Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-15
HENDR|CK TO ANNOUNCE
DECISION ON FRIDAY
May Vacate Commitment to Nattea.
wan. Thereby Giving Liberty to
Stanford Whites Slayer.
NINE YEARS FIGHT IN COURT
Crowd on Outside Of Courthouse
Sends Up Great Cheer When
Prisoner Appears After Verdict in
His Favor Is Returned.


/ NEW YORK. July l4-Harry Ken
/ dali Thaw was declared sane by a fury
! which for nearly three weeks had
listened to testimony given in the Su-
preme Court here before Justice Peter
; Hendrick Forty-eight minutes we're
consumed. and two ballots were taken
! in reaching verdict.
| Justice Hendrick on Friday morning
will announce whether the commit
ment upon which Thaw was incar-
| cerated in the State Hospital for the
i Criminal Insane at Matteawan shall be
vacated. thereby giving to the slayer
! of Stanford White the liberty for which
he has fought in the courts for nine
years.
1t was at the end of day of adj
dresses by counsel and the charge of
the Justice that the Jury retired
| While the twelve men were deliberat-
ing. the crowd in the court and about
the courthouse was augmented by
scores of people who believed that a
verdict quickly would be found.
Shortly before O'Clock bailiff
came from the Jury room and informed
Justice Hendrick that a verdict had
been reached. The doors immediately
were locked. and Justice Hendrick. as
cending the bench. warned the spccta-
| tors that any demonstration would be
! met with severe punishment. Then the
| jury came in. In reply to n question
| by the clerk Of the court as to whether
n verdict had been reached. the fore
man hhnder over sheet of legal
| paper. which was passed to the justice
on the bench. Justice Hendrick read
1t and handed it back to the clerk
Gentlemen of the jury" said the
clerk. the question you have been
asked is this: is Harry X. Thaw now
sane?' Your answer is yes"
CAUSES COURTROOM TO
HUM LIKE DYNAMO
Despite the warning. several persons
stood up In front of their seats. The
courtroom hummed like dynamo.
Justice Hendrick and a dozen court at
tendants raped for order.
| Meanwhile, Thaw, who until the YER
dict was announced sat at the counsel
table with his chin resting in a hand
| derchief, had turned around and
grasped the hand of several of his
counsel. Then he went to where his
mother was sitting n few feet away,
and. throwing his arms about her neck,
kissed her twice. Mrs. Thaw at the
4
george L. Carnegie, on the shoulder
| The verdict recorded John B. Stanch-
field, chief counsel for Thaw, made n
motion that the commitment signed
by Justice Bowling, following the YER
dict OF not guilty OH the ground of
insanity which was returned by the
jury at Thaw's second trial for the
murder of White, be vacated.
| Justice Hendrick asked Deputy At
torney General Becker what he had to
say to such motion. Mr.. Becker, in
reply, requested time in which the
State might prepare an appeal.
Justice Hendrick reminded the law
yers that he had not given his deci-
sion. and that. consequently. 1t had
not been finally decided which side
might desire an appeal. He then set
IL o'clock tomorrow morning as the
time when he would receive briefs and
hear arguments In his chambers upon
the motion to dismiss the commit
ment. The jury was discharged. and
| then court adjourned.
| AS soon as the jury was dismissed
| Thaw crossed to the box and shook
hands warmly with each Of the men.
His mother also shook hands with the
jurymen, saying 10 each: Thank YOU
so much for all that YOU have done"
THAy ARRANG.Is THINGS
FOR PICTURE TO DE TAKEN
One of the jurors asked her whether
she had ever had any doubt OF the re-
suit OF this proceeding Mrs Thaw
smiled and replied in the negative.
The jury and Thaw then filed into a
room adjoining the court where
photographers were waiting. Thaw
| himself moved the benches and chairs
around in the room, so that he and all
| the jurymen might get into the picture.
| 1t was with gerat difficulty that
! court attendants and deputy sheriffs
| prevented scores of men and women
from dashing up to Thaw in the court
| room to congratulate him. 1t was
with much more difficulty that the
crowd was cleared from the courthouse
Outside the courthouse there is
wide flight of stone steps, which had
been crowded all afternoon with hun
| drcds of persons. The street and the
| sidewalks on either side of it were also
congested. When Thaw, hanked by
deputy sheriffs. appeared in the door
way. a great cheer went up. Thaw
| seemed much pleased.
| Still in the center Of the Gordon of
! deputy sherffs. Thaw crossed the street
and went to the sherin's office There
he removed his coat, lighted n cigar
! and looked out Of the window at the
| great crowd being dispersed by police
men.
Tonight Thaw was taken TO the Of
| hce OF Il physician to have wound in
his hand dressed. 1t was said he re-
| ceived the injury while playing with u
medicine ball in the Ludlow street Jail
| last night.
Explaining why two ballots were
taken, one OF tho jurors. Jaul j. Marks,