Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-18
ESCAPE OF THAW
RECALLS BRIBERY
Alienist Last Spring Said Gus
todians Expected Prisoner
to Gain Freedom.
JEALOUSY DEATH CAUSE
Loses Mind Breeding Over EveIyn's
Story Of Life Ruined by STAN
ford White.

State. Hospital for the Criminal In
sane did not come as. a surprise in |
some quarters. Last March a promi- !
nent New York alienist charged that |
Thaw was being given every chance
to escape and that his custodians ex-
pected him to do SO, SO they could OBJ
tain reward for connivance
The last few months of Tnaw's in
generation in Matteawan have held
much talk of bribery. Last November
DR.. John R. Russell, superintendent of
the hospital, said he had been offered
$4,000 to bring about the release OF
Thaw by signing a certificate that the
prisoner had recovered his sanity.
Sweeping charges were made IN
volving DR.. Russell and his subordi-
mates in a business in brokerage par
Thaw and others.
Governor Sulzer on Feb. 81 ordered
the removal of Dr. Russell, which Rus
sell anticipated by telephoning in his
| resignation.
Altogether, according to rumor of
evidence submitted, to the grand jury,
the Thaw family had suffered demands
of 100000 and systematic plan was
on foot to bleed the Thaws for every
cent possible.
THAW NOTORIOUS SPENDER.
Thaw was q years old when he shot
| Stanford White. Up to that time he
had been known as one of the widest
spenders among millionaires' spend
I thrift sons. His reputation as wastre1
was international. The fortune of
| $40, 100000, to which he was one of
William Thaw of Pittsburgh, deceas-
ed railroad and steamship magnate.
Thaw attended Western University
of Pennsylvania and his conduct there
caused his father to will him only
$4,000 a year allowance. But his
mother, Mrs. Mary Thaw, saw to it
that he got his share of the estate.
This brought him an income of $780,
600 a year.
MEETS EVELYN on STAGE.
Thaw first discovered Florence Eve
Ign Nesbit when she was playing a
minor part in THE Wild Rose" her
theatrical career having been contriv-
ed by Stanford White. The first ru-
NOR of a marriage came Oct. %, 1904,
when the couple registered at Clar-
idges in London as II. K. Thaw and
wife Upon their arrival in New York
they were given the cold shoulder by
a number of hotels. On April 4, 1905,
they we're quietly married, accepted
by the family, and opened an elaborate
establishment in New York.
; Thaw soon gained a reputation for
great jealousy, even going so far, ii
is said, as to threaten one of his dinner
guests who talked too long to Mrs.
Thaw. Thaw began to express opin-
ions derogatory to Stanford White,
whom he styled "cne of the worst men
in this country" He is also said to
have shown friends a great number of
newspaper clippings about old men
who had mistreated young girls.
Stays IN CROWDED GARDEN.
The night of June rs, 1906, Thaw
accompanied by his wife and friend
entered the Madison Square roof gar
den, where Stanford White was sitting
at a table. Excusing himself to his
party, Thaw strolled down the crowd
ed aisles of the roof garden and past
, the table of White Suddenly he
wheeled and fired three bullets at
point-blank range, all of them taking
effect. White swayed in his chair and
| fell to the floor, while his slayer coolly
lifted the revolver above his head
broke it at the breach and tumbled the
, remaining cartridges to the floor as a
sign that others were in no danger
, His explanation of the shooting was
simple. He has ruined my wife"
: Stanford White had been known as
great architect, the fashioner OF
Madison Square garden. He was
known to the so-called bohemian sci
: of New York as man who practiced
: a prodigal scale of expenditure. His
: friends spoke of him as a man of the
world; his enemies looked upon him
: as a modern Silenus, devoted to the
most degraded habits, in whom artistic
taste fiourished upon the decay of ev-
cry moral virtue.
PLEADS "UNWRITTEN LAW"
Thaw was placed on trial for the
first time Jan. %, 1907. A corps OF
lawyers decided the Thaw defense
should be emotional insanity. Thi:
plan was repellent to Thaw and fric
ton arose, which resulted in the re
! tirement of his New York lawyers
: D. NJ Delmas of San Francisco went
3 to trial upon the "unwritten law
plea, supplemented with occasional in
D sanity
: During the trial Evelyn Nesbit ThaV
went upon the stand and told of how
+ White had become acquainted with he
I through seeing photographs for whicl
= she had posed, and Of his obtaining fcl
I her a place in the chorus OF Broad
e way show, of nightly champagne din
L ners and OF her ruin by him when sh
was only 16 This story, she testified
r she had told to Thaw after their MAJ
e riage.
ILL MOTHER TAKES STAND.
The first trial resulted in a disagree
ment The second trial began Jan. {
d the following year. Only married mel
:, were accepted for the jury end, tn
e prejudice of Thav and his family hay