Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-06-30
Insanity vii! Be Basis Of De-
fence When Case Comes to Trial,
Anthony Comstock Will Be Called to Testify for
Defense Thaw Yields Gracefully to Rules.

New York, June 2a-"Not guilty.
was The plea personally made by Harry
Kendall Ihaw. when arraigncd today
on the charge of murder before Justice
CoWing in the supreme court. So
prompt was III" prisoners response to
the usual question by the court clerk
of what hn had to say to the indictment
just read that his counsel, who expected
to reply for him. We're for u moment
startled. Then they Immediately inter-
posed an amendment of the plea. ask
Ing the permission of the court to
Withdraw it 1T any time up To next
Tuesday. This permission was grant
GO and the prisoner was led away from
the bar and taken back to his cell IN
the Tombs.
These proceedings lasted but few
moments, during which the prisoner
appeared to be cool and collected.
While waiting for his turn for arrliGns
mcnt. several prisoners proceeding him
at the bar. he stood in Il window recess
chatting with the officer in charge.
After Thaw had been reminded to the
Tonbs, Assistant District Attorney
Mott in response to the question:
What is there in this case. said:
1T is simply a question whether New
York has gone down to the level Of a
mining camp or whether man has
got some chance for his life here
The action Of ThaW's counsel in re-
questing leave to amend the plea of not
guilty has been taken as Il possible
indication that the final line OF defense
has not been fully determined on. al
though it is still considered probable
that a plea of temporary insanity Win
be offered. That every effort will be
made TO secure the admission of evil
dence hearing on the past life of Stan
ford White and upon his alleged crimi-
nal rursual of Mrs. Thaw after her
marriage is certain.
While the defence is willing and APP
parently anxious that the trial should
begin at the earliest possible moment
there is hardly any possibility that ii
can take place before October.
One of the most interesting develop
ments in the case today was the state
ment published in an afternoon paper
that White, instead of being. as was
generally supposed, Il man of great
wealth, was in fact Il bankrupt, owning
5000, 900 to one young member of q
prominent family, as much more To 9th
er persons. and having SO greatly over
drawn his personal account with the
firm Of which he was a member. that
he was notified that he could draw 10
more and must he content with a GER
tain fixed weekly allowance.
Mrs. Thaw held n long conference
with her husbands attorneys today,
during which she is said to have related
at length her whole life history. cspc-
cially that portion pertaining to her
acquaintance with White prior to her
marriage.
As a result of this conference 1t was
decided that Former Governor Frank
s. Black will take a leading part in the
defence.
Mrs. Thaw did not visit her husband
in the Tombs today. The investigation
nv Thaw's counsel into the career of
Stanford White and the John Doe pro
ceedings instituted by the district at
torney's office and designed to probe
every possible avenue that may throw
any light on the motive of the tragedy,
promise to result in some startling dis
closures of. the so-callcd Bohemian I'M
derworld of the metropolis. Scores of
detectives are now delving in this IN
der world on behalf Of the prosecution