Evening journal., 1912-07-29
THAW CASETO DATE.
HAS COST $063,OOO
COST OF THAw's FIGHT.

NEW YORK, July 29.-The case Of
Harry X. Thaw, slayer Of Stanford
White, who has been fighting through
habeas corpus proceedings In White
Plains to obtain his release from
the State Asylum for the Criminal
Insane at Matteawan, was officially
closed when William TraYers Jerome,
special attorney for the State, sub
mitted his brief to Justice Martin J.
] Keogh. The Justice will hand down
his decision the last Of this week OF
the first of next
The Thaw case has cost nearly a
million dollars.
The brief proper contains 9S bound
pages printed in large type. Accom-
panying it IS a bound volume OF 173
pages containing the exhibits They
consist of the writings Of Thaw, re-
productions Of his handwriting and
drawings, the hypothetical question
asked the alienists at the first homi-
eide trial, the conflicting returns to
the habeas corpus writ sworn 10 by
Supt. John w. Russell Of the Mattea-
wan Asylum and other matters bear
ing upon the case.
Mr.. Jerome reviews the legal efforts
made by Thaw to regain his freedom
from the night he killed White, June
25, 1906, until the present hearing,
deals with his homeopathic childhood
and youth, together with his psyche
pathic heredity. and then takes up his
alleged perversities. the testimony Of
the alienists and the exhibits. The
appendix is devoted to the opinions
rendered by Justice Morschauser in
1908 and by Justice Mills i'm 1909 de-
claring Thaw TO be a dangerous lun-
attic and a menace il allowed his
liberty.
Calls Claim Brazen.
In spite Of lis length the brief is a
concise document. The prosecutor.
after telling of the homicide and the
facts leading up to it, shows that at
his two homicide trials Thaw put in
plea Of insanity and was exonerated
because the alienists and jury be-
lieved him to be a lunatic. He then
adds;
He now comes into court and con-
tends that he is of sound mind and
has never been insane. even when he
killed White; that the killing of White
was only vulgar murder, and that
on a state OF facts substantially the
same as those now before the court
Is alienists were deceived and mis-
led, and not only Is alienists. but
jury of 12 men.
I'm addition to that. Mr. Justice
Morschauer and Mr. Justice Mills. af-
ter elaborate hearings upon the mer-
its, were deceived and mistaken. Nei-
ther Thaw nor his counsel nor his ex-
perts claim in this preceding that
Thaw was insane and has recovered
but the evidence given by them tends
to support one contenion-that he
never was insane.
1T is respectfully submitted that a
claim so audacious and brazen as this
can only be entertained upon evidence
so Overwhelmingly clear and satisfac-
tory as TO leave no reasonable doubt
IN the mind Of any man that Thaw is
sane"
Insanity IN Family.
In taking up Thaw's heredity the
prosecutor shows that a sister OF his
faLher was an epileptlc; that William
Ihaw, first cousin of the father died
IN an insane asylum, where he had
been incarcerated 10 years: that Har-
riet Alice Thaw, half sister of the
father was insane; that Horace S.
Ihaw first cousin one removed OF
Harry X. Thaw, died in an insane
asylum. and that Henry W. Copley.
a brother of Thaws mother. was Of
unsound mind, as was James Ross.
son Of a sister OF Thaw's mother. Jo-
siah Copley. a brother Of Mrs. Thaw.
was confined for a time IN the PENN
slyvanla State Insane Asylum