Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-06-26
Harry Thaw Shoots and
Kills Stanford White.
L after Was With Formers Wife
at Madison Square Garden.
Thaw Cried as Ne Fired: "You Deserve This,
You've Ruined Ny Home"


McKim Mead G. White, was snot 10
night and almost instantly Killed by
Harry Thaw, a member of the proml-
nent Pittsburg family, during the per-
Torrance of the musical extravaganza
"Namselle Champagne on the roof of
the Madison Square Garden. MI.
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
fashionable audience. 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 au-
diencc, a series of shots ratified in the
front of the auditorium and man
in evening dress was seen to fall
across n table at which he was sitting
with a party of friends. The man who
fired the shot fled. pistol in hand, to-
wards the nearest exit, where he was
seized and dsarmed by policemen.
Instantly the great audience was
thrown into panic and Il wild
and tables we're overturned ana men
and women fought with desperation to
escape from the roof
The man who was shot was quickly
identified as Mr. White but his assail-
ant was, not positively known to be
Thaw until after he had been taken
to the station house.
Persons in the front of the auditori-
that they saw a man who had been
sitting with fashionably dressed
woman in the rear. suddenly walk
down towards a table in front.
The first intimation of trouble came
when walking in front of his seated
victim the man exclaimed: you've
deserved this, You've ruined my
home" and drawing an automatic ris-
toll. fired three shots. The first two
took effect. but as the third was dis
charged the pistol was struck up by a
fireman on duty in the thcater and the
bullet went skyward.
The woman who had been sitting
with Mr.. White sprang to her feet and
rushing up to his aSsailant, who was
struggling with the fireman, threw her
arms about his neck. eXclaiming: 9TH
stand by YOU
The prisoner was taken to the West
Goth street station where he described
himself rs John Smith. student of Nc.
| Is Lafayette place. Washington, y. G.,
but the police on searching him found
cards and letters addressed to Harry
Thaw of PittsburG, and later his iden-
tity was fully established.
Oh
while Harry Short was singing Il
Could Love a Million Girls" Thaw had
been at the performance all the even
ing and had been noticed to be very
nervous and excited. White had pre-
viously been at the Manhattan Club
and had only reached the garden few
minutes before the shooting, when
Thaw confronted him.
Fireman Rruden took the revolver
away from Thaw and handed him over
to Policeman DebhS. who placed nm
under arrest. Thaw handed the police
man SO and asked him to notify An
Grew Carnegie that he was in trouble
Thaw, it is alleged, said to the fire
man:
Deserved what he got. He ruined my
life and deserted the girl
While Thaw was being held by the
policeman. the young woman. who is
| described as short, slender, dark and
very nretty. again put her arms about
his neck. Thaw told her to keep quiet
and not get excited as all would come
out all right.
Immediately after the shooting the
curtain was run down on the play.
The performance was drawing to a
close and Spices Big Six. sort OF up
tn-date Florodora scXtct 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 seat in the hfth
row and on the left side of a table and
leaning over engaged in conversation
with Harry Stevens, the caterer OF the
| garden.
| Thaw had been present during the
entire performance. With a woman
said to be Mrs. Thaw he had taken
seats at a rear table. He got up every
few minutes and walked about and the
spectators later recalled that he had
acted very nervous.
| 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.
White apparently was ignorant OF
his peril. Then Thaw quickly pulled a
pistol from his trousers pocket and III
quick succession fired three shots. Two
took effect. either wound being mortal.
| Mr. White without a sound slipped
down to the floor the chair and table
falling on top of him. The audience
broke into ripple of applause. Two
women nearby seeing what had hap
pened and the blood flowing from the
dead mans wounds. screamed. Two
of the girls on the stage fled scream
ing into the wings.
Get back into your line" roared the
stage manager SO that all heard him
one of the girls started back but she
again fled to the wings while two of
the remaining four seeing the cause
of the trouble fell over in faint. The
curtain was rung down quickly.