Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-18
No Trace of Fugitive Who Es-
capped From MatteaWan
Insane Asylum.
WRITES HE WILL CREST"
THEN GO TO CRESSON, PA.
Extradition on Technical Grounds
Held Possible, If He Is Found,
Attorneys Declare.
AM DELIGHTED, SAYS PARENT

Wife, However, Is Alarmed and
Seeks Police Protection-Theory
He Boarded Yacht at South
Norwalk, Conn.,, Not Proved.
NEW YORK, August 1S.-Mrs. Mary
Copley Thaw received about noon today
a letter from her son, Harry X. Thaw.
the Criminal Insane early yesterday.
Thaw said he planned to take a rest
before going to the Thaw country place,
Elmhurst. at Cresson, Pa
The letter was postmarked New York,
August H. IL pm, Station o." Inside on
a long slip Of paper was Thaw's communi-
cation, written in pencil. 1t ran as fol-
lows:
'An well. Shall take rest before go
ing to Elmhurst as might be asked for
interviews and do not wish to refuse. yet
do not care to make any statements. Hope
NJ. and G. CMr. and Mrs. George Lauder
Carnegie) arrive safe, and that you will
go home together.
Have sent short note to the Journal.
(Signed III K. T."
Addressed in Scrawly Hand.
The fugitive had apparently intended
sending the foregoing by telegraph as a
night letter. for it was 50 marked. He
changed his mind, however. and gave
it to some one to mail for him Whoever
did this addressed 1t in ink. in a scrawly.
untutored hand.
In giving out the letter Mrs. Thaw ex-
planned that 1t was in her sons hand
that if had como from him. She addsd
that she ana not know where she was
today or just when he would 60 to
Cress0n.
Elmhurst at 8:25 o'clock tomorrow
morning" she added.
Then you think your son regards him.
self safe In Pennsylvania" she was
Il am not a mind reader" smiled Mrs
Thaw, but I approve Of whatever he
thinks best. The escape was q complete
surprise to me. and while q rather high
handed piece Of work. must say that
1t was exceedingly neat. I am. Of
course. delighted"
Chance Of Extradition Slim.
Harry Thaw's more than twenty -four
hour absence from the Matteawan Asy-
lum for the Criminal Insane had estab-
lished this forenoon little beyond the
fact that he had escaped and that the
state OF New York. in the opinion of those
qualified to speak, had slim chance Of
extraditing him. That he Is beyond the
borders Of the state was regarded as
certain. With the Connecticut state line
but thirty miles from the asylum walls
and Thaw and his conspirators travelling
BY automobile more than sixty miles an
hour. reaching Connecticut was 4 matter
OF thirty minutes or less.
That the slayer Of Stanford White
boarded yacht OFF South Norfolk. Conn.
"a theory advanced by the presence and
sailing from there yesterday afternoon of
today
The yacht was identified today as
the kathmar II. the property of Rob-
dealer. Mr.. Fowler said that he had
passed Norwalk in the craft about the
time reported yesterday. but he was
amused and amazed to know that this
incident had been connected in any
way with Thaws escape
No Authenticated Clue.
No authenticated trace of Thaw had
been found in Connecticut, nor were
there clues to his having sped on to-
ward the Canadian border. When
fcund-and 1t was considered TODAY a
foregone conclusion that he would be
found-the New York authorities. II
was said. might try to force his extra.
dition on one or two grounds. First
that in escaping he technically assault.
some attache OF the asylum could be
shown. Either of these IL sustained
would constitute an exuaditable Of
fense.
Howard Barnum the patekoa,ar b.
whom Thaw darted through the opef
gate and was dragged, into an automo.
bile, remained in jail at Poughkeepsi.
today. He maintains that he was in.
nocent of Implication In any plot.
In New York Mrs. Mary Copley Thaw
mother Of the fugitive. continued toda,
to receive visitors at her hotel apart
ments. to all of whom she expressed hel
unfeigned joy at her sons escape
meantime Indignantly denying that tn,
Thaw family had any hint OF the mat
ter until newspaper men told them.
her husband is at large. pronounced hin
dangerous to the community and ap
piled for police protection. She recalled
believe that her presence on the New
York stage at this time had goaded hin
to dash for liberty.
Sees Escape from Tower.
One Of the clearest accounts of Thaw'
escape comes from Mrs. James Maher
an employe at Matteawan. She wa
standing in the laundry tower. overlook
ing the yard Below she noticed Thaw
on the roadway outside two cars.
II stayed at the window longer thai
usual" she related, because I notices
fine big touring car at the bottom o
JOwery's hill, and I saw another auto
mobile right close to the yard gate.
man was working on tho machinery, an
thought II was out OF order But tn
chugging was so loud that I was afrai
every moment 1t might start and cras
through the fence.
Then noticed two big men step out
They opened both sides of the car. On
of the men waved his handkerchief I
man who was leaning against tn
sThaw suddenly walked over TO til
rate and / saw Hickey'S milk WACO
| coming up the hill. Mr.. Hickey wa