Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-04

~ examiner at today's session Of
the ThaW sanity hearing, and from Dr.
Amos T. Baker. acting superintendent
of MatteaWan asylum, obtained tho
clearest statement yet expressed re-
garding ThaWs mental condition The
witness declared his belief the prisoner
was now insane and his release would
be a menace to public safety.
Justice Mills began with the obserVa-
tion he considered DR.. Baker an eX-
tremely important witness, free from
bias.
I'VE have had a limited examination,
from which we consider the man in
sane" testified DR.. Baker
do you consider that limited exam
ination sufficient to reach a full, firm
conviction as to his condition.
mo, sir"
Burch murder, in which he had direct
ed 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..
Thaw in any way?" he inquired.
No"
Suppose you had this man Thaw
with no previous history of the case,
what would have been your position?"
My position is that the man is in
sane" replied the witness.
THAT'S enough said Judge Mills.
Thaw Recalled
Mr.. Jerome then recalled Thaw. Je-
rome put in evidence two letters writ
ten by ThaW, one concerning Evelyn
NPsbit and couched in such romantic
language that the writer himself con-
Cluded: Il did not start TO write poe
try"
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 it, Whites
influence being the green light.
ThaW said he thought the figure such
a one as sane man would use.
ThaW's manner on the stand was ex-
tremely nervous.
Mr.. Jerome called DR.. Austin Flint to
the stand The district attorney re-
minded the court that all of the four
teen alienists called at the second trial
agreed that IhaW was insane when he
killed White. Where the seven Thaw
experts differed from the alenists for
the prosecution was in regard to the
nature of his lunacy. The latter con-
tended that ThaW understood the Grim
inal nature Of his act
Has Insane knowledge
The physicians who testified for the
defense held that, while ThaW had
knowledge, it was insane knowledge" "
and he was unable to control himself.
Il imagine the distinction is not Of
much consequence here said Justice
Mills. jerome agreed TO this.
DR.. Flint was shown ThaW's notes
containing suggestions to Attorney
Delmas and various other bits of the
prisoners writings. Considering these
facts and exhibits, DR. Flint said he
thought ThaW was now insane-a true
paranoiac.
The witness described paranoia. An
sWering Jeromes query as to whether
or not a paranoiac was dangerous TO
be at large, Dr. Flint said.
"A prosecuted paranoiac is the most
dangerous Of the insane
Mr.. MorsChauser asked the witness
about MatteaWan's concert alleged 10
have been arranged for the purpose of
showing up ThHN before the alien
lists. The witness admitted he had
given orders not to let ThaW know of
this affair in advance. but denied that
he had invited several newspaper men
% attend SO that they might observe
Thaw.
DR.. Flint said that before Evelyn
ThaW testified against her husband at
the first week of the hearing she had
volunteered before him and counsel TO
give any information they wanted.
Calls Thaw Degenerate
Dr. William Hirsch followed Dr.
Flint He called ThaW a degenerate
paranoiac' and incurable
Although the impression left by Or
Bakers testimony Yesterday was that
he had asserted that ThaW showed no
signs Of paranoia during his first three
months at NatteaWan, under Mr.
NOrsChauSer'S uTOsS-eXaminatiOn today
he declared He could not remember
ever having made such statement.
He admitted ne might have said it.
The story of IhaW's life at the asy-
lum continued. The witness said the
patient WAS allowed 10 stay UP until 9
y. m. until his first sanity hearing at
Poughkccpsic. After his return he was
forced to 80 to h's room and put out
the lights an hour earlier, He arose
about O'Clock "a. ul.
Mr.. Morschauscr went after the wit
ness, aided by memorandum prepared
with the assistance of his client last
night
"Did you ever tell Mr. ThaW," he
matter with his braiu?
mo. sir"
Did you ever say Tn him Jhat you
did not believe in sou's''
II cannot rcmember.
Or, Baker said the patient lad been
sent to bed an hour earlier because he
had persistently violated the rules
against smoking in the visitors room
MIR. Morschauser tried tn show that
the witness had testified only tu such
statements and acts of ThaH as might
roint to insanity.
The witness admitted haVihe Sala at
the Poughkcepsie hearing jh7t IN
Thaw's case the diagnosis of palaholac