South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-13
"He Has Stared at Me Is Min
uteS at a Stretch in Effort
to Hypnotic Me-" Says
Or. Flint, AIieniSt.
DOESN'T DENY HE IS
THE WORLDS GREATEST
Witness Admits That Cook Saw
Evelyn NeSbit ThaW While
in New York - Case
NearS End.

NEW YORK, July 13.-Harry X.
Thaw is now a hypnotist. That IS the
latest contention of the state in its
effort 10 combat Thaw's sanity test in
the supreme court and have him re-
turned to Matteawan.
That he has tried to hypnotic me
time and again in this trial. DR.. Aus
tin Flint, the states chief alienist said
on the witness stand today. He has
stared at me 10 minutes at a stretch
in an effort to hypnotic me"
There was a roar of laughter in the
court room at this assertion and JUS
tice Hendrick threatened TO clear the
room.
You do not seriously mean" said
the court, Ito say that you believe Mr..
Thaw tried to hypnotic yOU?"
Il most certainly do" insisted the
alienist.
The long and often times conflicting
testimony of DR.. Flint today left the
jurors sadly muddled as to the value
and efficiency of expert testimony.
Flint finished his arduous grilling this
afternoon.
"Thaw has shown no insanity of
any form here in this court" Flint
told John b. Stanchfield. '-Thaw is a
hopelessly incurable paranoiac," Flint
told Deputy Atty. Gen. Cook. The wit
ness explained that while Thaw ap-
peared sane in court, a layman could
not detect his mania, he, as an expert.
knew Thaw to be a paranoiac with
constitutional inferiority, from his
past performances and family history.
Flints long examination lasted until
luncheon recess. 1t was gruelling
and merciless one. Thaw and his
counsel believed they had successfully
broken down the alienist.
Gives Reasons.
In his long technical explanation
of why he considered Thaw a parano-
lac, Flint proceeded to enumerate
countless incidents which contributed
to mis- belief. Thaw's sleeplessness in
infancy. his sickly childhood, his st.
Vitus dance, the fits of temper and
excitement; Thaws belief that Flint,
Jerome and others were in conspir-
acy to commit Thaw to Matteawan
without trial, to shield the name of
Stanford White, was evidence of para
noia. And the melodramatic murder
on the crowded roof garden was a
typical paranoiac homicide, Flint
added.
DIR. Austin Flint admitted that DR..
Baker, formerly of Matteawan, one of
the alienists who will testify for the
state agair@ Thaw, testified before
Justice Keogh that he did not know
Thaw was "a paranOias until Flint
showed him.
Flint said that exaggerated ego,
poor memory and nervousness were
not necessarily indications of para
noia He admitted that, if Thaw be-
lieved all the stories he heard about
Stanford Whites orgies with young
girls, his action in putting in his will
8 provision for $500 70 prosecute
White was not necessarily irrational.
He believed that Thaw loved Evelyn
Nesbit dearly.
IF White continued TO pursue the
girl and Thaw killed him is it not
probable that a jury would have ac-
quilted him whether he was found
sane or insane2" asked Stanchfield.
NO, because the unwritten law was
not in use then" said Flint.
Stanchfield tripped the alienist
again. He made him remember the
killing of Alfred Lee Richardson by
one Mcfarland in 1889 and the killing
of man in 1859 by Gen. Daniel
Sickles under circumstances similar to
Thaws killing of White.
WAS not emotional insanity the de-
fense in those cases ?"
Yes"
ANY emotional insanity is unwrit-
ten law and both men were acquit-
ted" Stanchfeld said
Are you the worlds greatest ali
enist?"
4 never said so. but 1 do not deny
it,"
Flint admitted that Cook saw Ev-
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