The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-06-24
OF HIS FREEDOM

New York, June 22.-Harry K.
Thaw's~ seventh attempt to gain his
freedom since his arrest nine years
ago for the murder of Stanford White
was begun here today with the selec
tion of a jury to inquire as to his
sanity.
II the Jurors decide in Thaw's IA
yor and Justice Hendrick presiding,
who has the power to reverse their
verdict, accept it, Thaw will obtain
permanent release from the Mattea-
wan insane asylum.
The selection of the jury occupied
the entire session of the court but is
regarded as rapid progress when
compared with the time it took to
will the jury box on the two previous
occasions on which Thaw had faced
jury.
Tomorrow the taking of testimony
will begin. Thaw has about so wit
nesses, including number of noted
alienists, to prove that he is now
sane and entitled to his freedom. The
state has large number of witnesses
70 testify against him.
Thaw said he was entirely satisfied
with the jury.
They are an intelligent body of
men," he said, "and | will have little
difficulty in convincing them that
am as sane as they are.
Thaw appeared to be in high spirits
and frequently joked with newspaper
men sitting nearby.
Crowds thronged the corridors of
the court room all day seeking ad
mittance, but were told that no spec
tators would be admitted while the
selection of the jury was going on.
This is the first instance in which
Thaw's plea has been heard by a
jury. Justice Hendrick, however,
pointed out that the jury was an ad-
visory body and not a trial jury.
IF they come to one conclusion
while I reach another l shall not be
bound by their findings he added.
Thaw was so confident of success
that he was planning to attend the
Panama-Pacific expositio natter the
trial.
Frank Cook and Alfred L. Becker,
representing the state attorney gem
eral, who, with a representative of
the district attorneys office, were
prosecutors, were reported to be anx-
ious to find Evelyn Nesbitt Thaw to
call her as witness.
DR.. Raymond Kieb, superintendent
of MatetawantSHRDLU SETAOIN N
of Matteawan asylum, and DR.. Carlos
Macdonald, an alienist, were pros
poctive witnesses against Thaw.
Thaw arrived in court early, ac-
companied by his mother and sister
Mrs. George Lauder Carnegie.
Whether the fact that Thaw was
acquitted of murder bya jury would
be considered an influence was one
of the questions asked talesmen by
John b. Stanchfield, Thaw's attorney.
Mr.. Cook, for the state, asked in
addition to the customary questions,
whether talesmen had any feeling
against Mr.. Jerome" The quetsion
was taken to indicate that William
Travers Jerome, the prosecutor at
the Thaw murder trial, would be
state witness.
The first five jurors selected were
David Robinson, a broker; Jesse L.
Strauss, a sales manager; Adolf W.
Fitschffi Maynard W. Miller, a man
ufacturer. and Paul j. Marks, a
clothing merchant.
Chester A. Bentley, a manufactu-
rer; Louis Conen, salesman; Ignatz
Spitzer a real estate dealer, and
John Elliott, salesman, next were
accepted as jurors. At this point the
court announced that all witnesses
were excused till tomorrow, thus con-
filming the progres sof the trial today
to selection of the jury.
Charles Kaufman, bookkeeper.
and Charles A. BASIL salesman,
took seats as jurors 10 and II, re
spcctiyely.
ghe jury box was filled with tie
selection of William Newman, dealer
inin photograph supplies, as juror
No. IL.
The trial was tfen adjourned UNI
til tomorrow when John B. Stanch-