Page:The Great Harry Thaw Case.djvu/71

 pronounced him dead. The architect's death must have been instantaneous, the witness declared.

Dr. Pechner said that when his attention was attracted by the firing of the pistol, he saw Thaw standing over White.

He then saw the defendant "break his gun" and pull out the empty shells, and hold it aloft. Just after this Fireman Brudi took the man in charge.

Policeman Debes was recalled and Mr. Garvan asked him: "Did you hear any remark credited to the defendant's wife that night?"

"Yes."

"Where was it?"

"On the ground floor of the Twenty-sixth street entrance."

"What did she say?"

"'Harry, why did you do it?' and he replied, 'It will be all right.'"

This ended the state's case—all the evidence depended upon to send the young millionaire to the electric chair having been presented in that brief session. The defense opened a little more than an hour later after a brief recess for luncheon.

"Harry Thaw believed he was acting upon the command of Providence when he killed Stanford White," thundered Attorney Gleason in opening the case of the defense.

Thaw's insanity at the time of the killing, Mr. Gleason said, was due to heredity and stress of cir