The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-08-04
ISYLUM DOCTOR
declares THAW
IS NOW INSANE
cu,erintendent of MatteaWan
Relieves Inmates Liberty
Would BE Menace.
WILING MAN IS NERVOUS
DURING EXAMINATION
ueToRY OF LIFE AT. INSTITU-
TON RELATED IN GREAT
DETAIL.

white Plains, Aug. 3.-Justice Isaac
y NILS again stepped in as examiner
- to5ay's session OF the Thaw sanity
t-,r7g and from DR.. Amos T. Baker, /
zinc suuerintendent of the Matteawan
esv,gm obtained the clearest statement
-, svprsssed regarding Thaw's mental
s,5sriou. The result of his question
ne might be claimed as an advantage
te either side. The witness said he did
~ consider the opportunities he had TO
-vsnine the prisoner sufficient to per-
init him to form a satisfactory COnClu-
si9r. nevertheless, he declared his be-
Isf that the prisoner was now insane
~ that his release would be a menace
10 public safety.
1Isrice Mills began with the observa- |
ian that he considered DR.. Baker an
extremely important witness, free from
bias.
what is your pOsiiOn?' he asked. /
Ts il that you have reached from your
study of this case and observation OF
me man a full and firm conviction that
ta IS insane, or is it that you have not
had sufficient opportunities to study
that problem and reach such d cOnclu-
si5n. one way or the Other?"
ave have had a limited examination
s-7m which we consider the man in
sane" replied Dr. Baker.
DO you consider that limited exam
nation sufficient to reach a full, firm
conclusion as to his condition.
No. sir"
You had him under observation sew
IN months. I don't understand why
that was not sufficient"
He hasn't answered our questions"
Didn't your notes of the last three
months cover this subject?"
They covered il in a way. but he
would speak in metaphors. and when
pressed would fall back upon advice
Of counsel
No Change in Thaw.
Justice Mills recalled the Jennie
B1Fsh murder. in which be had direct
Cd the defendants acquittal on the
ground of insanity. After two months
in The asylum she was discharged cured
and free.
DO YOU notice any change in Mr..
Tlaw either way?' he inquired.
No"
suppose YOU had this man Thaw
with no previous history of the case,
what would have been your position
This man showed certain evidences
Of mental feebleness. I should have had
strong suspicious of him confined to the
data at hand. My position is that the
man is insane"
That's enough" said Justice Mills.
and when you say he is insane you
mean his being at large would be
menace"
Yes. sir"
This closed DR.. Bakers examination.
Thaw Is Recalled.
Mr.. Jerome recalled Thaw. Jerome
put in evidence two letters written by
Thaw, one concerning Evelyn Nesbit,
and cOuched in such romantic language
that the writer himself concluded, i
did not start TO write poetry
Jerome questioned the witness 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 il, Whites influence
being the green light. Thaw said he
thought the figure such a one as a sane
man would use
The district attorney asked the wit
ness If he had such faith in his mental
Soundness that he would be willing to
submit 10 an examination by the state
alenists. MT. MOrschauser objected
and Judge Mills interrupted to say that
Jaome's experts had plenty of time to
study Thaw during his long examina-
ton on the stand.
Ihaw's manner on the stand was eX-
Uemely nervous, in fact, he seemed
nearer losing control of himself than at
any previous time during the hearing.
ThaW Is Assured.
DR.. Amos T. Baker of the ATatteawan
state hospital, whose testimony OCcu-
pied the yesterday afternoon session,
was recalled. Thaw brought into court
Today a bundle of twenty or more let
lers that came in the morning mail and
glanced through them while waiting for
me session to begin. He seemed par
ueu.arly interested in one that was
written in bright red ink.
Before court opened he shook hands
With Henry c. Harvey of New York
DliF, when Mr.. Harvey stepped up to
Tell him that he was one of the jurors
ar the first trial who voted for aCquit-
tai
fouN win" Mr.. Harvey told him,
and Ehaw smiled and looked pleased.
Although the impression left by DR..
ha5er.s testimony yesterday was that
he had asserted that Thaw showed no
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