The Penn's Grove record., 1906-07-06
HARRY K. THAW INDICTED
Defense For Whites Slayer Will
Be Emotional Insanity.
Counsel Will Try to Show That Pur.
suit of Wife by Architect Drove
Rich Young Man to Murder.

New York City.-Upon a bare re-
cital of the facts attending the death
of Stanford White ON the Madison
Square Garden roof Harry Kendall
Thaw vas held by a Coroner's Jury
and afterward indicted by the Grand
Jury for murder in the first degree.
These proceedings occurred in the
Criminal Courts Building while the
body of Mr.. White was being inferred
at st. James, L. I.
Thaw's counsel entered a plea o.
not guilty for him, and he was re.
manded to the Tombs to stay there
until the trial.
That all the murky past of the
principals in the White-Thaw tragedy
will be dragged into the public lime
light and details of the doings of mil
lionaires whose lives are spent in the
swirling Tenderloin rapids will be
told in open court, became practi-
cally certain when it was asserted
that Harry X. Thaw, now in the
Tombs, will offer as a defense for the
murder of Stanford White that he
was 'emotionally insane when he
fired the shots. The decision to offer
emotional insanity as the defense was
reached by the prisoners counsel af-
ter DR.. Allen McLane Hamilton had
examined the murderer for an hour
in the Tombs and made a confidential
report to the lawyers Of the condition
in which he found Thaw.
There were several reasons why
the lawyers decided to take chances
before the jury on the emotional in
sanity plea. In the first place, it will
give an opportunity to show Thaw
vas insane when he shot White, but
is perfectly rational now. If the jury
accepts that view, it necessarily will
bring in a verdict of not guilty and
thereby save Thaw from being SEN
to an asylum for the criminal insane.
During the trial, which the defense
hopes will be begun soon, it is pro-
posed to lay bare the entire life of
White, especially his association with
young girls whom he entertained in
his studio in the tower of the Mad
ison Square Garden.
1t will be proved, it is asserted,
that Thaw was goaded on to commit
the murder by White himself-that
the architect constantly annoyed Eve
Ign Nesbit Thaw, the prisoners wife.
Mrs. Thaw will be a witness for
her husband. She has declared her
willingness to tell all she knows. She
fully realizes that in doing SO she
will subject herself to a searching
cross-examination; that the District
Attorney will demand to know in de-
tail of her relations with White.
She says she will "face the music"
because in doing so she will prove
herself a true and faithful wife, will
ing to stand by her husband in sor-
row as we'll as in joy.
1t is stated that the former
chorus girl will tell how she met
White, and there is a report that
there will be testimony that Miss Mes
bit when but a mere slip of a girl
she called upon him in his den in the
Madison Square Garden.
1t will also be brought out that
ever since Thaw married Evelyn Mes
bit White had been running after the
girl.
1t is said that White had seer Mrs.
Thaw at least a dozen times in the
past year and a half, and that when
they met casually he had tried to
renew the friendship that had exist
ed between them before her mar
riage.
1t is charged that White was ac-
custOmed to ogle the girl-wife in
theatres and other public places. 1t
is claimed that on the night of the
murder she saw White at the Cafe
Martin and that he stared at her and
tried to catch her eye, until she be-
came nervous.
1t will be asserted that Mrs. Thaw
had been trying her very best to keep
away from White, that finally her
husband could not help noticing that
a great change had come over her,
that he questioned her, and that final
ly she told him the cause of her
worry.
Thaw was white with rage. Mrs.
Thaw pleaded with her husband not
to pay any attention to White, but
Thaw said that something must be
done. 1t will be claimed that these
constant annoyances finally worked
the young husband up to such a pitch
of nervous and emotional excitement
that his mind gave away.