The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-01-10
HARRY K. THAN'S
WHIPPING. MANIA
BREAKSOUT AGAIN
Victim This Time is 19-Year-
Old Youth From Mis-
souri,.
'THAW UNDER INDICTMENT
Alleged Assault Took Place
in New York Hotel
Christmas Night.
'THAW UNDER INDICTMENT

NEW YORK. Jan. 1O-Harry X.
GThaw of Pittsburgh, who was legally
released 10 months ago from an asy-
lum for the insane, where he was
sent after he killed Stanford White.
was yesterday Indicted here, charged
with kidnapping Fred Gump, JT., of
Kansas City, Mo, youth OF 10 years
Z and assaulting him with whip.
With him was indicted OH the kid
mapping charge. man described as
George r. o'Bylnes, and supposed to
have been employed by Thaw as
bodyguard. Word was received that
0,Byrnes had been arrested In Phila-
delphia and detectives are there looli
Ing for Thaw.
The complaint which was placed
against Thaw with District Attorney
Swami by Frank p. Walsh, former
chairman of the United States Indus
trail Relations Commission, appearing
now as Gump's counsel, alleges that
Thaw enticed the youth to his rooms
at a hotel here Christmas night, and
there beat him with two whips three
different times until he bled and be-
came almost unconscious.
Testimony describing the whipping
OF young girls by Thaw made up some
of the most sensational chapters in
the numerous court actions on the
question of Thaw's sanity after his
acquital of the killing OF White on
the grounds Of insanity and his com.
mitment to the Mattewan State Hos
pital for the Criminal Insane. Alien
lists for the state testified that whip
ming rua a nj with Thaw
After several years litigation at a
cost OF several hundred thousand dol
lars to New York State and to Thaw,
and in which bitted partisanship was
& engendered as to whether he was just
ly or unjustly kept in Mattewan, he
was declared sane bya jury in habeas
corpus proceedings in the latter part
of 1915 and released by court order.
According to the information laid
before the district attorney, it was
toward the end OF 1916 that Thaw first
met and became interested in Gump.
lie had gone to California after his
( release to attend the Panama-Pacific
Exposition at San Francisco and lat
er went to the southern part Of the
state spending some time at Long
Beach, Cal, where he met Gump in
WI ice cream paTlOr.
Gump's mother and his father,
who is said to be manufacturer OF
leather trunks at Kansas City, were
with tn eboy at Long Beach, and
made no objection to their son max
ing acquaintance with Thaw, the dis
stfict attorney was informed. appar-
emily sharing popular opinion that
he had been vindicated.'
After Thaw left California he con-
inued to correspond with Gump, &C.
cordtng to the information given the
district attorney by Mr.. Walsh. These
letters, Walsh said, warned the boy
not to show them to anyone, but he
let. him read them as she answered
them for him. The exchange of let
lers continued through 1916, Thaw ex-
pressing great interest In the boys
future and wish to pay for his edu-
cation abroad.
Although proffe.s of money by
Thaw were refused, the boy at last
came to New York and went to
Thaw's hotel, where it is alleged the
assault took place.
Thaw shot and killed Stanford
White, noted architect in the widst
of a large party at Madison Square
roof garden in June, 1906. He was in
citedito the act, he said, by the con.
fession of his act wife, Evelyn Nesbit,
a chorus girl, made to him of her
treatment by White previous to her
marriage to Thaw.
Two trials for murder followed, the
second Of which resulted in the acquit-
tai of Thaw on the ground OF insan-
jty. After his commitment to the
asylum he began series of attempts
70 obtain his liberty through habeas
corpus proceedings in which he sought
TO have himself declared sane. Fail.
the asylum and fed by automobile
and train to Canada, where he was
New Hampshire by the Canadian i'm.
migration authorities.
He resisted extradition from New
Hampshire to this state, but was fl.
eally brought back to be later releas.
nd.