Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-08
THAW'S INSANITY
HEARING AT END:
CASE is ARGUED
DECISION WILL BE GIVEN BY
COURT NEXT THURSDAY
MOTHER OF PRISONER WILL RE.
MAIN UNTIL FATE is KNOWN
District Attorney Jerome Selects Two
Witnesses Out of Several Hun
dred on Whom He Vents
His Sarcasm
CBy Associated nress.)

(By Associated nress)
WI HITE PLAINS, n. Y, Aug. T.
w In a cell at White Plains Jail
w Harry K. Thaw awaits decision
as to his sanity.
The supreme court hearing in the
habeas corpus proceedings against the
state of New York ended this after
noon, when his attorney, Charles
Morschauser, summed up his case.
District Attorney Jerome preceded
Mr.. Morschauser this morning. JUS
tice Isaac ~ Mills said he would try
to hand down decision next Ihurs-
day.
The prisoners mother, with her
daughter Alice, formerly the countess
of Yarmouth, and her son and daugh-
ter-in-law, MIR. and Mrs. Josiah IhaW'
will remain here until Harry ThaWs
fate is settled. ,
Mrs Thaw's statements show II TINS
case goes against her son, she will lose
no time in trying to free him by other
means. ,
The addresses of District Attorney
Jerome and MIR. MOrschauser TO-DAY
were alike, free from the outbursts o1
oratory that characterized the two
homicide trials
The district attorney was particularly
temperate. and of Thaw, Mr.. Jerome
spoke pityingly as that poor boy
only two witnesses among several
hundred that testified for ThaW az hls
trials and hearings were picked out py
Mr.. Jerome for rebuke. These We're
EVELYN Nesbit Thaw and DR.. Brltton
ID Evans Thaws chief alienist. me
district attorney said that in his be-
lief Thaw's wife had deliberately and
willfully falsified.'
Reviews Testimony
Mr.. Morschauser reviewed the testl-
mony more in detail
EVELYN Thaw came in for condemna-
tion from both attorneys. Mr.. Mors-
chauser said the reluctance she eN-
Dressed to testify Of ThaW alleged
threat to shoot her was assumed. lie
said that the night before she testhed
she had consulted with DR.. Austin Flint
I'm Mr.. Jerome's office and had formed |
q continuation with the alienist against |
her husband Mr. Morschauser con-
cluded with denunciation of stanford
White and an appeal for ThaW's mother ,
that left tears on his own cheeks;
Mrs. Thaw emphasized her opinion or |
Mr.. Jerome and his efforts by reading |
q magazine straight through his argu- |
ment. When her sons attorney began |
she laid the pamphlet aside and lis
tened intcntly. Thaw's pale face re-
mained impassive under both Jerome.s |
contemptuous pity and Morschauser
praise He sat with hstless face ana
limbs relaxed
Thaw's successive attempts to obtain
his release by habeas corpus proceed |
ings have started talk of "A movement |
10 amend the state insanity law so as
TO define a certain period that must
intervene between such efforts by a |
patient of a state asylum
Closing arguments were heard ny
Justice Mills in the appleauon OF
Harry X. Thaw for his release from
MatteaWan today
Thaw's Sster-in=Law Absent
Mrs. Josiah Thaw. Thaw's sister-in- |
law, was not present when court con- |
vened.
Thav's chair touched Jeromes, and |
he set his features with evident de-
termination to show no fear under the |
storm which he believed was coming.
Mr. Jerome began with saying Jus
tice Mills must be perfectly familiar
with the case.
Speaking of the credibility Of the
witnesses, he said he believed all did
their best to tell the truth, except Mrs.
Evelyn ThaW.
'J do think" ne declared. that this
girl was deliberately and Intentionally
falsifying That she told her husband
the story of the injury at the hands OF
Stanford White. I have no doubt
Jerome then passed directly to the
Question of ThaW's sanity. lie ac-
knowledged that modern science did
not attach extreme Importance to the
influence of heredity in disease; never
theless, he declared, this influence must
be considered in assessing the defend |
ants mental condition.
He summed up the defendants fam /
lily history with the declaration that
when a member broke. he or she
broke in their weak spots, the mind. |
Under strain they developed imbecility
or epilepsy.
Traits of Insanity in Family
LET me point out now that the |
whole Thaw family developed what |
might be called popularity. From such !
a stock the average man OF the Wolld /
would say without any assistance from /
alienists. We'll, you would get pret- /
ty rickety sort Of child out Of that
family
Susan Merrin's story Of receiving j
large sums of money from ThaWs at /
rorneys and of his living at her house /
with various women, the district at
tornev said, was unrefuted. Here Je-
rome laid down his notes and recited
from memory various wild acts of the
prisoner.
His alleged attempts at suicide in
Paris We're held up particularly as the
result of a diseased mind.
While the district attorney spoke
Mrs Thaw read a magazine. Once she
leaned over and made a suggestion to
Mr. Morschauser, which the latter not
ed down.
Thaws love of the dramatic was
pointed out by jerome as a strong char
acterstic of his alleged mania. 1t re-
ceived its strongest Illustration in the
shooting of White, said Jerome
The district attorney declared he /
placed little reliance i'm the testimony
of DR.. Evans, ThaW'a chief alienist, |
and asked the court to disregard il.
Denounces Thaw
'Tf a person had come i'm here from |
Mars" continued the prosecutor land |
seen Thaw on the stand, he would have /
realized something was the matter |
with him. ] call your attention to his !
attitude concerning his act No man of /
sound mind would have said, Yes / /
killed him, but he did a great wrong TO |
the woman / loved, and ! hated him, 1t
was wrong, / know
Jeromes voice rose for the FIRST time, |
Mrs. Thaw laid down her magazine ana |
she and the prisoner and Thaw's coun- |
sci held a whispered conference, The |
prosecutor went on:
Here is a man whose heredity has |
proven to be bad; he is man whose |