New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-09
Calm as He Repeats Story
Told by Wife, That Led
to Killing of White.
MERRILL TESTIMONY
ANGRILY CHALLENGED
Slayer Gropes at Plot Question
Logic Woven Into Wandering
WOrds-Recesses Aid Him.

Harry X. Thaw went through his
great ordeal yesterday. 1t consisted
of sitting in the witness chair for
FIVE and half hot. dragging hours as
ii witness for the state against him
self. answering the acid-like questions
of his present chief antagonist. Frank
/ Cook, the Deputy Attorney General
upon whom has fallen William Travers
Jerome's task of trying to send him
back 20 Matteawan. Thaw had to go
through this ordeal conscious of the
fact that the states alienists sat there
with their eyes never leaving him, get
ting ready to follow him and swear
/ that he is hopelessly a dangerous luna
tic
Cooks methods were not those Of
Jerome. They were in distinct con-
trast to those used when he has had
Thaw at his mercy in the witness chair.
/ There was much more appearance of
mercy in Cooks way. But perhaps
that show of mercy was part of his
/ strategy. Instead of firing questions at
/ Thaw or trying to bullyrag him, as law
yers sometimes do. he asked him his
questions in a slow, drawling way and
then waited
That waiting appeared TO be the real
point Of Cooks plan, for as he stood
there, looking at Thaw with his some
what dreaming, patient eyes, the wit
ness seemed TO feel that he had to talk.
that he had to say something. The
result was that few of his answers took
I less than a minute. md some of them
rambled on ana on for five. and some
times for even ten minutes.
Cook Lets Thaw Talk.
Sometimes he stopped midway and
looked at Cook almost imploringly, as
if wishing the states representative
would ask another question and shut
him of. But the prosecutor just stood
there, gazing YEARLY at him. And
Thaw always began again, rambling on
and on as if TO make conversation to
fiji in an awkward silence
This sort of thing obviously made
Thaw's lawyers nervous. First, Mr..
Stanchield got on his feet and stood
looking at Thaw. Then, as the ramb-
ling continued. he more than once eau
toned his client simply to answer the
question and stop talking
But throughout the morning session
Of the court Thaw's loquaciousness was
beyond curb;ng. His manner of de-
livery made his long answers seem
kop tba-r raalltr
were. He fdgeted in his chair as he
talked. twitching from one position TO
another. He frequently stopped mid
wav in a phrase, with his forehead
working nervously, frown between his
ewes. but a smile Pickering over his
lips.
lie looked at Mr.. Cook, then at the
iurv: sometimes he turned and looked
Mt the Judge and at others he slipped
down in his chair, threw his head back
and sat for a minute gazing fxedly at
the ceiling. Then he would finish his
interrupted sentence. An inspection of
the stenographer's notes OF some OF
his ten-minute answers showed that
there was a great deal more logical Sc
quence in them than was apparent as
he gave them.
Long-Drawn-Out Answers.
For instance, Mr.. Cook asked him to
tell on what he based his belief that
there was a conspiracy of rich men
egqine on Mr.. Jerome in his efforts TO
keep him in Matteawan. IL took him
one of those ten-minute spells to an
swer that. Before he had gone far
the minds Of the jurors and the rest of
the court were apparently rambling off
TO cool streams and green pastures,
while Thaw went on spasmodlcally
talking.
But in his answer the witness had
got into the record a description OF
an examination made of him as to his
sanity while he was IN MatteaWan by
doctors under what he described as un-
fair methods, and also a reference to
the case book Of DR.. Lambs eXamlna-
tion of him there, which, he said,
nroved in itself that he was sane and
which. he said, Jerome refused to read
AT the proceedings before Justice
/ Mills after consulting Drs. Flint and
Macdonald. =,
Then he ended by answering Mr..
/ Cooks question as to what he based
bie beIief on that there was a conspir-
acv of rich men against him by saying
that he was so informed by his coun-
sci Justice Shearn. Pressed further
/ for the names of the men, he evaded
stating them by saying that the infor-
nation was given him by his counsel,
and he refused to diyulge it.
Stanchfield Saves Witness.
Mr.. Cook insisted on an answer to
tho question, but Mr.. Stanchfeld saved
Tbaw from getting excited in q verbal
dnel with Mr.. Cook by interposing an
objection TO the question, and Justice
, Hendrick sustained the objection
The morning session was consumed
bv This sort of sparring over the de-
tails of Thaw's belief about the con-
sniracv of rich men. But Mr. Cook
was unable to get any details or any
very important admissions or definite
statements from Thaw about that con-
sniracy. He said he didn't think 1t
was going on now.
Mr.. Cook produced a letter written
b,, Tbaw while he was in New Hamp-
sbire. addressed TO a citizen OF this
state' asking him to urge his Assem-
hlvman not to assist Jerome politically
or otherwise. -,
what did you mean by otherwise ?"
Mr.. Cook asked.
81 meant by keeping supplies away
from the opposition" Thaw said.
"What do you mean by supplies"
81 mean to stop giving the opposi-
tion the money of the taxpayers to pay
for the fight to put me back IN Mattea-
wan" Thaw said.
"Were YOU of the opinion then that
rich men were behind Jerome :" Cook
asked.
"If YOU honestly want me TO answer
that question and why wrote that let