Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-27
Special Dispatch to The Star.

be the most sensational New York has ever
known. The question now arises as to
| whether or not the district attorney. IN
| view of his plunge into the political mael-
| strom now swirlng in the Empire state,
! will have time to devote a proper share or
| attention to the case of the young Pitts
| burg millionaire. The democratic state
| convention will be held in Buffalo Septem-
Der %. and until that time, anyway. MIR.
, Jerome will have all that any one man
| can do to prepare his own case for presen-
| tation before the gubernatorial delegates.
| This seems to blast the hopes of Thaw and
| his counsel that the prisoner might be
! brought to the bar some time during Sep
! TENDER.
If Mr.. Jerome should capture the demo-
| cratic nomination 1t means that he will
make a whirlwind campaign and will not
| have time to try such an important case as
| that of Harry Thaw, which will undoubt-
| eddy require several weeks before the
| courts On the other hand. If Mr. Jerome
| Is turned down by the Buffalo convention
| there are many who believe that he will
] be nettled into making an Independent.
[ campaign, being assured Of the support OF
| that part of the democracy which will be
| opposed to William Randolph Hea st. Such
/; circumstances also would preclude the pos
/ sibility of Thaw being brought to an early
| trial.
Another eff" in the Way.
Now arises the contingency Of the district
attorney being elected governor. either as
| a democrat OF dS dH INDEPENDENT w huSs
then, would become of his promise to con-
duct the Thaw trial in person? He would
be called to Albany for Inauguration the
1st of January, and would have to find
time between election day and the begin
ming of the Christmas holidays to call the
slayer of Stanford White to triad. Mean
time there are eighteen other homicide
prisoners in the Tombs awaiting trial in the
slow-moving criminal courts of Manhattan.
If Mr.. Jerome is not elected. then he Will
have plenty Of time on his hands.
At best the outlook to Harry Thaw seems
very gloomy. The young man Is beginning
| to fret over his long Imprisonment. He
| believes that the circumstances Of his case
are such as to entitle him to a speedy hear
| ing. as he Is anxious that his full story
| and that of his pretty young artist-model
| wife may be given to the public to Judge
| as between him and the man whose life he
took. 1t has never occurred to Thaw that
, he might be convicted. So sublime and
| implicit Is his faith In his own cause that
| he seems never to suffer pang of remorse.
| In utter Inconsistencies, apparently. OF
the district attorney for denying him his
! freedom. The heat Of the prison STILES
| him and he cannot conceive the kind of
| inhumanity 1t is that actuates the state in
not providing electric fans and bath in
| every cell.
1t has been published that Thaw enjoys
special privileges in prison. The Tonbs
keepers have so far shown him no more
| dls
He has been allowed to have his meals
| served by a caterer, but this sams caterer
4 Is ready to serve any accused person In the
| prison, provided he Is able to pay the
| price.
Thaw Suffers in Prison.
| His Imprisonment has been a bitter ex-
perience for Thaw-more bitter than that
| of the ordinary occupant OF cell on MUIR
| derers' row. Here is a young fellow who
has been brought up in complete idleness.
knowing nothing but self-indulgence and
luxury. Money has paved the way for him
| wherever he desired to go and bought for
] him any plaything he wished. His frugal
| old father. William Thaw. the founder OF
| the family fortune. saw the way in which
young Harry was going, and when he died
| his will provided that the boy should have
| no more than $500 year. But Harry was
| the especial pet of his indulgent mother,
and she supplied his wants and catered to
| his whims with a golden stream from her
| own purse. His allowance from Mrs. Thaw
| is said to have been high as $50, 900 a.
year. and even with this stupendous in
come It Is said that at the end of every
| year the mother had to pay numerous big
| debts contracted by her willful, wayward
son.
With his whole experience In life one Of
| power through the purchasing price of gold.
| how was Thaw to know that the bullets
| which sped from his revolver into the heart
\ OF Une famous drCnlteCt were 10 put an emu
| to all this? He may still gain his freedom
| through the sympathy OF a jury and
| through the skill of the best lawyers that
| fabulous fees can retain, but just at pres
ent Thaw finds that money has practically
| deserted him in the hour Of his direst need.
To have been told in the spring that he must
| spend his entire summer in town would
have been enough OF nightmare to the
ment in an ir6h-bound cell, in hot, stuffy
prison all of this time has seemed to Harry
| Thaw to be tortures enough to wipe out all
| the past sins of his young life. In one brief
moment he hurled himself from the lap Of
| luxury to the straw carpettng Of cell and
| the first bitted taste of criminal punish
| ment.
For many hours at a time Thaw sits at
| the door of his celi peering out into space
| and perhaps recalling the reckless happi-
| ness of other summers that are gone. At
| other times he reads the newspapers. This
| is now his passion. for he takes extraordi-
nary pleasure in reading about his own
| case. He wants every edition of every pa
! per. and they are brought to him in sets
| of ten or a dozen at a time. 1t has nettled
| the young prisoner quite keenly> during the
past few weeks that the papers should be
| devoting so little space to his cause. After
| scanning the various editions for any news
| bearing upon his own case Thaw turns
| generally to the sporting pages and to the
| racing charts. He finds delight II discuss
| ing the horses with any Of the prison at
| tendants who may be near. and he has
found some of them who are great follow
| ers Of the ponies. Thaw argues with them
| as to chances Of certain of the thorough
| breds to win and makes his selections and
| waits for the results with as much eager
| ness though he were at the race track
| himself and betting thousands Of dollars
| on the horses he fancies. This ID his one
amusement.
Mrs. Thaw a Constant Visitor.
On week days his wife always visits him.
and the two have lively chats together.
Thaw seems as deeply devoted to her as at
any time during their acquaintance. while
she apparently reciprocates his affection
warmly. The prisoner takes two exercise
| walks about the prison yard each Cay In an
effort to keep In good physical condition
although the confinement and hot weather
have pulled him down considerably.
On Sundays Thaw usually attends the re-