The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-07-13
THE wHITE-THAw MURDER.

prominence of the parties than ow-
ing to the atrocity of the deed. The
time when a foul murder sent a
thrill of horror throughout the com
munity, no matter who was the slayer
or the slain, is unhappily past.
The punishment of the murderer
is the immediate matter of real in
terest. he is not an inviting sub
pect for contemplation. A distinguish
ed Irish orator once said in a law
suit: "Of the defendant in this case ]
know but little, and l am sorry
know so much. He seems to be one
of those fashionable insects whom fol
ly has painted and fortune plumed
for the annoyance of our atmosphere;
infesting where they fly and poison
ing where they repose."
Such words appear to apply pecu-
lairly to Harry Thaw. Millions were
accumulated by his father in manu-.
featuring because the government, in
the exercise of its paternal policy
chose to hold the tax payers while the
favored individuals went through
their pockets. The father restricted
him to an income of $4,000 a year,
but this was so far set aside that he
received $4,000 to spend annually;
along with the most spectacular and
disgusting extravaganza in spending
the money earned by others, he de-
veloped sinister contempt for the
law and for the rights of others. He
raced cab through crowded streets
to the imminent danger of all the
passers by, he threw bottles at SOU
brettes, who did not please him, and
forced restaurants to shut up at
hours to suit his caprice. Finally he
courted and married a chorus girl,
and it is on account of an alleged in
jury to her that he says he shot down
Architect White in cold blood.
The plea that White ruined the life
of the wife of the murderer is yet too
indefinite to be commented on at
length. At any rate, it is not a legal
Justification; as an appeal to public
sympathy is too vague, and what is
now known Of the murdered man
renders it somewhat impossible. The
life of Harry Thaw was already ruin
ed; as to his wife's further develop
ments mus be awaited. 1t is clear,
however, that this plea is not to be
relied on in court. 1t has already been
given out that Thaw thinks himself
insane, and after claiming that his
deed was justified, will now claim
that it was so fully unjusttifiable that
that only crazy man could have per-
petrated it.
The misfortune about these pleas
Of insanity is that they generally
come TOO late. Harry's father thought
him bad man to expend a large in
come, but he did not think him in.
sane or he would not have left him
$4,000 to expend as he pleased. His
friends knew Of his extravagant hab-
its, of his giving $4,000 dinners, of
his great presents of jewels to won.
en-, and of his other bad habits. but
not one seems to have thought him
insane till he perpetrated a deed at
which humanity shudders, but for
which his former career of lawless-
ness seems to have prepared him.
When nothing else is available in
sanity experts are invoked and hence.
with advance fees in his pockets.
are already convinced that he is in
sane. The very facts which were be
fore well known, and which never
suggested to any human being the
idea Of insanity, are now brought
forward as proofs as strong as holy
writ that he was entirely incapable of
judging Of the moral quality of his
acts.
1t must be said that the actions of
Thaw were rather characteristic of
the trained lawbreaker than of the
lunatic. He did not deny that he fired
the fatal shots, for of that the evil
dence was abundant. He was shrewd
enough to appeal to public sympathy
by bringing his wife into the case.
But there were other evidences of
shrewd foresight. He promptly de-
clined to talk and asked for the coun-
sci Of eminent lawyers, on whom he
relied to get him out of trouble. It
may be said also that his Judgment
as to lawyers was good. and he took
prompt steps to have the best legal
advice. In his crime he was, as he
pretends, quite crazy, but in his prep
arations for defense he was eminent
ly sane and far-seeing.
We are again confronted with the
question whether a man whose life
has been devoted to vice and folly
and crime is free to indulge in muir
der as an amusement, because he
can bring to his defense a legion of
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