Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-13
HARRY THAW INSANE,
SAYS JUSTICE MILLS;
BACK TO ASYLUM
Continued from Page One

attended various schools for different
periods from the age of six upwards
but made little progress in study.
While at school, especially in his early
years, he had frequent outbreaks Of
uncomfortable excitement in which his
facial appearance was wild and star
ing.
MARRIED WHITES MISTRESS.
Continuing his history of Thavs life,
Justice Mills says:
About 1901 he became enamored OF a
young woman, Miss Nesbit, whom he
afterwards married She was then, by
common reputation, well known to him
the mistress or a mistress of Stanford
White. She assumed that relation to
Thaw and obviously, to account to him
for her former position with White, told
him various wild and grossly improba-
BILE stories Of inception of that relation.
Although, he, Thaw, evidently was
himself far from a moral man, was en-
gagged or soon thereafter became engaged
in practices of a perverted character as
revealed by the testimony of the Mer-
rill woman, which with the confederation
afforded by other evidence in the case,
appears creditable, he gave absolute Gre
Idence to the tales told him by Miss Mes
bit about White. He obtained some infor-
nation as to Whites conduct with a few
other young women, either directly from
them or through Miss Nesbit, all Of
which information was of the same wild
and improbable character, evidently to
any normal mind. grossly exaggerated
THAw BELIEVED WIFE
ITO all, however, he gave implicit be-
lief. His mind became absolutely possess
ed with these stories. He not only be-
lieved them in their entirety, but he de-
duced from them conclusions as to the
practices of White far beyond what such
belief in a normal mind would warrant.
From the charges separately made by
these few admittedly immoral women, he
concluded that White maintained several
places in New York city where he ac-
complIshed. by force or by drugs. the
ruin of respectable young American girls
as 1t were by the wholesale. Such be-
lief, to such extreme extent, was plain
ly a delusion. r- .s r.-
DELUsIoNs NOT SHAKEN.
His decisions as to the practices of
White were not shaken by the failure
Of the Investigations made by the detec-
tives and public authorities. and his de-
lusive belief in his special mission, at the
roof garden, he came into the presence
of White, doubtless unexpectedly, and
publicly shot him to death in a spectac-
ular and theatrical manner. In so doing
he believed that he was acting as the
agent of Providence and performing a
praIsewerthy act, like that of DavidVin
Staying Goliath, or St. George in killing
the dragon"
NO CONSPIRACY OF COUNSEL.
Regarding Thaw's suspicious of a con-
spiracy against him by his early counsel,
the court says:
such belief that is as to the pur-
pose was utterly without the least foun-
dalton and a clear delusion."
"All this" continued Justice Mills, "ac-
cording to the weight of expert testimo-
NY. is plainly the history of paranoiac.
This court concludes, therefore, that
Thaw's insanity at the commission of the
homicide was OF the kind known as par
anoia. and not all of the brain storm
sane half a minute before and sane half
a minute after-variety, IL any such varie
ty really exists.
EVIDENCE JUSTIFIED VERDICT
The verdict of the jury was plainly
warranted by the evidence. not merely
as an expression Of reasonable doubt.
but even as an affirmative finding of
the fact Of insanity.
'It is true that the new testimony
upon this trial introduced in behalf
of the prisoner intends to materially
vary the history of his early life as
above stated. I am convinced, how
ever, that in such variance 1t is very
largely mistaken; and that the testi-
mony upon that point given at the
second murder trial by mother, nurse,
family physician, respectable and cred
table witnesses, showing rational con-
duct on the prisoners part in the
Tombs at Matteawan, and in the
Duchess and westch ester county jails,
is not of commanding force.
Fourth ground: The testimony of
the alienists called for the defendant,
as to the present condition, seems to
me, upon the whole, more convincing
than that Of those called for the pris-
oner.
ACTIONS SHOW INSANITY.
Fifth ground: Upon my own per-
sonal observation of the conduct Of
Tnaw, his actions and his speech in
the court room, those on and off the
witness stand, have been impressed
that he is now of unsound mind. He
was exceedingly nervous and very fire.
quently interrupted his counsel with
suggestions. Upon his examination II
became evident. even by his own Id
mission, that he holds his former be-
liefs as to the evil practices of White, ,
Just as extremely and just as strongly ,
today as ever. If those beliefs con-
stituted decisions in his mind when he
committed the homicide they are the
same now. While he has no more evil
dence against White than he had then,
II is all OF the same character ana
neither alone nor with what he pre-
viously had, warrants his extreme con-
victions. In the latter part Of his ex-
animation. when he was striving might
lily TO defend his delusive beliefs, his
facial appearance seemed to me not to
be that Of a sane person.
Third conclusion: The enlargement
of Harry K. Thaw now would be dan
gerous to the public peace and safety,
and, therefore, cannot be permitted"
To Float Bonds
A. 1 ha Eos nR