The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-15
THAWT0RTU RED.
PET RABBITS,
CLAIM
Beat and Chased Them About
Asylum Until Exhausted,
Witness Declares.
Continued from First Pase.)

1VGtuEoO EOGNs CAAAms
Counsel for those opposed to
Thaw's release startled the court
late yesterday with description of
Thaw's antics with q score Of pet
rabbits, as contained In q daily rec
| ord Of his behavior at the hospital.
In reading Of this record It was
| disclosed that Thaw used to beat,
pinch and bite these pets until they
squealed with pain, that he would
chase them about the yard Of the
hospital with a stick until they were
exhausted and that he would take
| them by the hind legs, fling them
into the air and say it did them no
harm.
Rubbed Noses with Them.
| At other times 1t was revealed, he
would hold them UP to his ear a.
| though to receive some secret and
| rub their nose to his nose. and call
them "Tootsie" and "Tweedledum.
It was the first trump card played
by representatives Of Evelyn Nesbit,
| former wife of Yhaw, and the trus-
tee of the patients 100000 es-
tate, who are fighting his liberation
on various grounds.
Once again the dictionary appears
| to have been ransaclEed for terms to
express the exact shade Of Thaw's
mental condition. At his first trial
in 1907, It was "dementia ameri-
cana" that Dolphin NJ. Delmas, his
| attorney, said was Thaw's ailment.
Circular insanity" Today was
added constitutional psychopathic
| personality and mental inferiority."
| DR.. Charles X. Mills, one Of five
| alienists who will be called on to
testify to the prisoners mental
| status, said that Thaw's release
would not be a danger to the com.
| munity and that he had recovered
from the malady that brought about
his confinement. Thaw was ad.
| judged q lunatic and sent to the
hospital institution in 1917, after the
| flogging Of Frederick Gump, jr., q
Kansas high school boy, in a New
York hotel, 10 which he had been
lured from California by Thaw.
| Three indictments are hanging
over Thaw in New York for this
offense. and It Is understood that IL
he IL declared sane and Is released
he viii be surrendered by his at.
torneys to the district attorneys Of
| flee In New York. 1t is doubtful.
4 SAAIAS oAAJ AGEA0WtLy SaU UG
made on these charges as II IL
known that the Gump family, after
| lnstituting civil suit against Thaw
Tor $6bO,OOO In connection with the
affair, settled last January for S25,.
| 200. 1t would be virtually impossi.
Ole to go ahead with the prosecution
without their assistance.
1t was a decidedly changed Harry
TnaW' who was assisted through
the crowded corridors that led to
Judge Monaghan's court room on
the sixth floor of the city hall.
AS he stepped into the hearing
chamber, thanked by a hospital
guard and his counsel, former
Judge John M. Patterson, one was
struck by the streaks Of gray that
tlnged his straightly combed black
hair and the pasty look to the
lined face that superseded the
flush OF other years. There was a
pronounced puffiness under the
chin. He seemed at first to give
an impression Of cheertulness and
calm, but this apparently was but
a neeting phase. His wide open
eyes cleaned as they wandered
restlessly from jurors to witnesses,
from witnesses to court and from
court to spectators, as though in
search Of some one.
Careless In Dress.
Thaw did not appear as careful
In his dress as in earlier days.
His dark brown suit seemed to
need the brush. His high stiff
collar pinched him and his black
and red tie was awry.
As he took his seat in the first
row reserved for spectators he
turned to his guard and said:
Say, Rice" how's the necktie?
Fine, Harry" replied the guard.
| A clergyman, the Rev. Mr.. Ogle
Warfield, Of st. David's Episcopal
Church. Manayunk, q friend of the
family, took seat ON Thaw's LETT.
AS the room began to I'LL with
those who had obtained a permits.
sion to witness the proceedings,
Thaw turned toward the clergyman
and with eager enthusiasm related
how he had outwitted photograph
ers and reporters who had attempt
ed to intercept HIM at the gate Of
the hospital, otherwise known as
Kirkbride's.
| Il put it over on them with the
aid OF the Waterman" he chuckled.
Il told him to open the gate as
though I was about to pass through
to the taxi. In the last moment,
while the cameras were all trained
on the main gate, I got away
through q side exit"
Roles Are Changed.
When his face took on a seriouE
look, one felt he must be realizing
the strange trick circumstances was
playing with him. Here was
Evelyn Nesbit, who had told har.
rowing story to save him from the
chair in the trial for the murder
Of Stanford White, now pleading
that he be kept in an asylum for
the sake Of her boy. Here. too,
was his feeble oiRhty-one year old
mother, Mrs. Mary Copely Thaw,
whose plea 1t was that sent him 10
the insane asylum in 1917. but who
was now trying to obtain his re.
lease.
Thaw followed the choosing Of
the panel with the most intense
seriousness and interest, the APP
pearance Of two negroes among the
jurors giving him particular salts
faction. The makeup Of the group
that is to decide the status OF his
mentality includes also twenty
six-year-Old nnachinist, q thirty-four-
year-old laboratory assistant, o
twenty-six.year-old clerk, q fifty
five-year-old Waterman, a plumber,
q seventy-one-year.old painter. two
store Keepers, q shipping clerk, q
steward, a plasterer and John
piunlxaff 4ha Forouoor 20 1ho l,,,-1,