The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-08-18
THAW ESCAPES
AT MAT TEAWAN
Slayer of Stanford White
Gained His Liberty
Yesterday
LEAPED INTO POW
ERFUL AUTOMOBILE
After Dashing Past Guard at the Open
Gate = It is Believed That He Fled
for Europe on Yacht.


to Connecticut May Be Headed
for Europe on Yacht.
NEW YORK, Aug. 1S.-Harry X.
Thaw, slayer Of Stanford White, es-
capped from the state hospital for the
criminal insane at Matteawan, ~ Y, at
Matteawan, n. Y, at 7.45 O'Clock yes
terday morning. The vigilance of
thousands Of policemen and detectives
in New York and neighboring states
had failed to furnish clew to his
whereabouts today
Darting past an attendant who had
Iljust opened the gate to the asylum
| grounds for the milkman to enter
fhaw leaped into a six-cylinder auto
mobile which stood throbbing opposite
the entrance and disappeared in a
whirlwind of dust in the direction Of
| the Connecticut state line. A second
1 automobile followed him.
4 IN his powerful ear Thaw swept
! through the hamlet Of Stormville, 10
miles away, at 90 miles an hour, head
ing fer Connecticut Dr. F. G. r. Kieb,
! the hospital head, believes Thaw fled to
4 some spot on the shore Of Long Island
I sound and boarded 4 yacht for Europe.
a reward of $500 has been offered bv
Dr. kiob for Thaw ) apprehension.
Thaw 5 former counsel and officials
Of the state hospital commission ex-
pressed the opinion that Thaw would be
q free m@u once outside the state :
boundaries Thaw thought he could
not be brought back to New York, by
extradition unless he were legally ad-
judged insane in the state to which he
fled
Mrs. Mary Coplev Thaw, the fugi-
tive : aged mother. manifested delight
at his escape. Mrs. EVELYN Nesbit
Ihaw, playing at 4 New York theater,
profcssed to be terrorized and said she
feared he would attempt to execute
his repeated threat to kill her. Police
and detectives guarded her.
Howard IL. Barnum, the asylum at
Gcnd"nt who witnessed Thaw 's success
ful break for liberty, was locked up in
The county jail on a charge Of aiding
and abetting Thaw in his escape. vii.
liam 7. jerome, the former district at
torney Of New York, who has thwarted
all Thaw s legal attempts to gain free
dom, refused to express his opinion as
TO whether Thaw could be brought
back to New York when found. District
Attorney Whitman Of New York like
wise declined TO give his views.
The mixup in Albany over the COVER
norship is regarded as favorable tt
Thaw 5 remaining long out Of the state
! even if he should he apnrehended ant
extradition papers issued for his re
turn. Martin H. Glynn, as acting gov
crnor, directed by telegraph the super
intendcnt of state prisons to make /;
report on Thaw s escape, and said ht
would begin at once a sweeping inquiry
T Last night the hospital authorize.
felt certain Thaw was outside the stat,
Of New York. Once beyond its bound
/ aries Thaw is free Only months, per
E haps years of litigation can take hin
! back to Mattewan and then only in on,
! event-that he be adjudged insane il
! the state to which he has fed. Fiv,
: confedcrates manned the ear in whicl
Thaw escaped and a big black linn
/ CUISINE which trailed it past the asylum
! gate. The police have their descrip
r tion and the names under which the
e registered at a Matteawan hotel Frida,
4 night and are seeking them.
l. The shades were drawn in the don
4 mitories and the inmates were gettin
Is their second sleep when Thaw left hi
n room yesterday morning. He was full
r dressed. The milkman S cart wa
= rumbling on the road outside as
Z walked through the storeroom and il
Ie to the outer court or yard of the asy
= lum grounds. Barnum, sole attendar
at the road gate, was pacing back an
forth when Thaw closed the storerool
door behind him and apparently did nC
grasp the significance of Thaw s earl
% rising.
Long years of residence at the as,
lum and repeated declarations by Tha
- that he would never attempt to obtai
IN established the mailman s status as
ell HEtrusty' There was little out of Il
ed ordinary in his appearance, even at
q early an hour. in the court yard and
to Barnum saw him-as to this no OF
in save the hospital authorities could 5;
last night and they refused to talk
he raised no question.
A six-cylinder touring car, black al
so horsepower, followed by limOusir
also black, loafed lazily along the ro;
as the milkman drew near the gat
NC Thaw standing a few feet away, appf
emily unconcerned waited till Barnu
10 unlocked the gate and swung it wi
lar to let the milkman enter. At the sar
nd moment the first of the two ears DIRE
nm on fhe further side of the road &