The San Francisco call., 1906-06-26
Tragedy at Performance
in Madison-Square
Roof Garden.
Husband Of Evelyn Mes
bit Avenges Wrecking
Of His Home.
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL.


White, the noted architect and man
about town and member of the firm of
McKim, Mead IL White, was shot and
instantly killed on the rOOf of the Mad
fsOn square Garden tonight during the
performance of sMamseIle Champagne"
The murderer was Harry Kendall Thaw
Of Pittsburg, husband of Evelyn Nes-
bit, the actress. Mrs. Thaw was with
White at the time of the tragedy.
White was seated at a table on the
left side Of the hall. The performance
was well advanced in the second act
z. Fowler and Silvia Starr had the
stage with a song called Z Could Love
q Million Girls" In the midst of the
song Thaw walked up to the table
where White was seated and without a
word drew his revolver and fired three
shots ANY one of them would have
proved fatal One took effect in the
heart. another in the lungs and another
ia the stomach. White fell at the foot
OF the table and expired
Thaw's conduct at this point was
singularIy dramatic. Lifting his wea-
pon above his head as if to show that
he had no further murderous designs,
he walked slowly to the back of the
house. He was surrounded at once by
d group of attendants and surrendered
without a struggle.
HOUSE IN AN UPROAR.
The house was instantly in an up
roar. The curtain went down. Mean
while a crowd surged about Whites
A. a.. \.
Of the theater covered il with sheet,
but not until il had been recognized
by many Of his friends
Soon the great audience was in
panic and a wild stampede occurred,
during which chairs and tables were
overturned and men and women fought
with desperation TO escape from the
roof
Thaw was not positively identified
until he had been taken to the station
house. Persons in front Of the audito-
rlUm where the tragedy occurred say
t-lat they saw a man who had been
seated with fashionablv dressed
woman in the rear suddenly walk down
toward a table in front The first in
timation Of trouble came when, walk
ing in front OF his seated victim, the
man exclaimed:
You've deserved this You've ruined
my home,"
THREE SHOTS TAKE EFFECT.
Drawing an automatic pistol he fred
three shots All three took effect.
The woman who had been sitting
with White and who it was learned later
was Mrs. Thaw, sprang to her feet and
rushed up 10 his assaiIant, who was
struggling with an officer, and threw
her arms about his neck, exclaiming, 7
viii stand by yOu~
Thaw was taken TO the West Thir-
tieth street police station. where he le-
scribed himself as John Smith. a stu
dent OF 1909 Fayette place, Washing
ton, d. c., but the police on searching
HIM found cards and letters addressed
Harry Thaw Of Pittsburg.
lie seemed perfectly cool and dis
cussed what he had done with freedom
That -- viii never go about with
nay wife again" he repeated over and
over again.
BOTH MEN WE'LL KNOWN.
Harry Thaw had been at the roof
garden show all the evening and was
seen in front OF the garden before the
performance staring as II he was look
ing for some one
White was one Of the best known
clubmen and first nighters in the pub
lie life OF the city. His acquaintance
tensive, and he rarely missed an open
ing Of any Importance.
Among the buildings White designed
Were the New York Herald building
and the Madison Square Garden, wherg
the tragedy occurred
Young Rhaw is a scion of the mil
nonaire Thaw family of Pittsburg His
marriage TO Evelyn Nesbft the actress
scandalized the Four Hundred of that
city. and they persisted in ostracizing
that young woman, Notwithstanding
Mrs. Thaw's efforts TO compel Pittsburg
society 20 receive her.
After the shooting Thaw handed $40
20 Policeman DObbs, who had placed
him under arrest. and asked Dobbs
to notify Andrew Carnegie that he was
IN trouble.
HARRY THAw's CAREER.
PTTTSBURG, June 25-Harry Ken
dali Thaw is about SO years of age and
is the son Of the late William Thaw
who was vice president Of the Penn
sylvanis lines west of Pittsburg. He is
graduate OF the University Of West
ern pennsylvania. and when in Pitts
burg made his home with his mother
IN the east end Of this city
Since his graduation from COLLEGE
and the attainment Of his majority
ThaW has lived little in Pittsburg.
Much Of his time has been spent abroad
and il was while in Paris that he met
Evelyn Nesbit, the actress, whom he
afterward married, and who was with
White when Thaw~ did the shooting to-
night
Harry Thaw is brother of the
Countess Of Yarmouth, who was Alice
IhaW. and also of Mrs George Lauder
Carnegie Of Cumberland, Fla. He is
also q brother Of Benjamin Thaw and
J. Copely Thaw.
Mrs. William Thaw. mother OF Harry.
sailed for Europe on Saturday on one
oL the slow steamers. She is on her
way - visit her daughter, the Count
ess 81 Yarmouth. Harry and his bride
were booked 20 sail on Wednesday of
this week No reason for the shooting
can De assigned by friends Of the fam
Ay in mis- city The Thaw residence
on the BeechW0od boulevard did moi
respond - telephone calls, and later
u Was learned that IL was closed ex-
cepf for cHgcfaker
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