The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-08-21
DOROTHY DIX TAKES A DIsPAS.
sI0NATE VIEW OF PAST AND
OF THE PRESENT SCION OF
THE THAW FAMILY,
(BY DOROTHY DIM


Harry Thaw will soon be with his
mother at Cresson, the palatial
country place at the Thaw's, lust
outside OF Pittsburgh, according to
plans told In a letter supposed to
have been written by him. Alicnists
and lawyers have been summoned
thither. and the Thaw family Is lin.
ing up for Il last desperate battle in
which all of the Thaw millions and
all or the Thaw prestige and inrlu-
ence will be used to have the ruling
OF the New York courts set aside
and his sanity legally established in
Pennsylvania, as was that of John
Armstrong Chandler in Virginia.
Harry Thaw with his mother
again ut Crcsson. Whatever the
law, whatever the merits of the case
the heart must be made of stone
that denies a throb of sympathy to
me gray-haircd old mother. who
holds her youngest born and best
loved child again in her trembling
arms and thanks God that he is
Tree. If even for day.
Twice had she gone with him the
way of the crucilixion that leads up
TO the very foot of the electric
chair. Forsaking case and luxwry,
she has lived, year after year. at
the gates Of his prison, that she
might see him on every possible OBJ
portuhily. II Il mothers tears could
wash out the stains of sin on IN cr-
ring child. Harry Thaw's record
would have been witker than SNOW
long ago. Mother devotion can 10
no further than hers. and so 1t is
hard to think. without a lump cont
ing into the throat. of that "uppc,
room" tn which mother and son will
soon sit. talking their hearts out,
after all That has passed In the
weary years since they parted there
last.
A Gray-Haircd Man Now.
For this Is the first time Harry
Thaw will have been back home
since he left seven years ago with
his pretty little butterfly wife for
summer trip to New York and
Europe. He left then an irrespon-
sible boy, cocksure of himself and
his fate, lord of the moncybags. and
certain of the immunity they can
purchase from trouble and anxiety.
Hc comes back a man with hair
gray about the temples. Il man who
has plumbed the very depths of hu-
man despair, and known every
shame and anguish that can tear the
heart He has been robbed by those
be trusted and who should have
been loyal to him. He has been for
sakcn and betrayed by the wife for
whose sake he committed murder,
de has found out that his wealth
has barred the door to freedom, in
stead of opening it.
What change this mas made in the
man we do not know. What his sew
en- years of hardship have done for
this petted darling of plutocracy VIC
do not know. Whether he was sane
when he killed Stanford White and
has been driven mad by life In
innatic asylum, or whether he was
mentally unbalanced at the time OF
the homicide and the seven years OF
regular living have restored his men
tai poisc, VIC do not know.
A Living Enigma.
No mah III me worIu was ever 50
much written about and so little
known as Harry Thaw. lie is as
great an enigma as the Man In the
Iron Mask.
J hold no brief for him. do not
know whether he is sane or Insane,
heard dozen more or less eminent
al'on!StS swear laa, lie was s'"""
less and dangerous tunatic and an
olEcf dozen or so eQua::y cM.neI;
alienists swear that he was perfect,
~ sane. do not venture to put my
opinion in opposition to either side.
but after the last long drawn out