The Washington herald., 1909-08-03
Takes Prayer Book to Bed
When Denied Liniment.
DIR. BAKER TAKES THE STAND
Acting Superintendent Of MatteAwnn
Gives Some Interesting History OF
Institution and Its Inmates-SOme
OF the Contents of "Case Book"
Barred as Expressions OF Opinion.


bughouse 70 serve Ponds Extract"' was
the query Harry K Thaw put TO Act
ing Superintendent Baker some time last
autumn. DR.. Baker replied that it was
especially when the request was couched
in the form that Mr.. Thaw had given.
Whefeupon Thaw took book Of Com
mon Prayer TO bed with him when the
lights went out in the Matteawan State
Asylum for the Criminal Insane a few
nights later. He said nothing at the
time; he simply took the prayer book
TO bed with him, and DR.. Baker con-
scientiousIy noted that fact In his case
book, under the sheet marked Harry
X. Thaw"
When DR.. Baker was on the stand as
witness for the State in the hearing
Of Thaw's case in the Supreme Court
here to-day, he made an attempt TO cor
rotate these two Incidents. de simply
told Of their happening. and he men
toned 200 chocolate eclaires that Thaw
had ordered for an asylum party that
was being given by the attendants and
their young lady friends, also that the
hymn books that Thaw had ordered for
tho religious betterment Of his fellow
inmates.
Copy OF writ Given Him.
Not only did Thaw once ask FOR Ponds
Extract and fail TO get it. but on an
other occasion he demanded a glaSsful
OF astringent water for his health's sake,
and the asylum authorities gave him in
stead. q copy Of the writ Of habeas cor
pus that his attorney had just served
through the Supreme Court at PoUgh-
keepsie upon the head Of the institution.
That with the lotions and the laxatives
that did and did not come TO him at the
times when he most desired them Thaw
grew surly and uncommunicatve during
HIS restrain In Matteawan, according 70
DR.. Bakers testimony, and there was
many a day when a soft question on the
part OF the physician in charge reused
only q wrathful answer or none at all.
DR.. Baker took the stand this after
noon after a long morning spent by Dis
trict Attorney Jerome In reading into the
record OF the present hearing long ex-
cerpts from testimony rendered by alien
lists and witnesses in the former trials
for murder and portions of the evidence
given before the commission IN lunacy
that interrupted the first trial The
benchers in the court room were IN a
somnolent stage when Jerome suddenly
interrupted his steady droue 10 call the
acting superintendent OF the asylum 70
the stand.
Brings Case Book" Along.
DR.. Baker had brought with him from
Matteawan a heavy folio OF papers which
represented the "case-book'' entries hav-
ing reference TO the case OF Harry K.
Thaw, the lunatic. Tho tale set forth by
this case book was that Of the observa-
lions that had been made on his case by
Dr. Lamb and DR.. Baker from the time
that he entered the asylum in February.
1908 20 the day when he left TO take his
seat by his attorneys side at the open
ing Of the present hearing on his writ of
habeas corpus.
Mr. Morschauser, representing the Mat
teawan prisoner, made strong objection 70
the reading Of this case book record when
Dr. Baker first took the STAND, but for
the time his pleading was ignored. and
the hospital physician proceeded TO read
the record Of Thaw as a patient.
When tho hospital people took down
Thaw's pedigree they learned that he
never had any regular profession; he had
just looked over his properties. left him
by inheritance. and then. leaving their
management In the hands Of a cousin, he
had devoted himself 70 having an inter
esting time abroad, and IN this country.
On his first examination the Matteawan
physician who had looked Thaw over had
found him, a person somewhat feeble
minded, and OF a mental equipment far
inferior 10 that OF the average man OF
his age"
shows Defect of Memory.
The new patient seemed TO be suffering
from a serious defect OF memory; at one
time he thought that he was thirty-eight
years old, and the next daJsh he was sure
that he was only thirty-seven.
In regard 10 his attitude in relation to
the reason for his confinement in asy-
lum I found that he laughs and talks
about Il lightly" was the way Dr. Baker
read the case book record. Here Mr.
Morschauser again sought 70 point out 20
Justice Mills the inadmissible character
Of such testimony. He gained his point
IN part: the Justice ruled that all express
sions OF opinion on the part Of the one
who had compiled this record could not
become a part Of the court record. in
that it was not strictly medical history.
He appears TO be amused at the clever
work his attorneys and alienists did IN
proving him insane" was another note
that the witness read. He said that
he certainly was not insane, but that
the plea OF insanity was the only one
possible to save his life. The district
attorney trying the case had not been in
full possession OF the facts, and there
fore. could not refute this plea"
Declines to Discuss Case.
It appeared that when Thaw first went
to Matteawan he would not say any
thing about the actual moment OF the
shooting Of White other than that ne
may have been insane during that brief
stress OF excitement. Later, however. he
refused to discuss his case. even In the
smallest detail. and when DR.. Baker time
and time again approached him on the
subject, with the purpose OF making a
mental examination. Thaw shielded him
self behind advice Of counsel" and re-
NAMED mum.
When Thaw arrived at the asylum he
assured Superintendent Lamb that he did
not expect favoritsm nor treatment in
any wise different from that which was
melted out to other inmates. The next
day. according TO the record DR.. Baker
read. he asked for a drink Of whisky.
saying that he was cold. When told
that he could not have 1t the new in
mate grew peevish and declared that
although the papers had already said
that he was getting privileges at Mattea-
wan he could not see any.
March 2, 1908, Thaw appears annoyed
because his attorneys have made no effort