Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-29
Member of Commis1 5 .3sys
White Slayer W. .ever
Insane s
ACT NOT o 4 OF
TRUE lARANOIAC
Crime Not Product Of systsmatissd
Delusion, But One Of Anger and
Jealousy-Thaw's Expression Of Re.
gret For Act Another Reason For
AIienist's Point Of visw-Nsw
Hampshire Man oivss Official. Je!...

New York. June 29.-Dr. Charles r.
Bancroft. superintendent OF the New
Hampshire hospital for the insane. one
Of the members OF the lunacy commit
tee appointed to examine Harry x.
Thaw when he was a refugee from the
Matteawan asylum. resumed the wit
ness stand today on the hearing Of
Thaw's mental condition. He testified
that in his opinion Thaw was not only
sane but had always been sane. DR..
Bancroft testified as an alienist.
Thaw's act In killing Stanford
White, DR.. Bancroft said, was not the
product OF systemized delusion such
as characterizes the true paranoiac.
An Act Of Impulse.
THE killing of Stanford White" he
said, appeared to us passionate, Inn
pulsive act growing out Of condition
of mind due chiefly to anger. the cul-
minatior OF series OF circumstances
that had been bearing down on him
for some time. 1t did not seem type
Of paranoia but was due to jealousy Of
Mr.. White. not to a diseased condition
Of the mind.
"Thaw knew White had been antag-
onistic to him In an unpleasant way.
His ac. was the product Of a sane
man, which. after he had indulEed in
champagne. suddenly lost It's control"
Then you believe Thaw was never
insane?" asked Attorney General
Becker.
II do" was the reply another rea-
son for my belief Is tina, Thaw ex-
pressed regret for his act"
Watched Him Throe Weeks.
DR.. Bancroft. testtfytng as an ex-
pert alienest, said THAT he had exam
lned Thaw both mentally and physAcal-
ly over n period OF three weeks and
had tested his mental condition .for
reaction from every possible angle"
He said that the members OF the COM
mission had gone over In detail with
T1law all the circumstances of his lifo
and had omitted no topic which might
bring to the surface the deusfon from
which the state alleges T'haw was sur
ferinG at the time he shot Stanford
White and still is-that he was "di-
vinely appointed the protector OF
American girlhood.''
I'VE found him perfectly sane and
rational" said DR.. Bancroft. He said
on cross examination that a true par
anoiac such as the state charges
Thaw to be, might for a time sub
merge his delusion so as to defy the
tests Of the most exper. alienests but
did not think that this could be done
more than two or three months. 1t was
bound to appear after while.
Counsel for the state cited to him
case in New York insane asylum
where n paranoiac had successfully
concealed his delusion for year and
half and gained his discharge as
sane man. On the night of the re-
lease said the attorney, he went
home and killed his sister-ln-law with
an axe. DR.. Bancroft said he had
not heard of the case.
The witness said he had not given
"a great deal Of weight to testimony
In previous Thaw proceedings before
him to the effect that various Of
Thaw's relatives had the taint Of in
sanity He had not observed that
Thaw in his childhood was given to
violent outbursts. tho he appeared to
have been excitable In his tempera-
ment, he said:
"He seemed to have been spoiled
child"
Like some children of the rich. he
was brought up without discipline.
given his own way too much and
lacked Observation-Disclosures that
lead to failure He did not find, he
said that Thaw was morally perverted.
General Streeter. giving his opinion
as n lay member of the commission,
said that Thaw acted in a perfectly
normal way, both while he was being
examined and at q social occasion. ar.
ranged to test his social reaction"
Thaw, he said. had expressed regret
for tho killing Of Stanford White and
had said he had made mistake In
idealizing Evelyn Nesbh.