Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-30
THAW PLEADS NOT GUILTY
rs Attorneys Reserve Right to Chang
Plea Before Tuesday.
LINE Of DEFENSE NOT DETERMINED
Many Indications that IL VIII BE
Emotional Insanity - Anthony
COmstOck Brought Into
Gaze.

NEW YORK. June 29.-"Not guilty" was
the plea personally made by Harry X.
rhaw. when arraigned today on the charge
Of having murdered Stanford White, before
Justice Cowing in the supreme court. So
prompt was the prisoners response to the
usual question by the court clerk that his
counsel. who expected to reply for him,
were for a moment startled. Then they
Immediately nterposed amendment of
the plea, asking the permission OF the court
TO withdraw It at any time up TO next
Tuesday. This permission was granted and
the prisoner was led away and taken back
TO his cell in the tombs. These proceedings
lasted hut few minutes. during which the
prisoner appeared to be cool and collected.
Defense of Emotional Insanity.
The action of Thaw's counsel in re-
questlng leave to amend the plea of not
guilty has been taken as a possible in
dicauon that the final line of defense has
not been fully determined on. although It
is still considered probable that a plea OF
temporary insanity will be offered
That every effort will be made to secure
the admission Of evidence bearing on the
past life OF Stanford White and upon his
alleged pursuit OF Mrs Thaw after her
marriage is certain.
Announcement that the defense will make
'emotlonal insanity" the basis for Its fight
for the release of Thaw set at rest the
speculation on this point today. Justi-
liable homicide and the straight plea OF
insanity had been suggested a line OF
defense. but Thaw himself made the in
sanity move impossible by his refusal to
consider II and by declinig 10 allow alien
lists 20 question him.
II win not he claimed that the youns
man Is insane now. Such plea would
mean a sentence 10 the asylum for Grim
inal insane at Matteawan.
This new line means a trial and II th'
plea OF emotional insanity is justified
Thaw will be a free man. The defense &
has also been announced plans to brihl
out the whole story or Whites life. Of hi
relations with Evelyn Nesbit before sh'
married Thaw and OF his subsequent &C
tions which. the defense claims. annoyed
Mrs. Thaw and gosded the husband on 4
the shooting,
Jerome May Handle Case.
District Attorney Jerome. who is on
vacation. left Cape Breton yesterday 70
New York. The arraignment OF Thaw -
day in the court OF special sessions Il
simply for the purpose OF receiving tn
prisoners plea Of mot guilty" snd Mr.
Jerome's return. It Is expected. will hurr!
the actual trial. II is suggested today tina
the district attorney may personally con
duct the prosecution.
Mrs. Thaw viii be witness for her hus
band AZ the trial. She has declared he
willingness TO tell all she knows. She full,
realizes that in doing 30 she will subiec
herself to searching cross-examinatiou
That Thsw bought q revolver 20 XIII Whit
OF that the killing was prsmsditsted vii
be denied
The defense is prepared 10 prove tina
Thaw had been accustomed, for more thal
two years. 70 carry . revolver. About tw
years ago. according 20 the testimony q
their possession. rhaW VAS attacked b
thugs and since then he has carried
Wespoa- ThAWs action IN teleDh0nins An