The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-08-19
THREE FORTUNES WENT
To Save Harry Thaw From a
Seat in the Electric Chair.
MOTHER SPENT ALL HER MONEY

And the Countess of Yarmouth Re
spOnded HerOically. Besides $780,
600 of His Own Money Relatives
Have Spent $1,5OO,OOO in the
Fight for His Life.
That three fortunes, besides that
of Harry X. Thaw, have been swept
away in the effort to save him from
the electric chair is information
given by one very close to the Thaw
family, and who has been the conf
dant of Mrs. William Thaw through
most of her troubles.
Those who are said to have lost
their private fortunes are Mrs. Will
liam ThaW, the mother, and the two
sisters, Alice, formerly the Countess
of Yarmouth, and Mrs. George Lau-
der Carnegie. These three are said
to have sacrificed almost $1,500,O00
between them, certainly not less than
$1,000,000. They are said to have
spent every cent of their available
money, leaving them only the Coke
Trust and reserve fund incomes,
which William Thaw years ago pro-
vided for his family.
In addition to this, it is said, Har-
ry Thaw has spent between $780,
200 and 100000 of his own money.
This in spite of his assertion that he
has spent only 100000. At the
time Harry was giving out these fig
ures at POughkeepsie on Friday his
attorney, Charles Morschauser, in
Pittsburg, was making the statement
that Thaw had spent about $780,
600. Roger O'Mara, the receiver
for Thaw, who was the first man
sent for by him after he shot Stan
ford White, said that the figures
100000 are too small for Harry's
expenditures.
Thaw filed a petition in bankrupt
cy last week to get rid of claims
which he disputed. This list includ-
ed $780, 900 to the law firm of Hart
ridge & Peabody and $4,000
claimed as fee by Attorney John
B. Gleason.
There is no doubt in Pittsburg
that the mother and two sisters of
Thaw had to bear the brunt of the
fight alone. The five children of
William Thaw, by former marriage,
did not, so far as can be learned,
spend any of their fortunes to help
save him, nor did the two full broth
ers of Harry Thaw, Josiah and Ed
ward.
Mrs. Thaw Appealed in Vain.
1t is known further that appeals
by Mrs. William Thaw, made recent
ly to members of her family for
financial aid in Harry case, met not
only with refusal, but the quarrel
resulting was so bitter that there
has been partial arrangements be-
tween her and the children of her
husband by former marriage.
Mrs. William Thaw turned again
to her own daughters, Alice and
Margaret.
He's not only my brother, but he
fought for me, and would have
killed the man who later became my
husband when he said something
sighting of me. | did not believe
him then, but l know now that he
was right, and I'll beg in the streets
before I'll allow him to stint for
money" was the way the former
countess of Yarmouth is said to have
met the last request of her mother
for more money.
Mother Spent All Her Money.
The financial condition of Mrs.
William Thaw is said to be pitiful.
The $191,00 which Harry cOnfesses
to owing her is said to be but
drop in the bucket. She has placed
a mortgage for 100000 on Lynd-
hurst, the old homestead of the
Thaws. 1t is boarded up, and bears
the appearance of ruined castle.
In years past Harry Thaw's moth
er has been known as the best con-
tributor to charity in Pittsburg, her
annual contributions reaching per-
haps $4,000. She has withdrawn
from all her charitable organizations,
giving the straightforward excuse
that she could not spare the money.