Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-30
AIMED TO Be SENATOR
ThaW's Aspirations Laughed
at by Jerome.
WITNESS HOLDS HIS OWN
Had Heard District Attorney Called
Crazy Jerome"
BUT DOESN'T BELIEVE IT'S so
Unable to Define defective Rea-
son"-Considers Himself Innocent
at Law Of Murder.
ut DOESN'T BELIEVE IT'S so

Tho .tuo or three more questions
which Jerome said yesterday he might
still have for the relator proved to be
long string.
The district attorney started his exami-
nation along the lines that thus Tar nave
yielded his side the best results. ne
probed into Thaw's own ideas OF his men,
tai condition and contrasted his answers
with those of the fourteen alienists VINO
at various times pronounced him insane.
Thaw chung to his oft-repeated phrase
that he was not medically insane. al
though he might have been legally -
when he killed White. Jerome was prlmeu
with the various opinions OF the eApe'.s.
but Thaw seemed to have tnen, Juoa q,
accurately fixed in his mlno anu oice VI
twice corrected the prosecutor.
He admitted that some of the pnyslclals
NAV have been right. Others. he said,
were ''mistakenI One. he declared Will
fully presented a distorted Neruie''
Thaw Shows Confidence.
The courtroom was even warmer than
~..,erday. Thaw had worked with his
counsel until 1880 o'clock last night, ex-
aminins a bundle of Jerome's document
ary evidence which he expected to have
to explain today.
Nevertheless he presented the air OF
man whose task is over, calm commence
that showed he was satisfied with his pre-
yious showing, and assurance that he was
a match for the district attorney:
Thaw asked for the reports OF several
experts and pointed out several alleged
Inconsistencies in their testimony.
well" began Jerome, here were all
these trained specialists who thought you
were insane
Not all of them" interrupted Thaw.
ha nr Hamilton and
DIR. White did
Thaw said the alienists thought he suf-
fered from defective reason" Jerome
jumped at his chance.
Can't Define Defective Reoson."
what did they mean by defective
reason"
Il think the term explains itself"
Explain it," insisted Jerome. What
do you think it means?'
Thaw looked down and was unable to
find words to frame his reply. He
seemed relieved when Jerome branched
to the decision of Judge Morschauser.
before whom Thaw made his first effort
for liberty from Matteawan.
Didn't Judge Morschauser declare that
you were hopelessiy insane?" demanded
the cross-examiner.
NO" said Thaw- He held that had
not proved myself sane"
Mr.. Morschauser asked a word with his
client. Jerome protested.
This kind of thing has gone on from
the first. This man gets up in the air. and
his counsel interrupts to give him q
chance to recover himself"
Judge Believes Him Sane.
Whatever Judge Morschauser may
have said in his decision" asserted Thaw,
Il know he thinks now i am perfectly
sane. 1 talked with him two weeks ago,
and he said So.
Explain what you mean when you say
you are legally sane" repeated Jerome.
Il am of the same opinion as l am told
the jury and as all the medical men who
have examined me in the last three years
are, and as / know Judge Morschauser is
that / am now sane, and that there is
no danger of the recurrence of my trou-
BILE
do you think you were legally insane
THAT is my best opinion But 1 don't
know
What do you mean by being insane?'
Defective reason" replied Thaw, and
found too late that he had brought the
discussion right back to it's former trou-
bleSOme question.
What is directive reason9" flashed
Jerome.
Thaw pondered and finally answered.:
Alienists Paid Well.
Speaking of the alienists, the witness re-
marked:
"You can't blame them for doing their
best to make out a good case for me.
They were being well paid for it,
The district attorney suddenly switched
to the testimony of Clifford Hartridge and
Susan Merrill. Thaw denied that he had
ever rented rooms at the latter's houses.
do you think you were innocent or
guilty when you killed White?" asked
Jerome. nimbly jumping back again.
Justice Mills put the question this way:
DO you think you are now an lnno-
cent man in the eyes of the law"
LAS the law is laid down for a jury"
answered Thaw. II think l am irno-
cent
Thaw murmured something about
'brainstorm."
Jerome asked about the story that he
once scalded girl in a hot bath tub, and
that he had taken girl named Ruth
Lambert automobiling in Paris and
brought her back naked with wets from
q beating.
Crazy lies" said Thaw, contemptu-
ousiy
Refreshing his memory from a manu-
script in his hand. the district attorney
recalled other scadalous stories about the
witness that came out during his trials.
Thaws comment was the same, Lies !"
The witness was again at his ease.
Denies Youthful Cruelty.
Tales OF cruelty in early youth-beating
a boy and driving horse to death. the
former told the sanity commission by
cousin named Lyons. the latter by his
brother. Josiah Thaw-the witness like
wise denied. His explanation was that
his relatives. in their zeal to save him on
the insanity plea. might have used or ex-
aggerated mere rumors''
Wasn't 1t true that you were known
as Mad Harry" questioned Jerome
Yes. might have been called that; but
the same thing may be true of almost
anybody. For instance. I've heard you
called Crazy Jerome but for that reason
] don't think you are insane"
why did you think you and your wife
might take Pittsburg by storm. and that
vania?' went on Jerome, referring TO a
letter in which the witness made this
remark.
Il don't know. We would have settled
down comfortably and got along. In my
case, money would not have been as much
of a handicap to a political career as in
most cases.
NY father" explained Thaw, made his
money mainly I'm railroad building and In
starting steamship lines. In other words.
he made $40 for his country for every one
for himself And he gave twice as much
to charity as he gave to me and my
brothers and sisters.
Jerome Laughs at Notion.