The San Francisco call., 1906-07-11
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL.

! Thaw, the slayer of Stanford White. the
noted architect, succumbed to the long
strain upon nerve and brain this after
noon and, calling a keeper, declared
that he, was SO i'll that he could not
leave his cell to take the usual after
noon exercise.
The prison officials were quickly in
formed of Thaw's breakdown and called
in DR.. MCGUIRE. the Tombs physician.
They also sent word to the prisoner
that he might have his own physician
| If he wished.
1t was said at the Tombs that during
his exercise this morning Thaw rushed
about the corridor outside his cell,
brushing the other prisoners out of his
way. for nearly two hours. When the
exercise period was over he went back
to his cell and sank on his cot exhaust
ed About the Criminal Courts build
ing this was reported as the cause of
/ his being unable to take the usual
exercise this afternoon, although it was
suggested in the neighborhood of the
| District Attorneys Office that this rec
reant attitude on the part of Thaw
might have some Interior purpose.
BREAKS UNDER STRAIN.
The strain of the important confer
1
and former Judge Olcott followed by
another consultation with Clifford w.
| Partridge, Thaw's civil lawyer, and
John B. Gleason. one of personal coun-
sci, is believed to have proved too much
for the prisoner. 1t is believed that it
was decided at these conferences to
abandon every plea made at Thaws
trial for the murder of Stanford White
except that of congenital insanity To
this end Thaw's counsel determined to
bend every effort known to the law to
evade trial, notwithstanding the sharp
declaration of the District Attorneys
office that 1t would bring Harry Thaw
before jury of his peers and endeavor
TO have him convicted of premeditated
murder.
The arrival of Mrs. William Thaw
Harry Thaw's mother, is anxiously
awaited by the prisoners counsel as
it is now proposed to exert all the in
fuence that the Thaw millions and the
Thaw position can bring to bear to
avert a trial.
'INSANITY SCHOOL, IN TOMBS.
In view of this fact the District At
torney's Office placed the greatest
weight upon testimony brought out at
the trial today OF another murderer to
the effect that there exists well or
gaized insanity school" in the Tombs
In which prisoners are taught to evade
the probing examinations of the expert
alfenists. 1t was shown that several
of the specialists retained in the Thaw
case were woefully misled in their in
quiries in the cases Of the other pris-
| oners.
Whether or not Thaw is playing
deep game. his conduct is growing more
mysterious daily. Despite the fact that
he participated in the conference at
which II was decided that he should
plead insanity, he later gave out for
NAL statement protesting against being
regarded as insane and declaring that
his counsel had assured him that no
such course as the appointment of a
j committee to inquire into his mental
condition was cOntemp plated. The state,
ment was handed by Thaw in person to
newspaper representatives. He claimed
that he gave 1t out without the per-
mission of his counsel, with whom he
| pleaded all day to be allowed to deny
in person the current reports as to his
insanity and especially the publication
yesterday afternoon of an interview
with one of his counsel in which the
attorney was quoted as having said that
the prisoner undoubtedly was insane.
DECLARES HE IS SANE.
Young Thaw's statement follows:
"I am informed by Mr.. Olcott and
Mr.. Gruber that sthe interview with
the latter in one of last evenings pa
per, quoting him (Gruber) to the ef-
feet that 1 am now insane and that a
lunatic committee would be appointed
to demonstrate that fact, has no foun
dation whatever; that Mr.. Gruber never
made such a statement; that no such
course is contemplated
Mr. Olcott tells me he did not go to
Philadelphia for the purpose of inquir-
ing about Harriet Thaw or her alleged
insanity; and that his visit had moth
/ toe ~ to dn wit q
my mental condition or that OF any
member of my family.
The statement was signed with the
initials III. X. T.
When asked If he had anything fur
ther to remark, Thaw said:
That statement embodies all that
have, to say.
Despite the rapid fire of questions
hurled at him by the reporters. Thaw
remained smiling but non -committal
during the four or five minutes he was
with the press reporters.
Assistant District Attorney Garvan
continued today to vigorously prosecute
his inquiry into the case, and had be-
fore him several prospective witnesses.
Among them were James L. Lederer or
Philadelphia, who was manager or 'The
Wild Rose" theatrical company at the
time Evelyn Nesbit. now Mrs. Thaw,
was member of the organization; May
Mackenzie, an actress anu AAAOiN -
| Mrs. Thaw. and MISS Mary Leahy' MIS-
Thaw's maid.
BELIEvEs THAw IS CRAZY.
Lederer told the Assistant District
Attorney that it was his belief that
young Thaw was crazy. He based MS
opinion on the mans actions during
the time Miss Nesbit was member OF
"The Wild Rose" company.
Miss Mackenzie and the maid were
questioned but briefly. being told to
report again next week for a further
| examination.
Edna Mcclure, the actress, who was
examined by Garvan on Saturday aft
ernoon, denied today that she had
made statements attributed to her in
the newspapers concerning threats she
was alleged to have overheard Thaw
make against White.
The District Attorneys office issued
a subpoena this afternoon for Mrs. Bea-
trice Schwartz to appear in John Doe