Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-08-04
THAW DECLARED TO Be
/. DANGEROUS PARAAO|AC
States AIlenlsts Tell Court Prisoner
Is Insane and Should Not
Be at Large.
MoRECHlUsER SCORES ON ONE
Prisoners Counsel Causes Or. Hirsch
TO Spend Uncomfortable Moments
by Questioning Him Concerning
Book the Doctor Is Publishing
Thaw Disconnected on stand.

WHITE PLAINS. n. Y. Aug. B.
Three of those medical men known
as alienists, who have become such
q familiar part OF modern criminal
court procedure, united in the SUI
preme Court today to make IL unpleas-
ant for Harry X Thaw. who killed
Stanford White and was adjudged in
sane, but now demands his release
from the Matteawan Asylum AS n
mentally normal man.
sane. and when Thaw took the stand
briefly, after some dlsconcerting tes-
timony, he was plainly ruffled and
nervous. but Mr.. Jerome dismissed
him after a few comparatively unim-
vortant questions.
OF the alienist who testified-Dr.
Austin Flint, DIR. William Hirsch and
DR.. Amos T. Baker, the last named
gave testimony of the most important
character. He is acting superinten-
dent of Matteawan and appears as a
witness without compensation. the on
ly aIienist in the case with this dis
tinction.
Justice Mills called attention to this
fact and took q hand in questioning
him.
Says Thaw is Dangerous.
Dr. Baker said in his opinion Thaw
was not only insane now but a dan
gerous person to be at large.
Shortly after this, Mr.. Jerome
Quickly called Thaw to the stand. He
was pale and apparently shaken. The
district attorney put some rather in
coherent notes written by the prison
er in evidence and asked him TO ex-
plain them.
After pairing and labOrious ex-
plantations by Thaw as to the
meaning OF certain writings. he
said: And want you to know. Mr..
Jerome. that many OF these notes you
cal, suggestions were written at the
request Of my lawyers
TO you mean to tell US. who OBJ
served you in both homicide trials.
asked Mr.. Jeroms. that you did not
believe you knew more about the case
than your lawyers did," Il do" was
Thaw's quick reply. He admitted
that he did offer some suggestions to
his lawyers.
3 Thaw was excused after a bit
more OF this ordeal and RI. Austin
Flint was called. DIT. Flint described
a paranO!ac as a person dominated
by certain decisions. whose mental
and physical state might not other
wise be affected except in so far as
these decisions influence him.
"Parsnciacs.- he concluded i'm
pressively. never recover"
a Degenerate Psrsncisc--
DIT. Hirsch varied the general YER
dict by declaring Thaw degenerate
yaranoiac.~
Charles Morschauser. Thaw's at.
torney. attacked this testimony with
every legal expedieRt. In Dr FIint's
case he endesvored to show that he
had given contradictory testimony In
two previous cases where be appear.
ed as an expert He caused Dr
= Hirsch's some unhappy moments by
inquiring about a book ne IS writing
DO you. in this book. claim thai
Jesus Christ was a paranoiac7- h
asked The aiieniSt's reply was thai
he would 80 Ike to give an opinion
They delivered their opinions o. Thav
in answer 10 Jerome's hypothctica
question. only a small part % vhicl
vas read.
' The state atheists will probably
occupy the center Of the stage foi
two days more. Mr.. Morschause'
win continue tomorrow his cross en-