Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-14
Verdict Is Reached in New
York Court After an
Hours Deliberation.
ONLY LEGAL ASPECTS
Justice Warns That Pre-
vious Acts of Defendant
Not to Be Considered.

New York, July I8.-Harry X.
Thaw, slayer Of stanford White.
was declared sane by a jury in
the supreme court after about an
hours deliberation at 3:45 p. IN.
to-day.
Justice Hendrick reserved deci-
sion as TO the disposition of Thaw.
Justice Hendricks charge to fBe
jury lasted hardly more than ten
minutes. He reviewed briefly the
legal aspects of the case and he
told the iurOrs that they were not
to concern themselves with any
previous acts of Thaw as such.
AS the jury is really acting in an ad-
vtsory capacity, the real verdict will
he rendered by Justice Hendrick His
decision may be rendered Immediately
after receiving the jury's verdict, or
may he withheld for deiberatton. The
justice has the power to disregard any.
verdict the jury may render.
In summing up the case Of the state
Deputy Attorney General Frank Cook
sketched the life of Thaw from the
time of his birth until he was deport-
ed from Canada after his escape from
the state hospital fer the criminal in
sane at 1atteawaa lie recalled toI
the jury that Thaw had thrice been
declared insane. and then went into
The details Of his early life. He told
OF an alleged attempt to shoot a cab-|
man and Of a fight in an aH-night New
York restaurant in which he was hit
on the head with a water bottle,
"Thaw was insane during all this
time. Mr. Cook went on. He was
insane when he shot and killed STAN
ford White; there is no doubt of that
And the same conditions prevail to-
day He claims that he is sane. When. /
I ask, did he recover his reason Was
it when he gave interviews with him +
self while in Jail in Canada? Was i'll
when he threw a tray of food on the
floor there? Was it when, in a fit Of
anger. he hurled bottle ,of beer {
through Window
During the latter part OF Mr.. Cooks T
summing up, United States Senators
Ollie James of Kentucky and Hughes I
of New Jersey entered the court room I
and took seats on the bench with Jus
tiCe Peter Hendrick. Both appeared TO /
be extremely interested in the remarks /
of MIR, Cook and of John B. Stanchfeld, /
chief counsel for Thaw. who summed +
up the case Of the relator.
Shakes Fist at Defendant. /
Mr. Cook repeatedly turned from
the jury box and shook his finger at
Thaw, sitting five feet away. He re
ferred time and again to Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw as that true virgin of his"
Thaw. meanwhile. seemed 10 be una
ware that Mr.. Cook was anywhere
nearby. He chatted with his counsel
and once turned and smiled at
friend sitting among the spectators
Scattered throughout the crowd in the
court room today were many women
Mr. Stanehfeld began by declaring
that neither he nor the court was con
cerned with the previous actions of
Thaw
The question, said Mr.. stanch-
field, sis whether he is sane today. We
are not interested in his past per
formances. I might say. however, that
[ do not believe he was ever insane"
Counsel then took up the remark
made on the stand yesterday by DR..
Austin Flint. chief alienist for the
state that the e'unwritten law does not
go here" He said that legally DR.
Flint was right, but that technically he
was wrong. He related several cases,
among them that of the late General
SickIes, in an attempt to show that
aroused passion, resulting in killing.
had often been excused by juries.
passion and intense hatred of
a man who had wronged the woman he
loved, said Mr. StanchfeId, caused
Thaw to kill Stanford White.
Mr.. Stanehfeld discussed the case
of Thaw in every detail and pointed
out TO the jury that the Mcclure com
mission, appointed 10 test Thaw's san
ty at the time Of his first trial for
murder in 1907, had found that he was
perfectly sane and mentally and ply
sieany fit to stand trial on the indict-
nent against him. He also related the
inding Of the commission appointed
1y the federal courts TO examine Thaw,
while he was in New Hampshire. sub
sequent TO his deportation from Can |
ada