The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-02-04
HARRY THAW GOES
TO INSANE ASYLUM
ADJUDGED NOT GUILTY. OF MUIR
DERING STAMFORD WHITE.
Held by the Court 10 Be a Dangerous
Lunatic-Thaw Protests Against
Being Sent to Mlatteawan.

time the fatal shots were fired, Harry
Kendall Thaw was held by the court
today to be Il dangerous lunatic and
was whirled away to th2 State Hos
pital for the Criminal Insane at
'Matteawan. 1t was quick transi-
ton from the dingy little cell i'll the
Tombs, which hal been the youn.
millionarie's home for more than
eighteen months, to the white -bcddcl
wards Of thc big asylum tucked away
on the snow-covcrcd slopin" banks Of
the Hudson River, fifty miles above
the city.
The verdict came after twenty-five
hours of waiting and wncn every one
connected with thu ease had abandon
ed all hope Of an agreement ever be-
ing reached in this or any other trial.
-Four hours after The rorcman's lips
had framed the words "not yultv'
with the accompanying insanity clause
Thaw. protesting that he was sane,
was on his way to Mattcawan. A
little after nightfall he had been r.-
ccivcd in the institution under COM
mrtment papers, which directed his
detention "uatil discharged by due
course Of law"
No more unwilling patient ever
made a journey to Il State institution.
Tlaw' $ train on way to Fishkcll
landing. where Il carriage was taken
to Mattrawan, passed beneath the vav
walls Of grim Sing Sing, but at no
time since his arrest on .hc ni~hl of
June %. 1906. had the Young Pitts
bur" millionaire ever held the thought
that he would see the inside Of that
famous prison and needed it not.
The first thrill Of the words of "ac
ruittal' brought Thaw to his fee, in
Inc court room. and with that lack Of
grace Of action which has ALWAYS
characterized his movement he awk-
wardly, almost haughtily. bowed his
ackno wlcdements to The twelve jury
men as they were discharged by the
court. a smile played about his pal
lid features and there was every rea-
son TO believe that lie was entirely
pleased with thc outcome. 1t was af-
ter he heard The words Of Justice
Dowling committin" him to Mattca-
wan, on the ground that his release,
III the opinion Of the court, would en-
danger the public safety, and after
the elatiol Of the verdict had died
away, Thaw rebclled. He command
ed his attorneys Immediately to sue
out Il writ Of habcas corpus to have
his sanity tested before he was sent
away to the Upstate institution
where the insane Of criminal ten
lencics are confined.
Mrs. VIM. Thaw, from her hotel,
where she mad received over the tclc-
phone the news Of the trials end.
joined in the demand Of her son. Mar
tin w. Nttleton, chief counsel for
the defence. finally prevailed against
the wishes of the mother. indicating
to her that he believed il would be
better for the present to obey the
mandate of the court. Justice Dowl-
ing. il was said. had hccn consulted
in the matter after he had si4nrd his
order Of commitment and informally
had advised Thaw'S counsel against
making an immediate contest.
The prisoners consent was not won
until after a lively scene with his
counsel and his wife, the latter plead
ing with him for more than an hour
to be content for time at least with
what fate had given him. Under
promise that some action speedily
would be taken looking to the ap-
pointment of a commission to inquire
into his present sanity or for his
transfer to a private institution,
whc"" h;e wife and otncr members Of
hi family might reside with him,
ThHw "' nscntcl to go without further
protest.
On his way TO Mattcawan Thaw
dictated the following authorized
statement I" a representative Of The
ASsociat ed Press:
81 am perfectly sane now, but I
am going to Maticawan on the advice
Of my counsel, who thought it unwisa
to sue for a writ of llabcas corpus at
this time. Counsel will proceed in
the matter of my release just as
soon as they can get together the
proofs they will present that ! am