The Washington times., 1908-02-04
Creates Disturbance in
Middle of Night That
Guards Have Trou-
bic Quelling.
Evelyn PerSuadeS Law
yerS to Move for Re-
lease After Visit to
Asylum.


Ihaw's ungovernable temper got the
better Of him shortly after midnlght
this moraing. and he wandered from his
private room, connecting with the gen
eral ward. where fifty-eIght supposedly
harmless patients" are confined in the
Matteawan Asylum~Eor the Criminal In
sane, and created such a panic among
the other harmless madmen" that
guards had to be called 10 restrain them
by force.
rhaw had been sulking since the visit
Of his wife. Evelyn Nesbit Thaw. yes
terday afternoon. His collapse from
coming in contact with gibberLng mad
men had reduced him 20 an almost sim
liar state.
When Thaw went back TO the ward he
was ugly and nervous. The other pa
tients, many Of whom believe they are
muItimiIIIonaIres had been told that
real millionaire was among them. and
they began 10 make Thaw the butt OF
their jests.
Angry at Being leased.
The insane chatter OF Thaw's ffty-
eight companions amused him for q
time. Then their incessant talk began
70 bore him. and when they began 10
tease him his anger arose. Michael
O.DonneH. who IN 1902 was sent 20 the
asylum after killing a mar In a card
game I'm New York city, is the boss OF
this ward HIs friend and confident is
Savarin de Angels, VINO shot a man in
this city. One OF their associates is
John g. Roth, VINO attempted 10 XIII
the Rev. DT. John Hall on the steps
II his church in 1891.
Through tho carly part of the-night
IEaw was quiet From the long row ot
white beds on which lay the other sleep
ing maniacs could be heard snoTcs. with
occasional grOaus. as uolne brain-dis-
eased patient tossed uncasily on his bed
Now and then some sleeper would cry
out. but such noises did not disturb
the others. Only newcomers are kept
from sleep by these sounds
Gives Way to His Temper.
It was all too much for Thaw. He
tossed uneasily IN his bed in the private
room, for hours. Then the old Thaw
temper-the temper that marked his ca
reer from early childhood until the
night Re shot Stanford White to death
boiled over.
He leaped from his bed with a bound
and otaIked into Ward /. north. de-
manding quiet. His voice rose louder
and louder The other patients easily
and for a time the ward was in an Up
.car. Thaw. standing in the doorway
% his private room. bra1dished his
arms. and mis- voice sounded above the
seemed madder than the others in his
excitement and anger, and he continued
TO yell his orders for Quiet"
Thaw Put to Bed.
Attendants came from the other wards.
Thaw's 9fty-eisht companions were
bowled over, man after man. and the
more excited were held fast 20 their
cots and ordered TO keep stfn. One or
the attendants took Thaw by the arm
and led him into MS room. He was told
to 90 TO bed, and the command was the
sort that even Thaw was forced to re-
spect.
these he told the attendant If I
stay in this place a week III go mad,
tell you"
The attendant guarded Thaw for
time and pacifed him. Then when the
millionaire seemed sleeping he slipped
from the room and up-toed across the
ward between the long line Of crazy
sleepers.
Evelyn Demands Release.
ImpeUed TO immediate action by the
demands of Thaw's wife that he be
released from that horrible place" as
soon as possible. his attorneys viii open
the fight TO obtain his liberty. Within
a day or two they will obtain a writ OF
habeas corpus Temanding their client
10 court for subsequent examination as
TO his present sanity.
Martin ". LitJleton, chief of the
ThaW legal forces. has advised delay
thinking that public opinion would be.
more in favor OF his client later and
that the observation of the Matteawan
Asylum keepers and the allenists who
have visited the acquitted SLAYER os
Stanford White would augur better for
the final issue. But after Mrs. Evelyn
Thaw. accompanied by Daniel O'Reilly
had visited the young millionaire in the
ASYLUM there was change of front.
The young wife tainted when she saw
the feilUw-inmates OF her husband and
came t. a full realiza tiOn of his suffer-
ings. She left MatteaWan in almost a
state Of collapse protesting against the
injustice Of keeping him there.
Tough Place Up There"
Mr.. OReilly said:
I'VE are going to act quickly. I have
conferred with Mr. Peabody and Mr.
Littleton. I am afraid Mr., LittIeton
viii have to postpone his vacation,
That's a tough place up there"
The contention Of the members of the
Thaw family IS that II the acquitted
man IS INSANE tNeE are aDunOanLly
able to care for him in a private sani-
taTiUm, and that the association with
dangerous and criJnin9l lunaticS Will
surely affect him mentally.
The case viii be forced to an immedi-
ate issue, and It is probable that within
q week a sheriff's jury will pass upon
the sanity OF Thaw.
Mrs. William Thaw had planned a visit
to her son in the asylum today but
after the experience of the wife the
attorneys decided il would endanger
her health to see him surrounded by
insane patients and advised her to post
DORe her visit.