Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-08-13
MARY COPLEY THAW."

White Plains, n. Y, Aug. 12.-The
State of New York won complete vic
tory over Harry X. Thaw today when
Justice Isaac N Mills decided that the
slayer OF Stanford White stil is insan,
and sent him back to the Asylum for
Criminal Insane in Matteawan. Not
one of the many contentious made by
Fhaw during the three weeks of hi.
recent hearing was sustained He i
somewhat better off, however, than be
fore he brought the present suit, be
cause Justice Mills in his decision sug
Sests-the suggestion amounts prac-
tically t. orders that Thaw at Mat
teaWan be restored to the privileges ht
enjoyed during the first three month
of his stay there and that his mothe
be allowed all possible privileges an,
treated with every consideration whel
she calls to see him.
ThaW will remain in the Jail at least
until tomorrow, when his attorney viii
be given chance to make any forma
motions before Justice Mills at hi.
chambers in Mount Vernon.
ThaW received news of the failure
his second attempt to escape from
Matteawan today with slight display
emotion. His manner indicated that h,
had expected an adverse decision. The
Information was brought to him lirs
in his cell in the local jail by the AS
sociated Press representative.
Have you heard Justice Mills de
ciSion%" he was asked
No" said Thaw without moving
from his chair.
A copy of the courts opinion wa.
handed to him. He read it rapidly ano
without comment until he came to The
following sentence:
If those beliefs constituted delu.
sions in his mind when he committe,
the homicide. they are the same now
That's not So" he said, and marke,
the lines with his pencil
ThaW was smoking q pipe when h
got the news and as ne read he purfe
faster and faster until the air was
cloud about him. In no other way di,
he show any perturbation. He referred
questioners as to his future plans t,
his attorney.
After discussing the evidence justice
Mills draws the following conclusion:
First concluSion-The insanity will
which Harry X. Thaw was afflicted OF
June %, 1866. at the time he committee
the homicide, was of the kind know
as chronic, delusive insanity, or par
anoia. This conclusion rests upon tn
following facts which appear to me t
be clearly proven.
There was, in his ancestral stock
,to al hut -,
insanity. BY not very strong is mean
the fact that no one of his direct ances
tors was over insane. Upon the ma
ternal side two uncles We're of unsount
mind. each at least for a portion O.
his life, and on his fathers side a.
aunt was at least an epileptic, an,
perhaps insane: and some more remot
relatives were undoubtedly insane
though as to them the evidence is no
clear, bit that there had been insanit.
| in one of their ancestral lines not com
mon to the prisoners own descent. is
young child he was physically wea
and puny, exceedingly nervous and alb
normally wakeful. Older. he was sub
jet t. violent spells. amounting almos
to parovysms of excitement withou
any naturally adequate cause. He at
tended various schools for differen'
periods from the age of six upward.
but made little progress in study
While at school, especially in his ear
lier years. he had frequent outbreak.
of uncomfortable excitement in which
his facial appearance was wild ant
staring"
Continuing his history of Thaw's life
Justice Mills says:
About 1901 he became enamoured OF
a young woman, Miss Nesbit, whom ht
afterwards married. She was then by