The Ordway new era., 1908-02-07
VERDICT
NOT GUILTY"
JURY FINDS THAT HE WAS IN.
SANE AT THE TIME HE
SHOT WHITE.
IS SENT TO AN ASYLUM
PRISONER CHEEREO ON LEAVING
ToMsS IN HIS WIFE'S
AUTOMOBILE.

New fork.-Adjudged not guilty of
the murder of Stanford White by rea-
son of insanity at the time the fatal
shots were fired Harry Kendall Thaw
dangerous lunatic and was whirled
away to the state hospital for the Grim
inal insane at Matteawan.
Thaw made vigorous fight against
going to Matteawan. insisting that his
counsel secure a writ of habeas corpus
and immediate action by lunacy com
mission. hut Littleton ovcrruled him
1t was q quick transition from the
dinGy little cell in the Tombs. which
has been the young mans home for
more than eighteen months, to the
whitebedded wards OF the big asylum
tucked away on the snow covered
banks OF the Hudson river. fifty miles
above the city.
The verdict came after twenty-five
hours of waiting and when everyone
connected with the case had abandoned
all hope OF an agreement ever being
reached in this or any other trial
Few spectators were allowed in the
room and an incipient demonstration
was stopped by the officers when they
arrested Theodore Roosevelt Pell, the
well known amateur tennis player. for
a burst of applause. Pell was fined
s25 by Justice Bowling for contempt OF
court. He had only a check book with
him and held In rItGtnlN until
friends could be summoned.
Mrs. Evelyn Thaw and Josiah Thaw
were the cnly members of the prison
ers famil" in court when the verdict
was announced. The young woman
thanked individually each member of
the jury and followed Mr.. Littleton's
example in shaking hands with them.
The first thrill of the words of ac-
Quittal brought Thaw to his feet in the
courtroom and with that lack of grace
OF action which has always character
lied his movements. he awkwardly. al
most haughtily. bowed his acknowledg-
ments to the twelve jurymen as they
were discharged by the court.
A smile played about his pallid fea-
lures and there was every reason to be-
lieve that he was entirely pleased with
the outcome.
II was after he had heard the words
of Justice Bowling committing him to
Mattewan on the ground that his re-
lease. in the opinion of the court, would
cndan"cr the public safety. and after
the elation of the verdict had died
away, that Thaw rebelled.
He commanded his attorneys imme-
diately to sue out writ of habeas cor
pus to have his sanity tested before he
I,. ,sns-
ton where the insane of criminal ten
dencies were confined. Mrs. William
Thaw. from her hotel. where she had
received over the telephone the news
of the trials end. joined IN the de-
mand of her son. Martin w. Littleton.
whose conduct of the case as chief
counsel for the defense has won so
much favorable comment. finally pre-
vailed against the wishes Of the mother,
indicating to her that he believed it
would be better for the present to
obey the mandate of the court.
Thaw was cheered by crowd of sew
eral hundred persons as he was whirled
away from the Tombs in his wife's au-
tomobile. II he heard, he paid no heed.
The machine was SO filled with dep
uties and members Of counsel that
neither Thaw nor his wife was visible
to the waiting throngs.
On his way to Matteawan Thaw die
tated the following authorized state
ment:
81 am perfectly sane now, but I am
going to Matteawan on the advice of
my counsel, who thought 1t unwise to
sue for a writ of habeas corpus at this
time. Counsel will proceed in the mat
ter OF my release. and just as soon as
they can get together the proofs they
will present them that am at present
sane. I am confident that my stay at
Matteawan will be for short period Of
time only"