The sun., 1917-01-13
Defeat of Plan for Flight
Caused Attempt to
End His Life.
RETURN WILL BE FOUGHT
Possibility That a Lunacy In
quest Will Be Asked in
Philadelphia.

MS detective guards for an escape to
Bridgeport. Conn, and thence into Can
ada was the immediate impelling motive
for Harry Kendall Thaw's attempt to kill
himself This became known to-day
when 1t was learned the FORMER Mat
teawan inmate had been in recent com.
munication with one Of the men who
aided in his flight from the hospital for
the criminal insane.
1t is known now that despite any ar
rangement that Val ]. O'Farrell or his
counsel had made with District Attorney
Swami Thaw never had any intention of
following out their scheme for surren-
der Samuel G. Maloney. O'Farrell's
Philadelphia representative, accepted
with mental reservations Thaw's promise
to return to New York to fight the
Gump charge.
Get a good nights sleep" he told
Thaw when he left him Wednesday
night BY this time tomorrow we will
be in New York"
PrOfessed Anxiety to Return.
Thaw professed to be anxious to re-
turn to New York. Maloney, however,
decided to take no chances with his
charge. He realized that IL he permitted
Ihaw to escape his agency would be un-
der suspicion in all quarters. The diff
Guilty was heightened by the fact that the
Philadelphia police had not been taken
into Maloney's confidence.
Therefore. Maloney put his guard on
duty over Thaw. With the hope of out
lasting his guard in wakefulness
Thaw remained in conversation with
Mrs. Elizabeth Tacco until 9 o'clock in
the morning. That he had no intention
of sleeping Is demonstrated by the fact
that he did not remove his clothing all
night. He watched for opportunity to
flee. but every time he emerged from his
room there outside his door was the
black shadow.
I Yielded to the Impulse.
The unrelenting espionage and the cer-
tainty that the OFarrell detectives would
carry out their given word to the New
York District Attorney unquestionably
worked deleteriously on nerves already
racked by alcohol and overlndulgence in
mild drugs. Thaws highly excitable ma
ture finally yielded to the suicide impulse
! As to the plans he had made in the
event of gaining his freedom from Mrs
! Taccos home Thaw had intended to
|
! Bridgeport. He had been assured by a
! friend in that city that certain refuge
could be found there among the circus
! folk in winter quarters. 1t was his in
| tention to remain in quietude until the
| force of the kidnapping scandal had
spent itself in the newspapers. Then. as
! a tourist he intended once more to in.
! wade Canada.
/ On Tuesday night Thaw eluded his
guard. He slipped out Of the Taccc
home and toured the saloons OF Yves,
Philadelphia. The suburban idea, OF
night life palled on him after time. He
reeled into n garage and asked that ht
be taken to the Broad street hotels
When he stumbled over the runninl
board as he tried to climb into the ma
chine the garage keeper refused to TAKE
him toward the lights.
Is Gaining in strength.
Dr. Ewood r. Kirby, medical director
of ST. Mary's Hospital, where Thaw Il
now, said he had spent a comfortable
night and had gained strength since hi
removal there. Anamia will keep hin
weakened for some days more. but afte
that is past his recovery ought TO b.
rapid in the opinion Of DIR. Kirby. III
said:
wear and tear on his system of liquo
and drugs he used for sleeping potions
He has said only two words since h.
entered here That was this morninl
when he started to talk and found hi
throat muscles did not respond witt
gesture of annoyance he said: oh
WELL
"As he still is too weak / have dis
couraged every effort he has made t
talk. Also have given injunction
: against his being questioned until he 1
At TO talk That Thaw was not success
full in his attempt to kill himself iy du
| principally to his own rugged constitu
tion and his ignorance OF anatomy. Oh
viously his plan was to sever the jugu
lar vein. but the blade Of the razor di
not reach within inches OF that bloc
channel. Furthermore. his cuts on hi
wrist were not serious. There can b
no doubt. however, that he meant I
take his life"
= Removal VIII He Fought.
t 1t is apparent now that Thaw's law
. yers will invoke his favorte habea
. corpus to save him from early return I
a New York This is to be one expeder
toward delay. Another is to Insist o
, full prosecution under the Pennsylvani
, law for his attempt at suicide.
= 1t practically is conceded by III
y Philadelphia authorities that they wi
r waive any attempt to hold Thaw fo
his effort at self-destruction so that h
may be brought to New York to answt
I to the charges against him there.
A legal race is on now in Thaw
behalf. Before the extradition paper
e calling for his return to Manhattan al
n signed 1t Is obvious that a counter ac
e ing habeas corpus action will be starte
e If the counsel of Thaw are as success
S ful in putting chains Oh the feet of h
d litigation as heretofore the proceeding
may drag along for several weeks
= one OF the probabilities in habei
e corpus is that a lunacy commission wi
Il he requested in this State This migl
n save him from Sing Sing or return
d Matteawan. Credence to this report W;
It given to-day by a conference betwe,
e Henry ]. Scott. a lawyer. who has re,
e resented Oliver c. Brewer in his loc
l. trouble Frank Johnston. one of Il
e Thaw New York counsel; Dr. Walt
Riddell of the Melien Institute, Pitt
burg, and Val J. OFarrell
DR.. Riddell was sent by Mrs MAJ
, Copley Thaw. His purpose. 1t Is unde
~ stood. Is to lay the foundation OF Il
u insanity plea.
a Henry J. Scott, counsel for Rrowe