The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-15
THAW MUST FACE
EX-WEE'S PLEA
IN COURT FIGHT
Alienist Unfolds Sordid
Tale To Prove Clients
Sanity
(By Leased Wire to The Age.HeraId)

(By Leased Wire to The Age. HeraldD
PHILADELPHIA, April Hilary
Thaw, imperturbable save for the rapid
ly blinking lids of his slightly protrud-
ing eyes, sat in court Monday as the
trial to determine his sanity opened,
and heard attorneys for his estate, who
are opposing his release, drag from the
pas all the filth and horror of nearly
a score years since he shot down Stan
ford White that hot June night on
Madison Square roof.
Beside Thaw sat his aged mother,
swathed in deep mourning. The fight
for Thaw's release, to which she final
ly has publicly loaned her support,
opened before Justice Monaghan in the
court of common pleas. After the jury
had been rapidly chosen in the morn
ing, the remainder of the day was oc-
cupied with the examination of single
witness, DIR. Charles U. Mills, octOgena-
rian alienist, who has declared Thaw
sane On numerous occasions.
Declares Thaw Sane
Harry Thaw is, in my opinion, q
sane man." Mills declared, and stuck
to this throughout strenuous hours OF
cross-examination by Arthur Dixon,
counsel for the committee of the Thaw
estate, which is one of the two parties
opposing release.
The other party is Evelyn Nesbit.
Thaw's former wife, now divorced and
estranged, who entered the case at the
last moment. Evelyn moved to frus-
trate plans for obtaining Thaw's free
dom on the ground that he is the father
of her child, Russell, 13, and would
squander the fortune she hopes will
some day go to the boy, if he were re-
leased. Thaw lost the first round of
his legal fight when the court rejected
his petition to bar his ex-wife as a CO.
litigant.
Evelyn, who is now part proprietor
of an Atlantic City cabaret, came to
Philadelphia Monday to. appear in court,
but her counsel decided to postpone her
appearance until Tuesday.
William Gray, her attorney, assisted
Dixon in cross-examination of the first
witness introduced in Thaw's behalf.
1t was a sordid story of his shortcom-
ings to which Thaw was forced to listen,
but it left him apparently unaffected
save for heavy perspiration that wilted
his high linen collar.
The direct examination of DR.. Mills
consisted of establishing his acknowl-
edged reputation as an alienist, and his
firm declaration that Thaw is now sane
and safe to release.
Whole History Reviewed
Then Arthur Dixon took the witness
in hand and starting with the prodigali-
ty of the days when Thaw gave New
York and Paris thrills with his $50, 900
Gus cOdicil of Thaw's 1905 will, the STAY
ing of White, the testimony of various
women about his perversities, and lastly
the famOus-Gump case.
Dixon brought out that Thaw's
mental attitude took many curious abb
normal forms, in the description of
which he played to the enjoyment of a
crowded court room wherein were many
women. There are no women on the
jury, however, which includes two ne
groes. Considerable time was occupied
in the reading of a record taken of
Thaw's daily activities at Kirkbrides
asylum, where he was confined follow
ing his whipping of the Gump boy and
his attempted suicide seven years ago.
1t was developed that Thaw showed
an unusual attitude towards rabbits of
which he made pets and that on occa-
sions he hurled them long distances by
their hind legs and otherwise inflicted
pain on them. The witness, however,
maintained through storm of cross
examination that perversion was quite
distinct from insanity. DIR. Mills will
go back on the stand Tuesday morning.