Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-23
THAW GOES ON STAND
AS FIRST WITNESS IN
FIGHT FOR FREEDOM
State Taken by Surprise
When Stanchfield Calls
Stanford Whites Slayer
to Tell Story of Escape
From Matteawan.

NEW YORK. June 23.-Harry X. Thaw
lighting for freedom after nine years Of
imprisonment for the Staying Of Stanford
White, took the stand today as the first
witness In the trial to have his sanity
determined by a jury. Thaw went on the
stand after his chief counsel, John y,
stanch1eld and Deputy Attorney General
Cook had made their opening addresses
to the jury.
stanch1eld sprang a surprise by MAX
ing his client the first witness. Deputy
Attorney General Cook was so taken
aback that he was not prepared to cross
examine the famous prisoner, and after
occupying the stand for about 20 min
utes, Thaw was excused. He Is, how
ever, subject to recall at any time when
the State is ready to cross-examine him.
Thaw was calm and apparently sure OF
himself. II was his first appearance in
court before jury as a witness and not
as a criminal, He began his testimony
with the usual answers He gave his
name as Harry Kendall Thaw. his age as
a, and his birthplace as Pittsburgh.
Under Stanchneld's guidance he
sketched briefly his escape from Mat
teawan and the subsequent fight to have
him brought back to New York. Then
he told briefly how a commission APP
pointed by Federal Judge Aldrich in New
was an audible note Of triumph in his
voice as he reached that point.
The deputy attorney general said he
had no cross-examinatlon at this time.
Stanchneld said he would recall Thaw
later and Cook said he would call Thaw
as witness for the State.
FORMER JURORS EXAMINED.
The Thaw counsel then began the ex-
VYaIs Nt,.. -
last acquitted Thaw of conspiracy. jus
tice Alfred Page at that time forbade
the jurors, in their verdict, to say whether
they believed the prisoner sane, but all
of the u told newspapermen they thought
him sane.
John T. Blackburn was the first one
of the l2, over the repeated objections
and exceptions of Deputy Attorney Cen
eral Becker. Blackburn was allowed TO
testify that all Thaw's acts In tho con-
splracy trial appeared to him TO have
been the acts of a sane and rational man.
Blackburn, on Cooks cross-examina-
tion, admitted that the conspiracy jurors
spent great part of their 10 hours, of
deliberations In debating the question OF
Thaws insanity. They took a ballot on
II. he said, and he was the Juror who told
the reporters that the IL men believed
Thaw sane.
H. Holbert, member of the second
Thaw murder Jury. which in 1908 found
Thaw mot guilty, but insane" was the
next witness. He testified that Thaw' 8
demeanor in the second trial impressed
him as that of a rational man.
The State brought out the dIscon-
nected note written by Thaw in the
second trial, which has been displayed in
every habeas corpus proceeding. 1t was
read to Holbert. who said 1t did not
change his opinion that Thaw was ra-
tlonal In 1908
Attorney Stanchfeld, in his opening
speech preceding the examination Of wit
nesses, bitterly attacked DR.. Austin Flint
the alienist who has figured prominently
in all of Thaw's long fight for freedom.
Doctor Flint has never made an ex'