Page:The Great Harry Thaw Case.djvu/73

 sides, but you are the ones who will judge of the fact of whether the defendant was insane or not when he killed Stanford White.

"It lies with you and you alone to decide whether or not Thaw was sane when he killed Stanford White. You must apply to yourselves the test of your ability to decide truly and wisely.

"It is for you to reach out with that human spirit which says to any man, no matter how degraded, 'look up and be of good cheer. I, too, am a man, and would have done the same thing had I been placed in your position.'

"When you have heard all the testimony in this case and come to judge this defendant, I am sure you will be of the opinion that the defendant's act was due to insanity and not one of crime."

Mr. Gleason's address required less than an hour. At its conclusion the way was clear for the greatest defense of modern times and the sacrifice of Evelyn Thaw—a feature without a parallel in modern jurisprudence.