The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-17
IS IF ENDEps

IS IT ENDEDs
 Win the decision of Justice Mills. remanding Harry Thaw to the Mattea- wan Asylum. be likely to put an end to this tedious and disgusting affair? The Brooklyn Eagle thinks 1t will put an end to 1t for q considerable time. at least. and 1t Is certainly to be hoped that 1t win. and the longer the better. 'The spectacle" editorially remarks The Eagle. of this disgusting and de- grading case revived to public view at frequent intervals throug.i the liberal employment of the Thaw fortune. while poorer inmates of Matteawan. without means to lodge an appeal. await the ordinary and slower process es of the law. is not calculated to inc spiro respect in the public mind for | the State system of administering jus tice.
 "Thaw had a long. patient and im- partial hearing before Justice Mills. He was represented ty able counsel. All of his rights as a petitioner under the writ of habeas corpus were scru- pulously respected. Every witness who could be marsha,ed in his behalf was considerately treated. The excellent impression he himself made while on the stand must have had its weight with the court. Yet the judge. after a careful scrutiny of all the testimony. comes to the conclusion that Thaw is still dangerous lunatic. and must be kept behind bars. The decision will he unquestionable until the Thaw treasury can be drawn upon in another attempt to give him freedom to in- duige again in his periious vaga ries,"
 We must confess that we have had little patience with the course and conduct of this affair. It has always seemed to us that Thaw was guilty of murder in the first degree. if ever any man was. and should have been con- victed accordingly The plea of in- sanity was only dodge. seized on bv the highly paid lawyers to save him from the electric chair. He murdered Stanford White without any valid ex- cuse. and should have been punished for 1t. He has time and again reiter- ated his assertion of sanity. for that was the only way he could hope to es- cape the asylum. while his attorneys Insisted on the plea of insanity as the only way to save the life he had for feited by the brutal and cowardly as- sassination of White. If no plea of .n. sanity had ever been filed and insisted on he might have been finally convict ed. though his great wealth might have delayed the final result a long time.
 We do not know that there is reason to doubt the probity or legal attain ments of Justice Mills. and he certain ly gave the case a patient hearing. Tho result of his decision. however. only stretches the case out into the future. for It is not to be hoped that 1t will end where 1t is. Unless the Thaw for tune has been very much over-e estimat- cd. or unless it has been practically dissipated. there must still be some rich pickings for the lawyers and alienists. and they will not bs apt to let the chance slip through their finK- CTS. The attorneys. if good feos are forthcoming. can und sr1e grounds. we have no doubt. upon W: lch to base further litigation, and they will do it. Thus 1t is that this malodorous case may be exploited for years, for any thing we can see to the contrary. It has been, as The Eagle says, disgust Ing and degrading. and 1t has also been exceedingly tiresome. The newspapers have been compelled to keep up with the case. and publish at least a DOT tton of the details. but 1t woulc be A great relief to decent journals and readers if the matter never again be- comes public affair. If Thaw Is 8 dangerous lunatic. as Justice Mills. holds, then for decency's sake let him stay where he is. At least let us hope that some means can be found to deal with him and his case without further nauseatinE the publie