Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-10

ul stanford White Mr.. DelmaS produced
the codicil I'm which Thaw set aside thou
sands Of dollars TO vindicate and redeem
and rescue from life Of infamy the vari-
Gus victims Of Stanford White"
Waving the document dramatically before
the jury. Mr.. Delmas pictured the drafting
Of 1t on the very night when Thaw found
all mis- hopes realized in the ceremony
which made Evelyn his wife on that same
night, Mr.. Delmas argued. Thaw's thoughts
drfted back to the time when his wife was
wronged by Stanford White, and thinking
Of the other girls ruined and degraded by
the same person he sat down and added
the codcil TO his will with much emotion
Mr.. Dclmas referred to the fate Of the
little pie siFl' and vepemently continued:
Effort to Protect wife.
And Stanford White thought he would
play with this child. now the wife OF Mr.
Thaw, in the same inhumaH manner and
in the end cast her OF like a dirty rag to
hoat her way down life's sewers into a
paupers grave These were the thoughts
that came over him and never left him
We admire the chvalry Of the knights OF
the middle ages, who went about redressing
wrongs and rescuing maidens in distress
Why should we withhold our sympathy
from this brave man. who was SO anxious
to take a part in the rescue Of young
girls in this city? The effort Of
Harry Thaw to protect the community
against the pollution Of Stanford White did
not end even with the provisions OF the
will and the codlcil SO deep was the inn
preston on his mind, so overwhelming was
the impulse. that he had in the early part
Of 1906 written a letter to Anthony Com
stock, under whose special charge he be-
licved the morals Of this community had
been placed telling of Stanford White and
his band and Of their dens where they en-
ticed young girls and ruined them. lie
called upon the district attorney, the same
man who is trying TO take this mans life
demanding that he cleanse the city Of this
leprous sore. He went TO the principal de-
tective agency that they might ferret out
The facts that this man might be sent to
prison where he belonged, but again he
was baffied. But he did not lose courage
He battled on. And when he told his brave
little wife about his efforts She better in
formed than he was as to the power Of
these people, told him that they were too
rich and powerful for him and that he
would never succeed-that they had friends
who would stop anything he tried to do.
The speaker then referred to the incident
at Daley's and the effect of meeting White
and Thaw.
1t was 1890 o'clock, and Mr.. Delmas an
nounced that it would be impossible for
him to conclude by the usual recess time.
as he had expected to do. and asked that
a recess be taken until o'clock The re-
cess was ordered.
'Put Yourself in His Place"
After recess Mr.. Delmas dramatically re-
viewed the events in Madison Square Gar
den the night Of the tragedy and then
asked:
What was the condition Of Thaw's mind
OF this time? Men, Judge your fellow man
as We would be Judged, and in order TO
judge him rightly place yourselves in the
spot where he stood and surround your
Selves with the circumstances which sur
rounded him.
do this and you will be able to do him
the Justice that Su promised that you
would do him"
Mr.. Delmas, after reviewing the testi-
mony of the experts and saying that the
prosecution had failed to show that Thaw
was sane the night he killed White, con-
cluded:
81 ask you in the name of the law which
I invoke; I ask you in the name of hu-
mainly I ask you in the name OF religion
to resolve whatever doubt you may have in
favor Of this defendant.
The district attorney will make light Of
the experts because they have not defined
the species Of insanity which Harry Thaw
was suffering. 1t is "a species Of insanity
which has been recognized in every state
Of this mion-from Canada to Mexico,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific
'Ah, gentlemen" said Mr.. Delmas. dra-
matically, turning to the auenist who
testified for the prosecution, 'if you desire
a name for this species Of insanity let me
suggest ft-call It dementia Americana
That Is the species OF insanity which
makes every American man believe his
home TO be sacred; that is the species OF
insanity which makes him believe the
honor of his daughter is sacred; that Is the
species Of insanity which makes him believe
the honor Of his wife is sacred that Is
the species Of insanity which makes him
believe that whatsoever invades his home,
that whatsoever stains the virtue Of his
threshold, has violated the highest Of hui
man laws and must appeal to the mercy OF
God, If mercy there be for him anywhere
in tho universe,
THAT IL the species Of insanity which
has been recognized by. the courts in the
cases OF -"
Appeal to UnNritten Law.
Mr. Caravan was on his feet with an OBJ
lection, saying the argument was taking
too wide a range.
You understand" said Justice Fitz-
gerald to Mr. Delmas.
The latter waved his hand and turned
again to the jury.
Remember, gentlemen, the law Is a
human law. l violate no law when I ask
you to take the oldest Of all laws-the
golden law-the law that is at the tounda-
tlon Of all laws-Do to others as you would
have them do to you. DO not send this
/ young man to death for what he did.
| Il now, with all solemnity, leave in your
| hands the fate Of Harry K. Thaw"
/ Thaw arose from his chair, went TO where
I his mother and wife were sitting. grasped
their hands confidently, and then with head
| erect, made his way to the prisoners pen
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