New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-24
THAW, UNMoyED
BY WORD LASH,
SAYS'1'M SANE"
CalmlyTells of Matteawan
Flight-First Witness
for Own Cause.
FORMER JURORS
TESTIFY FOR HIM
Deputy Attorney Extols White
in Denouncing Slayer-Woman
Witness Missing.

Harry K. Thaw sat in court with his
elbow, unnoticed by him, touching the
elbow Of DR.. Austin Flint, who has
EXPRESSED the fear that Thaw, in his
hatred of the alenist, would Kill him
if released. Frank Cook, the Deputy
Attorney General upon whom mas
fallen Jerome's task Of bringing upon
Thaw the thing he most dreads-his
return to Matteawan-stood before the
Jury. denouncing him as dangerous
paranoiac, an infamous degenerate
applying to him adjectives that mace
the women in the courtroom drop
their eyes.
Thsw sat listening, the suggestion
Of a smile at times twitching the cor
ners Of his mouth. His aged mother
sitting in her accustomed place in the
front of the room, listened with white,
tense face. Other members OF the
Thaw family looked at her auxiously'
q her lips quivered and her eyes filled
with tears.
From his shouted denunciation OF
Thaw, which might have goaded any
man into a fury, Mr.. Cook passed 10
words of soft-spoken eulogy Of Stan
ford White, declaring that for ten
wears evil had been spoken of him.
but nothing had ever been brought
out to prove it except the testimony
Of Evelyn Nesbitt Thaw. The time
had come, he said, to speak good
word for the great, dead architect,
and he would take 1t upon himself
to speak it now.
Tense Drama in Court.
The dull habeas corpus proceedings
had become tense drama. Inc
states attorney had just learned that
ThaW was TO take the stand as the
first witness in his own behalf. that
the jury was. 10 have chance 10
watch the working of his mind under
the stress Of answering questions IN
the witness chair. His demeanor
there might mean the winning or los
ing of the case. 1t was the first
real test, the first rising of the forces
in the drama to a climax.
Mr.. Cocks bitter denunciation OF
Thaw, his ridicule of all that has been
said and done in previous trials IN
Thaw's behalf, his praise Of stanford
White, in the particularly cutting
stvle in which he spoke, was well cal
culated to goad Thaw into a fury, 70
cause his mind if indeed 1t were the
mind of a maniac, to whirl into an
insane rage and unfit him as a wit
ness in his own behalf. go,
And then, while the air was still
vibrating with Mr.. Cooks ringing
voice. Thaw stepped to the stand He
nodded 10 the Justice, he looked at
the Jury and smiled, and then gave
ali his attention to John b. Stanch-
field. his counsel, who began to speak
to him.
His anxious mother leaned forward
in her chair, watching him intently to
ace what had been the effect OF that
ordeal of denunciation and goading.
With a quick flash Of his eyes he
turned and returned his mothers look,
and then began TO answer Mr, otanch-
fpl0S OueSllOHS III
what staccato manner OF speaking. + or
half an hour he was on the stand, at
times smiling easily, at others think
inc carefully In answering. Then Mr..
Stanchfield was through with his direct
examination.
Sons Actions Please Mother.
Gradually Mrs. Thaw had relaxed
and settled back thankfully In her
chair. She had seen that he was mas
ter of himself, that his mind was alert
and working accurately. Mr.. Stanch-
field was through with him, and then
il came Mr.. Cooks turn TO cross-exam-
inc. always the most perilous part
Of any witnesses ordeal.
But Mr.. Cook surprised Thaw and
his counsel by declining TO cross-ex-
anime then. He said he would defer
his cross-examinatior until later, say
ing also that he might want TO call
Thaw as his own witness. So the ten
sion passed, and the proceeding set
tied back again into dulness. There
will be greater climaxes and harder
ordeals for Thaw to pass through, but
the way in which he weatnered yester-
Continued on page 5. column