Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-29
IMPORTANT POINTS
GAINED BY THAW
Records of Two Lunacy Commits
slons Which Pronounced Him
Sane Are Admitted.
MOST DRAMATIC DAY OF TRIAL
Graphic Recital of Killing of
Stanford White Gets
Before Jury.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch.l ]

NEW YORK. June 2S.-Calm and self
possessed. Harry X. Thaw to-day sat
through the most dramatic day of his
present fight for liberty. which included
three telling victories in his interest
and one important setback. as we'll as
a graphic recital OF the killing Of Stan
ford White. which Thaw was quoted as
regretting the instant after the SHOT
was fred.
In rapid succession Stanchtield forced
before the jury the record of the
Streeter lunacy commission of New
Hampshire. which pronounced Thaw
sane the report Of the Mcclure lunacy
commission appointed during the first
murder trial, which likewise pronounced
Ihaw sane. and that extract from the
summing up of William Travers Jerome
at the second trial for murder. in which
'e admitted the existence of the house
with the glass door" where Stanford
White and his companions are alleg ed
TO have gathered for evil purposes.
IL has always been the contention OF
the State that this house was Thaw
delusion and evidence of his insanity.
Jerome's admission Of its existence.
therefore. is an important point for
Thaw. which will 20 to the jury with
all the weight OF the Jerome threat to
bring Thaw back to New York by force,
which was admitted on Friday to coun-
teract the States contention that Thaw's
fear OF kidnapping was another delusion,
evidencing his insane state of mind
IMPORTANT FACT
GETS BEFORE JURY
AS an Offset TO these contentious,
Deputy Attorney-General Cook in a
brilliant cross examination late this
afternoon Of DR.. Charles p Bancroft.
one OF the Thaw alenists. brought be-
fore the jury the important fact that
DR.. Bloomer. one of the aliensts who
pronounced Thaw sane in New Hamp-
shire. while superintendent of the
Albany Insane Asylum, dismissed after
year and halfs Imprisonment an
inmate named Wilson. who the same
night went to his home and killed his
sister-in-law. against whom he had
harborcd all that time delusions of
persecution
DR.. Bancroft was still under cross
examination when court took recess
until 1890 o'clock tomorrow morning.
For the rest the Thaw forces scored
heavily in the testimony of General
Frank :. Streeter, chairman of the New
Hampshire lunacy commission, and Dr.
Bancroft. who were the only witnesses
examined during the day. and both of
whom expressed strong views on Thaw's
present sanity.
IL was learned just before the opening
OF the morning session that a subpoena
server had been dispatched to Malone.
\. Y, to secure the attendance at the
trial OF Mrs. Evelyn Nesbtt Thaw. Up
to tonight nothing had been heard
from this officer, and the State had little
hope of his success.
MAKES NO COMMENT
on PUBLISHED INTERVIEW
Thaw declined to-day to make any
comment on the interviews with his
wife, in which she reasserted her be-
lief in his insanity and expressed fears
for her life if he shall go free
II have no interest in what she saws"
was his sole comment
Acting on the advice of counsel and
in response to request from Justice
Hendrick, Thaw, as we'll as the attor-
neys on both sides Of the case, have
ceased to make any statements regard
ing the trial. When he assembled the
bench to-day, the justice called counsel
to him and demanded that they cease
taking reporters into their confidence on
contemplated moves. Then he cautioned
the reporters that the trial of this
case in the newspapers must stop. If
any Of the newspapers print anything
else regarding the evidence that is GO
ing TO be brought out in this case"
continued the court, II will send for the
editors and punish them for contempt"
IL was through a tactical blunder by
Deputy Attorney General Becker and
IN oh It,n- 4. 81
report of the Streeter commission was
admitted in evidence Justice Hen
drick ruled ii out at the beginning of
proceedings. after long argument. this
morning, whereupon General Streeter
was called to the stand.
On cross examination, Becker took
up the report, and in directing his
questions at the witness, read copious-
ly from the report which had been cx-
cluded Stanchhcld craftily permitted
him to continue to the end, whereupon
he renewed his motion for the admis-
sion of the document, on the ground
that the State had made use of por-
tions of 1t, and the court promptly
granted the motion.
ADMITTED BY SHARP,
LEGAL MANEUVERING
Sharp. legal maneuvering was also
responsible for the admission of the
vital extract from the Jerome sum-
ming up, the whole Of which had been
ruled out Of evidence last week by
Justice Hendrick. Adopting the tac-
tics Of the defense at the Thaw MUIR
der trials, when the testimony of
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw was admitted,
irrespective of its veracity, and solely
because she Swore she had told her
story to Thaw, Stanchield read the
Jerome extract to General Streeter, and
asked him IL he had discussed it with
Thaw. The witness replied that he
had, and 1t was promptly admitted as
bearing on the testimony as to Thaws
mental condition. The difference illus
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