Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-26
THAW TO BE TRIED SOON
CASE ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS
IN CRIMINAL ANNALS.

White. the noted architect. which will prob
ably take place In December or January. is
looked forward to as one of the most IA
nous cases in the criminal history of New
York state. The prominence of the Thaw
family socially, the wealth Of his parents,
, the circumstances surrounding the young
mans marriage to Evelyn Nesbit, the
artists model and chorus girl. and the spec
tacular scene in the m.dst~of which he fired
the bullets into the breast of the man who,
he asserted had betrayed his wife, all tend
to attract interest to the trial from one end
of the country to the other
For a long time an effort has been made
to have young Thaw rely upon defense of
emotional: insanity, but he has -SseaG O.
tasty declined to give his assent to any
such plan, and in his determ nation not 10
agree to hide Behind clcak of insanity tie
cause which, he inpaHeatly asserts to he
just he has at one time and another sihse e.
his Imprisonment dismissed several OF ire
lawyers engaged to help in has defense,
among them former governor of New
York.
The players In this extraordinary tragedy
of real life are each of them interesting.
Harry Thaw the ever Maynard son of ricn
and indulgent parents had become wfue
known throughout the country Ir.er to tie
killing of Stanford White by reason OF the
publicity given to many of his escapaaes
Allowed but $4,000 Year. -
His father, the late William Thaw, was
one of Pittsburg's richest men lie h&d
early seen that Harry was MOTTO be IA
trusted with large income, lest ne give
himself over to a life of luxurious. id:eness
and liberty. So when the el>ec Th1W died
he provided that Harry Thaw should nave
only $3.50 year. The bulk of the estate
went to Mrs. vii lam Thaw, whose lndui-
gent love for her children was soon made
apparent in the manner in which she iaV-
isned money upon them Harry ina" haa
but to ask whatever sum he chose. ana the
mother gave 1t to him. He abandoned; ms
s., 800 a year income from the estate 10 MS
valet 1t is said the young mans eXpendl-
lures often averaged as high as $se,ooo ana
$l03, 600 a year.
Four or five years ago the TEaw family
came into unusual prominence through the
announcement of the engagement OF Harry
Thaw's sister to the Earl or Yarmouth.
This young English nobfeman had been in
America for two years or more at that
time. He was entertained at Newport ana
at the end Of successful season there,
during which he led the gay set IN many
amateur theatrical productions. he decided
to go upon the professional stage to earn
a livelihood in this country. His efforts
along this line were indinerently success
full. and then came the engagement and
marriage to Miss Thaw. Since that time the
Earl and .-e Countess of Yarmouth have
lived abroad.
Depends on Unwritten Law.
Thaw has sought his justification in the
words he uttered to his victim on the night
of the tragedy He claimed that under
the ''unwritten law" no jury would con-
Wet him of having taken the life of 1.-The
man who had trsduced his wife in her in
nocent glrihood. To these accusations
nv Thar nj of White
many of them influential men of the COM
munlty. have declared that the architects
interest in the girl was purely of a father
ly character. They said he had assisted
many young women to make place for
themselves in the world. and that he was
no more deeply interested in Miss Nesbit
than he had been in a number Of others
about whom no breath of scandal had been
uttered.
1t has been constantly stated that the
Thaw case would never come to trial and
that thes mysteries of its many intricate
phases would never be exposed to - the
light of the pubics gaze, this conjecture
being based on the report that a plea of
insanity might be entered and accepted.
This probability. however, it Is now said.
Is past. Harry Thaw has himself stood
In the way OF any such plan. 1t is asserted
that, in his refusal to give assent to the
insanity plea, he has been steadfastly
supported by his wife, who 1t Is also gen.
orally reported, had constantly urged her
husband to take some action against Stan
ford White. Mrs. Thaw has been a daily
visitor to the Tombs prison, and Mrs. Will
liam Thaw. who was recalled from Europe
when the tragedy occurred. has also been
q frequent caller. There have been many
family conferences and many stormy inter-
views in the young mans cell, his resent
ment being shown every time the sugges-
ton of insanity has been offered.
Il prefer death in the electric chair to
life in an insane asylum, the prisoner
is credited with exclaiming.
His Successive Lawyers.
Lewis Delafield. of counsel to the fam
lily Of Thaw, was first called into the case.
lie engaged Judge w. NJ. K. Olcott Of the
firm of which former Gov. Frank 8. Black
is a member. They had hardly been in
the case month when young Thaw, after
an Interview in the Tombs, dismissed them.
He called to his aid CLIFFORD w. Hartridge,
a lawyer who has been his friend for
years. Now that the trial is approaching
he has called into the case Dolphin Mi
chael Delmas. one of the most noted crimi-
nal lawyers Of the west, who has come on
from San Francisco to New York to take
direction of the trial. Mr.. Delmas has
been quoted as admitting that the "un-
written law" may be the defense finally
decided upon.
District Attorney Jerome will have per-
sonal charge of the prosecution. He de-
clared he will introduce only such wit
nesses as are necessary to prove that
Thaw had made threats against White and
the eyewitnesses of the shooting. 1t will
be for the defense, he declares, to intro
duce any evidence bearing upon the past
lives of the principals. If this is gone
into. however, the district attorney will
offer evidence in rebuttal. While the pres
entation of the prosecutions case will re-
quire only two or three days 1t Is expected
there will be great difficulty In obtaining
jury and that the trial may continue
fOlII. or he