South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-29
A[|EN|ST ASSERTS
THAW NEVER WAS
INSANITY VICTIM
Or. Charles Bancroft, Head of
New Hampshire Asylum, De-
clareS Whites Slayer Was
ACtuated by Real Report.

PO'"o'Uu NY nedl nepOTl.
NkW YORK, June 29.-That Harry
- Thaw was never insane at the
tine he killed Stanford White or be-
.ore or after that act. was the dec
laration today OF DR.. Charles p BAN
croft superintendent Of the New
Hampshire state hospital for the in
Or. Bancroft was a member Of the
New Hampshire lunacy commission
that declared Thaw sane after his
escape from MatteaWan. and is the
chiet eXpers alienist aiding Thaw in
the present sanity hearing.
Ihat Thaw expressed regret for his
crime, said Bancroft was the chief
evidence that he was not insane at
the time. A paranoiac always be-
lieVes his act justihable. The expert
sWOre that ThaW's act was that of a
man actuated by real report rather
than by delusiOn or hallucinatiOn.
The New Hampshire commission"
said DR.. Bancroft, viewed with a
great interest the reports of the states
evidence in former hearings that
Ihaw was insane. We found no evil
dence whatever OF paranOia IL ap-
peared from the evidence that Thaw's
killing OF Stanford White was not due
10 deluSlon or an hallucinatiOn. but
rather 10 an actual report that acted
on his mind in a logical manner"
Thinks Thaw Always Sane.
Then you believe that Harry Thaw
never was insane?" asked Deputy
Atty. Gen Cook
Yes" was the answer Of DR.. Ban
croft. We find no evidence that
Thaw was ever insane. \ paranoiac
never expresses regret for his act, as
Thaw did 10 me. He said the mo-
mppt Stanford White Low Ioa 4 hoforo
him in Madison Square roof garden,
he knew he had done wrong and re-
gretted the killing. a paranoiac al
ways believes his acts of violence JUS
tifable."
is it not the act Of paranoiac." a"
asked Cook. ''wher the brain eXplO-
sion occurs to perpetrate his act Of
violence in a public place in the most
spectacular and melodramatic man
ner. and then. when his mania is ap-
peased to calm down and submit
quietly 10 arrest2"
''f would not say So" answered the
alienist Il would rather say il was
the act of sane man, actuated by
some grievance, real or believed.
DR.. Bancroft admitted the possibil-
ity of prenatal influence and went
into q long dissertation on the effects
on the child of accidents TO the par
ents. worries and sickness on their
part.
Re-Hash Much Of Evidence.
This was to pave the way for Cooks
proposed effort to show that Mrs.
Mary c. Thaw's nervous state at
Thaw's birth was responsible for his
alleged paranOiac tendencies.
Again and again Cook asked Ban
croft about Thaws alleged will and
codicil, in which he referred to White
and others as running thousands of
young girls. Also he referred to
Thaw'S reference to a house in 26th
St. kept by White and othe- promi
nent men where workmen constantly
heard the agonized cries OF 15-year-
old girls.
AS Cook referred to these things
and other hideOus details brought out
in the two Thaw trials, Dr. Bancroft
each time answered: Il read that eVi-
dence. but l know nothing of the
facts"
Bancroft declared that in his opin-
ion Thaw killed White in an ordinary
burst OF temper after Over-indulgence
in wine. The expert swept aside with
a wave of his hand the states conten-
ton as TO Thaw's delusions. He said
Thaw had no delusiOns, but was ac-
tuated by what he believed TO be
facts, whether true or untrue.
Another Expert Aids Tllaw
DR.. ID. Percy HiCklng. an alienist
of Washington, ID. c.. practclng phy-
sician for 81 years and an expert on
mental diseases was the next witness.
He swore he believed Thaw sane and
rational and in several examinations
found no evidence of paranoia. He
said he was called upon TO examine
several hundred persons a year as 10
their sanity At great length he told
how he went about making the mental
tests Of Thaw i'm March last year, upon
which he based his declaration that
Thaw is sane.
Il found Thaw absolutely sane ana
responsible for his acts" he testified.
on crosS-eXaminatiOn DR. HiCkling
said he was we'll paid by Thaw and
was in his pay now; he entertained
Thaw as a guest in his Washington
home He was then put over the
same hurdles as was Bancroft. an
exhaustive quiz on paranOia, perver-
sion and all the states contentious
about Thaw's mentality. but the cross
examination failed TO shake him; he
maintaining that Thaw showed no de-
lusions and was at all times sane.
normal and responsible. He said he
examined Thaw under five headings
memory. depression. illusions. delu-
sions and hallucinatons. but under
none Of them dil he find any trace of
paranOia.
The doctor testified that Thaw gave
him the impression that he no longer
loved his wife disapproving OF her
acts. which he regarded as those of a
woman not true TO her husband.
RETIRED FARMER DIES.
- D