The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-06-26
TRAGEDY IN MADISON
SQUARE ROOF GARDEN
Stanford White, Eminent New
York Architect, Killed by
Harry Kendall Thaw.
Latter the Husband of Evelyn Nesbit,
Who Was Present When the
Deed Was Done.

New York. June 25.-Stanford White,
the eminent architect, Of the firm of Nc
Kim, Mead & White, was shot tonight
and almost instantly killed. by Harry
Thsw, a member Of the prominent Pitts
burg family, during the performance of
the musical extravaganza ''Mam'selle
Champagne on the roof of the Madison
Square garden. Mr.. White died before
an ambulance could be summoned. and
Thaw was arrested Immediately after the
shooting
The Madison Square roof garden, which
has been closed for several years, was
crowded tonight with a fashionable au-
dience. While Harry Short, who fills the
principal comedy role in the piece, was
singing comic song and the garden was
eChoing with the laughter and applause
OF the audience, a series of shots ratified
IN the rear of the auditorium and man
IN evening dress was seen to fail across
a table at which he was sitting with a
party OF friends. The man who had fired
the shots fled. pistol in hand toward the
nearest exit. where he was seized and dis
armed by police
Audience in Wild Panic.
Instantly the great audience was thrown
into panic and a wild stampede &C
CURED. during which chairs ana tables
were overturned and men and women
fought with desperation to escape from
The man who was shot was quickly
identified as Mr.. White, but his aSsail-
ant was not positively known 10 be ThaW
until after he had been taken TO the sta
ton house Persons in front Of the au-
0itOrium where the tragedy occurred say
that they saw man sitting with fash
ionably dressed woman in the rear sud
denly walk down toward a table IN
front.
You've Ruined My Home"
hen. Waking IA 9-sat ef his. seated VIC
Tim, the man exclaimed
You've deserved this You've ruined
my home, and, drawing an automatic
pistol, fired three shots. The first two
look effect. but as the third was dis
charged the pistol was struck upward
10y fireman on duty in the theatre ana
The bullet went skyWard-
The assailant was taken to the West
ThiTtieth street police station, where he
described himself as John Smith, a stu
dent, of $50 Lafayette place, Washington,
D. g, but the police on searching him
found cards and letters addressed to HaT-
~ Thaw Of Pittsburg, and later his iden-
tity was fully established.
The shooting occurred at 1879 p. m,
while Harry Short was singing Il Could
Love q Million Girls ThaW had been
Al the performance all the evening, and
had been noticed to be very nervous and
excited. White had been previously to
the Manhattan club and had only been
at the garden a few minutes when Thaw
confronted him.
Asked to Notify Carnegie
Fireman Burden took the revolver away
from Thaw and handed him over to Po-
liceman Dobbs. who placed him under
arrest. Thaw handed The policeman SO
and asked him 10 rOtify Andrew Carnegie
That he was in trouble
ThaW, II IS alleged, said TO the fire
man.
Deserved what he got. He ruined NY
life and deserted the girl
hold hr~a hn m
liceman the young woman who is de-
sCribed as short, slender. dark and very
pretty again put her arms about MS
neck. Thaw told her to keep quiet and
not get excited. as all would come out
Immediately after the shooting the cur
tain was Tung down on the play
The audience for a few moments be
lieved the firing Of the shots was a hoax
and applauded- But developments came
so fast. and it was so suddenly made
clear that they were witnessing a trag-
edy. that a panic followed.
White Entered Late.
The performance was drawing to a
close. and Spices Big Six, a sort of up
1o-dste FlOrOdOra sextette.. came on when
Mr.. White entered the place He came
from the Manhattan club, where he had
spent the earlier part OF the evening
He took a seat IN the fifth row and on
the left side of a table and leaning over
engaged in conversation with Harry Stew
Thaw had been present during the en-
tire performance With a woman, said
10 be Mrs Thaw. he had taken seats at
a rear table. He was in evening dress,
and his OvercOat was thrown over the
back Of his chair. He got up every few
minutes and walked about and the spec
tatOrs later recalled that he had acted
very nervOusly.
The six women on the stage had begun
their song when ThaW left his wife and
walking rapidly down the aisle. stood
for a few minutes right behind Mr.
White, looking at him hard
Three Shots Fired.
White apparently was utterly ignorant
of his peril Then Thaw quickly pulled
q pistol from his trousers pocket and in
quick succession fired three shots. Two
took effect. either wound being mortal
Mr. White without a sound slip I'D down
to the floor. the chair and table falling
an top of him The audience broke into
= riDple OF applause. The women near by
seeing what had happened and the blood
flowing from the mans wounds screamed.
screaming into the wings
Get back into your me Foared the
Stage manager so that AL heard H. One
! III the girls started back. but she again
fled 10 the wings. while two OF the re-
lmaining four. seeing the cause Of the
krouble fell over in faint The curtain
1sss runu down quickly.
several men IN the audience rushed to
Mr. Whites assistance, but the physicians
= id he had died Instantly His DO. was
taken. after il became possible in the ex-
cffeTnent which followed. TO his home at
1e1 East Twenty-first street
Attempt TO Escape.
Immediately after the shooting Thaw
pointed the revolver IN me direeuon OF
toward the audience as il attempting 20
cover his retreat. started for the exit.
He was quickly disarmed by Fireman