New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-23
Though Acquitted for Staying
White as Insane, He Now Says
1T Was Only Vulgar Murder
ATTACKS THAW ALIENISTS
Summarizes Features of the
Evidence, and Declares 1t
Would Be Dangerous to
Release Prisoner.

Without any attempt other than TO pre-
sent evidence through testimony and doc
uments that Harry X. Thaw was still In
sane. William r. Jerome. special Deputy
Attorney General in the case. submitted
his brief of some ninety pages TO Justice
Martin J. Keogh yesterday.
Mr. Jerome INDUCES in no rhetorical
figures. lie merely displays what he
terms facts. His concise summary Is
says:
In the foregoing brief no endeavor has
been made TO summarize or set forth all
the testimony. Only some Of the more
striking and salient features have been
selected. Counsel have carefully en-
deavored to avoid anything in the nature
OF argument upon the evidence, believing
that the facts themselves analytically
considered. would unavoidably lead a
trained mindllke that Of the court to
do It's own reasoning without assistance
from counsel.
The court gave close attention to the
testimony, is In possession OF a copy OF
the testimony. and II Is respectfully sub
United that when all the testimony and
exhibits are considered together. the mind
Is irresistibly led to the conclusion that
Thaw is at present insane and that II
would be dangerous to the peace and
safety OF the community to release him.
In citing the history OF the case Mr.
Jerome alludes to Stanford White as one
who. whatever his faults. had In his
chosen profession as an architect rem
dcred services esteemed by the public az
distinguished" and to Thaw as a man
whose life, as revealed by the testi-
mony in this proceeding, had been a
desultory, worthless and dissipated one"
Never Has Been Insane"
The Special Attorney General ends the
history Of the case by asserting that al
though fifteen aliensts swore that Thaw
was insane when he killed White, and a
jury acquitted him on this ground, "Thaw
now comes into court and contends that
he is Of sound mind and never has been
insane. even when he killed White: that
the killing OF White was only a vulgar
murder; and that on a state OF facts
substantially the same as those now in
existence the alienists. the jury ana
Justices Morschauser and Mil. were de-
ceived. Mr.. Jerome says:
Neither ThaW nor his counsel nor he
experts claim In this proceeding that
Thaw was insane and las recovered, but
the evidence given by them tends to sup
port only one contention-that he never
was insane. It Is respectfully submitted
that claim so audacious and brazen az
this can only be entertained upon EVIL
dence so Overwhelmingly clear and salts
FACTORY az 10 leave no reasonable doubt
Ia the mind OF any man that Thaw is
sane.
Again. It is respectfully submitted that
In View OF the evidence in this hearing
subsequently analysed In this brief, and
man. either lay or professional can reach
the conclusion that the contention Of
Thaw has been successfully maintained.
The former District Attorney takes up
In an exhaustive manner the definition
OF paranoia. Thaw's homeopathic child
hood and youth as shown by the test!-
mony OF witnesses. including his mother,
and Thaw's psychopathic heredity. citing
the history OF his family individually, and
then discusses Thaws peryersities.
This brings I'm the testimony OF Susan
Merrill. and regarding her MT Jerome
says: NO cross-examination could make
this woman appear OF worse character
than her own direct testimony at this
hearing, and the one at White Plains in
1909. No right minded person could ask
the court 70 act upon such testimony un-
less there was corroboration Of some
sort