The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-17
4gis4-
 THURSDAY. JANUARY IF. 1907.
A sHREwD SCHEME i.

The latest indications and develop ments are that Harry Thaw win not be convicted and executed as mur- dsrer. Of course the defence will not attempt to disprove the charge of not be denied Nor will they base their defence on the plea that he was insane. because such a plea would not stand for moment in view of the known facts. The plan decided on, as we understand, is to bring forward @hired aIienists," as a contemporary calls them, and prove that he is in- convict an insane man the expecta- tx6n is that he will be sent to the 1datteawan Asylum for safe keeping. Tf he is sent there, as The Kansas City aournal says, ''he will haves to sleep nt the, institution, but in all other ways he will be free to come and go at his pleasure. Of course he will need exercise, and being wealthy he win be given the same regimen as ether wealthy patients, who are all lowed to go across the river to New burg. where they dine and hold wine stippers very much to the Thaw taste. 10 be sure, Newburg is not much of a place, but it is better than the uonsbs prison. and the gay set can visit him and provide him touches of nigh life. In reality his confinement will be ho confinement at all, but will be merely a luxurious exile for few years at most. This is the program that has been arranged for the mill 3i0nAire murderer, and if it is carried out 1t will be another of the frequent outrakes upon justice that have dis rFace6 this country within the past Few years
 If the program outlined is carried out one of two things will result He will bs declafed "cured" at the end of a few years and will be set free to en- 5dy himself in his old wy, or he will he taken back to New York to be tried for the m1rder of Stanford aEhite. His conviction after several wears have passed is improbable in any case but we may feel assured that ne will not be released from his com fortab1e quarters at Matteawan until his friends have assured themselves that he will not be convicted. His xsotYdneinent in the asylum win be no nrnishment, and his money and influ- nuce will keep him there as long as there is danger to his life or liberty.
 Tfis, as we understand it, is the scheme laid to save a murderer. It matters not what was the cause or ths ssdrigif of the trouble between Thkwa ana White, the, killing Of the latter was a cowardly murder, and nothing else can be made of 1t. Thaw's friends have little hope of saving him wealthy though he is, by direct meth ods, so they resort to this indirect route to evade justice and protect 8 nriminaf. If the plan succeeds it vii not be the first or only instance where wealth and influence have caused thu wheels of justice to slip and allowed as erfrninal to escape his deserts. Th' insane route is not a new or untrav' eled one, and is often resorted to wher all other roads to escape are blocked
 if Thaw should be sent to an asylum and subjected to the strict confine
 ment and treatment used in cases 0 really insane persons the prospec would not be pleasant one but tn prospects at Matteawan are not sucl as to disturb a man possessing thu
 advafitages that Thaw will enjoy I is slick scheme and will probabl! nfteeeed. --'-