The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-02-20
HARRY K. THAW PLACED
ON TRIAL FOR MURDER
Scenes Attending Opening of the
Famous Case in New York
QUESTIONS ASKED TAlESMEN

Wife, Mother and Sister of Stanford
Whites Slayer All in Court
Preparing to Counter Defense of
Momentary Insanity:
New York City.-Harry Kendall
Thaw was placed on trial before JUS
tice Fitzgerald in the Criminal
Branch OF the Supreme Court for the
murder of Stanford White, the archi-
tect, on the Madison Square Garden
roof on the night of June IS last.
Greatly a~gitated, but wary. as he
scrutinizes with eager eyes the tales
men from whom his jury is to be Sc
lected, Thaw finally was called to the
bar. Inside of the room of the Grim
inal Branch O. the Supreme Court,
surrounded as never man was in the
history of murder trials in this city,
cheered by the presence of loved ones
and secure in the knowledge that no
expense has been spared to secure
counsel whose only instructions are
to have him set free, this man of thir-
ty-three approached the crucical per-
iod of a tempestuous career.
No murder case in a century has
been so much written about, so much
theorized about, so much talked
about as this one. From the be-
ginning it has been a fo~reordained
cause celebre. not only because of the
spectacular and dramatic method OF
the killing, but because every one
connected with it to the remotest de-
gree belonged to that little group in
this country who keep themselves
always in the spot light of publicity,
and concerning whose doings, their
comings and their goings, their
amusements, their clothes, their
equipages, their every detail of life,
there is an inexhaustible curiosity.
Scenes approaching absolute dis
order were incidental to the opening
of the trial. Most of the clashes
were between reporters and CORES
pondents and the police. Press ar
rangements for transmitting reports
of the trial from the court room to
the newspaper Offices throughout this
country and in London and Paris are
more suggestive of a great national
convention to. nominate a candidate
for President than of a trial. There
were 200 newspaper men present,
representing papers in nearly all the
large cities of this country and sever
al London and Paris publications.
And there was as many policemen as
there were reporters. They were in
command of an inspector.
Only about fifty newspaper writer's
finally were admitted, the remainder
of the space in the court room being
reserved for the 200 talesmen sum-
moned on the special jury panel.
The police lines had been extend
ed from the corridor adjacent to the
court room to include the entire first
floor Of the Criminal Courts building.
The public had been warned in ad-
vance not to attempt to get into the
court room and few persons APP
peared.
District Attorney Jerome is con-
Quoting the prosecution in person,
assisted by Mr.. Garvan of his staff.
Shortly after 10 O'Clock the 200
talesmen less a few de%linquents sum-
moned as the special panel were al
lowed to enter the court room and
every seat behind the rail was oc-
cupied.
Then there was a hustle and a muir
muir as five women heavily yelled en-
tered the court room by a side en-
trance. They were accompanied by
Daniel O'Reilly and A. Russell Pea
body, of counsel for the defense. The
party consisted of Alice, the Countess
Of Yarmouth, and Mrs. George Lau-
der Carnegie, sisters of the prisoner;
Mrs. William Thaw, his mother; Eve
Ign Nesbit Thaw, his young wife, and
May Mackenzie, an actress friend Of
Evelyn Thaw.
The young Mrs. Thaw sat between
Miss Mackenzie and Thaw's mother.
She wore a thin white veil and was
dressed in a neat, tailor made suit of
blue velvet, with hat of the same
material, trimmed with violets. She
carried a mink muff and wore long
sleeved black gloves. The elder Mrs.
'Thaw, who is very stout, was heavily
yelled and dressed in black from head
to foot.
The Countess of Yarmouth was
magniflcently gowred. She wore a
heavy long coat of gray, lined with
white and gray squirrel, a suit of
olive green, tan elbow length gloves.
and her small hat was trimmed with
green ribbon and black fox fur. She
carried a muff and scarf of black fox.
Mrs. Carnegie was plainly dressed
in brown. Miss Mackenzie was in
lavender and had a purple veil.
Thaw's brother, Edward, and Mr.
Carnegie, his brother-in-law, were al
so in the party, which, arriving in a
large touring automobile, was i'm
mediately surrounded by the crowd
in front Of the building. 1t was nee
essary for the police to club the curl
Gus back before the party could en-
ter the building.
Leaning On the arm Of Mr.. O'Reilly,
and supported by her son Edward,
Mrs. William Thaw was the first to
enter the court room where her son
is to be tried for the killing of Mr..
Stanford White. Then came Evelyn
Thaw. on the arm of Mr.. Peabody.
The Countess Of Yarmouth followed,
with Mr.. and Mrs. Carnegie.
The party were escorted to seats
that had been reserved for them di-
rectly behind the prisoner, in such