perts, DIR. Mcdonald, president of the
New York state commission on lunacy.
Jerome read passages regarding
paranoia from several medical author
tiles, these having seeming applica-
tion to Thaw, and the witness eX-
pressed his agreement.
Pronounces Thaw TncurabIe
To illustrate the danger of releasing
a paranoac DR.. Mcdonald told of a
case of man in Albany, N. Y, who
came under his observation. This man
had a delusion that his sister was per-
forming certain improper acts. After
trying to kill her he was confined in
the Auburn asylum. He stayed there
six months, having declared that his
delusion had vanished and was dis
charged. He returned Immediately to
Albany and Killed his sister. This man
is now in the insane asylum at Utica.
DR.. Mcdonald concluded by declar-
ing that Thaw now suffered from
"paranola of the degenerate type" BY
degenerate" he explained was meant
a person who has never attained the
normal type.
He pronounced Thaw incurable. He
dwelt upon the liability of the recur-
renee of outbreaks like that which re-
suited in the death of Stanford White.
He characterized Thaw's manner on
the witness stand at the present hear
ing as frivolous" and showing no
proper appreciation of the Importance
of the proceedings or his own position.
He could not be legally insane" said