NEW YORK MURDER TRIAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13875, 12 April 1907, Page 5

NEW YORK MURDER TRIAL

MR JEROME'S ADDRESS TO THE "JURY. THE JUDGI-j SUMS UP. JURY LOCKED UP FOR THE NIGHT. .?rc;s Association—By Telegraph—Copyright NEW YORK, April 11. (Received April 11, at 10.30 p.m.) Addressing tlio jury at tho trial of Harry Thaw, charged with the murder of Stanford White, Mr Jerome, the District Attorney, contended that- out of scores of White's letters to Mrs Thaw prior to her marriage in tlio possession of the defence not one was produced in court. There was no evidence that tliey contained anything bad. He proceeded to contrast this with the indefensible contents of one of Thaw's letters to her in 1903. He next ridiculcd the so-called "dementia Americana," a term coined by Mr Delnias to designate insanity, as extravagant. In regard to the sanctity of tho home, such dementia, whatever its status in California, was unknown on the Atlantic seaboard. It. was. cowardice that made Thaw withhold his dementia Americana" for Hires years before taking vengeance. Tho caso embodied all tho elements of a vulgar, every-day homicide. Mr Justice Fitzgerald, in summing up, remarked that no matter how bad a man might lie he was entitled to the protection of the law. He concluded by placing tho harden of proof regarding Thaw's insanity on the defence, and added that irresistible impulses had no place in the law. The jury was unable to agree, and was locked up for tho night. Mr Justice Fitzgerald is one of many Irishmen who have found their way to the Supremo Bench of the United' Stales. He first achieved considerable success in commercial life before entering the legal profession as a. director of more than one of the big business houses in Now York. With "the Irish in America ho is in great; favour, and is president of that great social organisation which wields immense infiuence in the States, 11 Tho Friendly Sons of St. Patrick."