Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-30
DECLARE WHITE
A SPENDTHRIFT
MURDERED MAN KNOWN TO BE
HEAVILY IN DEBT
Harry Thaw Pleads Not Guilty.
Raey Testimony Expected in con-
neetion With Victims
Career
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK, June 29.-4'Not guilty
was the plea personally made by Harry
X. Thaw when arraigned today on the
charge of haying murdered Stanford
White before Justice Cowning in the
supreme court.
So prompt was the prisoners reply &c
the usual question by the court clerk
that his counsel, who expected to reply
for him, were for a moment startled.
Then they Immediately interposed an
amendment of the plea asking permis-
sion of the court to withdraw it at any
time up to next Tuesday. This permis
sion was granted and the prisoner was
led away from the bar and taken back
to his cell in the Tombs.
These proceedings lasted but a few
minutes, during which the prisoner ap-
peared to be cool and collected.
While waiting his turn for arraign-
ment, several prisoners preceding him
at the bar, he stood in window recess
chatting with the officer in charge.
Mott Answers Question
After Thaw had been remanded to the
Tombs Assistant District Attorney
Mott in reply to the question What is
there III THIS caSe?' said:
"It is simply question of whether
New York has gone down to the level
of a mining camp or whether q man has
got a chance for his life"
The action of Thaw's counsel in re-
questing leave to amend the plea of
not guilty is taken as possible indica-
ton that the final line of defense has
not been fully determined, and 1t is
still considered possible that plea of
temporary emotional insanity would be
offered.
That every effort would be made to
secure the admission of evidence bear
ing upon the past life of Stanford
White and upon his alleged pursuit of
Mrs. Thaw. after her marriage is GER
tain. While the defense is willing and
apparently anxious that the trial
should begin at the earliest possible
moment, there is hardly any probable
ity that it can take place before Oc-
tober.
White Almost Bankrupt
One of the most interesting develop
ments in the case today was the state
ment published in an afternoon paper
that White, instead of being wealthy,
as was generally supposed, in fact
owed 100000 to one young man of a
prominent family, as much more to
other persons, and had so greatly over
drawn his personal account with the
firm of architects of which he was a
member that he was notified that he
could draw no more and must be con-
tent with a certain fixed weekly allow
ance
Mrs. Thaw held long conference
with her husbands attorneys today,
during which she is said to have re-
ntad at len crtb bar whole 1ifa'S bictOrv
especially that portion pertaining to
her acquaintance with White prior to
her marriage. AS a result of this con-
ference it was decided that former
Governor Frank S. Black would take
a leading part in the defense. Mrs.
Thaw did not visit her husband in the
Tombs today.
The investigation by Thaw's counsel
into the career of Stanford White and
the John Doe proceedings instituted by
the district attorneys office and de-
signed to probe every possible avenue
that may throw any light on the
motive of the tragedy, promise to re-
suit in some startling disclosures of
the bohemian underworld of the me-
tropolis.
Detectives Probe for Evidence
Scores of detectives are now delving
in this underworld for both the prose-
cution and the defense and fresh dis
coveries bearing more or less directly
on the tragedy are of almost hourly
occurrence.
Among the many witnesses examined
at the district attorneys office today
are Thomas McCable, a Californian
who was with the Thaws in the Cafe
Martin on the evening of the tragedy,
and TruXton Beale, who was with Mr..
White and his party in the restaurant
at the same time.
Assistant District Attorney Garvan
stated after McCable's testimony that
McCable had accompanied Mrs. Thaw
after the shooting to the home of her
friends. He explained that Mr.. Nc
Gable had made very complete state
ment of everything he had observed
during the dinner and afterward on
the roof garden when White was shot.
A witness was found today by coun-
sci for Thaw whose testimony they say
will be of the utmost Importance to the
defense. This man, whose name is
withheld, is said to be an old friend of
Thaw and will testify that he talked
on Monday night on the roof garden
with Thaw, who appeared to be quite
normal in his demeanor and entirely at
his ease. Suddenly, according to this
informant, IhaW turned pale, his eyes
glared, and turning suddenly away he
walked towards where White was
seated. The shooting followed almost
Immediately.
Thaw's counsel considered this testi-
mony as of the utmost importance, as
indicating that Thaw did not go to the
roof i'm quest of White and II was only
when his eyes suddenly alighted upon
the man whom he believed had wronged
him that his passion for vengeance
blazed out.
ri AIMG MJuIrE R1nNNEA ,,-1