The Washington times., 1913-08-18
Than Dangerous May
Commit Murder NOW He
Is Free, Says DR.. Flint
With Use of Alcohol He Is Likely to Become Woent-Fugve
Brbed at Least One EmpIoye, Is Charge Of AIens Who
Testified Against Slayer of Stanford White.

NEW YORK. Aug. 1S-Dr Austi
| Flint the alienist who, in all the twist
OF the criminal proceedings agaIns
Harry X. Thaw. testified, as an exper
for the State, that the slayer of Stan
ford White was insane, got word O
Thaw's escape when DR.. Kieb, super
intendent of Matteawan Hospital. calle
him on the telephone at his home, II
East Nineteenth street.
DR.. Kieb merely wanted to acuuain
Dr. Flint of the news. the alienist said
They talked over the circumstance
OF 1t as DR.. Kieb related them
DR.. Flint maintained last night. tha
DR.. Kieb's inexperience in the manage
ment of Matteawan with its dangerou
prisoners was partly to blame 70
| Thaw's escape.
DIR. Flint was asked If he feared Thau
| and If he would now carry a revolve
TO protect himself against a possible at
tack?
Prior to the last hearing at Whit,
Plains l said would apply for a per
NIT to carry a revolver If Thaw wa!
liberated said DIR. Flint
Il have no fear now that he will re-
turn TO this State provided he is outside
the jurisdiction OF 1t. Anyway, l an
an old man and haven't many years
left"
In his interview, which DR.. Flint die.
tated, he said:
''Thaw must have got out through
the ward. which is always locked-each
attendant having a master key and
each member of the medical staff also
key-by collusion, presumably OF a
Keeper. Thaw knows his way about the
hospital thoroughly.
Ten-minute Start.
He went to the storeroom, and in
the storeroom Is a door or gate leading
to the outside. That gate is in charge
of an employe who has been in the
hospital seventeen years. He was not
an attendant. His name is Howard
Barnum. He gave notice of the escape
in about ten minutes.
This gave Thaw a ten-mInute start.
The direct line to Connecticut is sixteen
miles, and but a little more by the
highway. The distance could easily be
made in thirty minutes or less in an I,u-
tomobile.
Once in Connecticut Thaw is
free man, and cannot be recovered by
extradition, because having been &C
DN Ine COURTS ne Is innocent OF
any crime. That is the fault Of our
laws
THE statutory verdict in the case
OF a person who has committed murder
and Is proved to have been insane at
the time OF the murder is not guilty
by reaEon OF insanity The State Rar
Is now contending for a
of this verdict in such
cases.
In case OF a defendant found as
under the English law guilty. but in
sane. he Is a criminal, and can ,Je re-
covered by extradition. The application
Of this to the case OF Harry X. Thaw
Is evident.
Harry Thaw has threatened to kill
his wife in case he should be released.
Mrs. Evelyn Thaw testified to that ef-
habeas corpus at White Plains. He al
so. as evidenced by letters. regards DR..
Flint as the chief person responsible
FOR his retention at Matteawan. al
though he has made no threats Of vio-
ence again DR.. Flint. so far as he
Knows.
Cannot Return.
1T is impossible to forecast what
rhaw will do in case he has escaped |
o another State His family has re-
stated that in the event of |
lis release Thaw would be taken to |
europe Certainly he cannot return |
o the State of New York without |
he risk OF being retaken and sent |
iack to Matteawan.
The evidence is that under the in |
lu"nce OF even n small amount Of |
lcohol Thaw becomes quarrelsome
nd dangerous in the highest degree.
{ is not probable that he Will alb
tain from alcohol, and II is almost
ertain that he will sooner or later