Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-02-07
THAW ACQUITTED
But Is Sent TO
INSANE RSYLUM
WHITE SLAYER NOT RATIONAL
WHEN HE SHOT DOWN STAN
FORD WHITE.
MIND TEST MAY FREE HIM.
No Recognizance Taken of Present Con-
dition and Commission May Find
Him Sane Now.

NEW YORK, Feb. HAIRY Ken
dali Thaw of Pittsburg was today found
not guilty Of the murder of Stanford
White, the great New York architect on
tile grounds Of insanity.
Justice Bowling at once ordered him
confined in the state asylum for the
criminal insane at Matteawan until such
time as he can demonstrate to the salts
faction Of a commission that he is a safe
character to be at large. This practical
Is means acquittal for Thaw as he IN
dOlbtedly will be found sane, judging
FROM the findings Of the former commits
SION which at the first trial declared the
prisoner to be rational
Jury Out rs Hours
The jury returned it's verdict shortly
before / o'clock today and had taken
fourteen ballots. The jury was out
twenty-five hours.
Mr.. Littleton, Thaw's counsel, filed an
,Hc, Dtion at once to Justice DOWlng's
railing which committed his client to
Mattcawan at once and the justice with
drew his ruling until 3 o'clock when by
agreement Of counsel the matter came
III o. argument.
This afternoon counsel for Thaw an
noUu"cd that they would make no move
for commission at this time or for a
transfer to another asylum. 1t was an
nounced that Thaw would leave for the
Matteawan asylum on the 4:39 O'Clock
tram.
Argue All Night.
After having argued and ballOted all
night long in the stuffy lie jury room
adjoining the chamber of the criminal
branch of the supreme court the Thaw
ors this morning heartily welcomed
ter release from confinement, when
shortly before O'Clock they were taken
uptown to breakfast.
Several Of the jurymen are well along
in years and the all-night session seemed
to have gone badly with them. Their
faces were drawn and tense aud the
good nature and companonship which
had been so noticeable in this jury ever
since the panel was completed during
the first week Of the trial was gone.
No report with any degree of authen-
ITCHY filtered from the jury room this
morning, and the opening Of court at
1910 a. m was awaited with much
anxiety as it was believed the jury
might have some communication to
make at that hour or that Justice Dowl-
ing might send for them to ask if he
could be of any service.
Baths, fresh air and breakfast worked
a marked Improvement in the condition
of most of the jurors, aud when they re
turned to the criminal courtroom from
their hotel at 10 o'clock all seemed phys
ically fit to continue their deliberations
Thaw Sees Asylum.
Thaw, although late to bed, was up
with the gray of dawn this morning.
and to his keepers i'll the ToInbs eX-
pressed the hope that verdict had been
reached. He was thoroughly convinced
before retiring last night that the rumor
dividing the jury 5 to / in favor of aC
quittal on the ground of insanity was
true and he felt today that the minority
might be won over.
IhaW seemed absolutely reCoucilcd to
the fact that the best he could hope
Tor was a term of confinement in an
asylum. He was convinced, however, and
so are his attorneys, that he would be
able to win his way out of an asylum in
a short while. as the tests he stood last
year when arraigned before a commits
sion were quite convincing as to his
present ability to prove his SOundness of
reason.
Prisoner Restless All Night.
Mover since the killing of Stanford
White has Thaw spent so restless Il
night as he did last night and during
the early hours this morning. During
the early hours of the night Thaw
smoked good deal and seemed to think
that the jury would return Il verdict be
fore midnight.
When he learned that the jury had
failed to agree and had been locked up
for the night he became restless. Al
though he tried to sleep he was wake
lul and after a doze would wake again
and ask the warden for news of the jury.
Everybody Seems Satisfied.
Both Thaw and his wife, the latter
being the only member of the family
in court when the jury unexpectedly re-
turned its verdict, seemed pleased and
satisfied with the outcome of the case.
Thaw stood and smilngly bowed his ac-
Ill 81
filed one by one out of the box.
District Attorney jerome also seemed
satisfied. as he has contended ever since
the crime was committed. that Thaw
was medically, if not legally insane.
Thaw's counsel thanked the jurors with
Il hearty handshake for each one of the
twelve.
Attorney Littleton then filed his excep-
ton to Justice Dowlings decision.
When news of the verdict was com-
municated to Mrs William Thaw. the
prisoners mother, who was waiting at
her apartments in the Hotel Lorraine,
she said:
Thank God, my son is saved. am
p~rfectly satisfied
Fourteen Ballots Taken.
Thaw was recalled from the custody
of his TombS' guards when Justice
Bowling granted the delay in executing
the order of commitment. Mrs. Thaw
had brought his luncheon down to him
in her automobile and it had been spread
III the Tombs as usual The repast was
sent for and Thaw and his wife ate to-
gether in an ante-room of the court
chamber where he had twice stood trial
for his life. the first jury having dis
agreed, to for conviction.
The jurors interviewed at the court
house would not divulge the secrets of
their proceedings other than to say that
fourteen ballots were required before
the unanimous verdict of not guilty on
the ground of insanity was reached.
Besides saying informally that she
was pleased with the verdict, Mrs.
Ihaw made no statement at the court
house. Thaw sent word he had nothing