The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-10

The boy was to be ready to leave for
New York whenever Thaw gave the
word. Mr.. and Mrs. Gump believed
in Thaw and allowed their son to- keep
the $50. -Four days passed and young
Gump received from Thaw a railroad
ticket to New York with a letter say
ing in effect:
take train so that you will arrive
in New York on December rs. Regis
ter at the McAlpin, check your bag
gage and then come to the Century
theatre. A theatre ticket is inclosed.
You will find me in the seat adjoining
yours 1
Thaw had been at the McAlpin for
some time. He had a suite of Ave
rooms on the eighteenth floor, Broad
way side, and OByrne was with him.
Thaw Was Not Drinking
The Christmas night reunion tooh
place as Thaw had planned. the
end of the second act at the theatre
Thaw said he had had enough and he
and the boy returned to the hotel a
little before II o'clock. Thaw drank
nothing but water, the boy says.
The Thaw suite had what one OF the
investigators calls two buffer rooms
That Is, there were two inside rooms,
one of which was empty and the othel
occupied by O'Byrne. Thaw's bedroom
was an outside chamber, overlooking
Broadway. Whatever noise was mads
in that room could not be heard in the
corridors of the hotel, according TO the
district attorney. Neither the room
clerk on the eighteenth floor nor
guests, bellboys or walters who were
passing back and forth heard any UNI
usual sound proceeding from the Thaw
suite.
"Slashed Like a Savage
Gump says that Thaw took him to
the Thaw bedroom. Thaw ordered him
to undress and suddenly pulled a short
cowhile whip from concealment and
began to strike him. The boy says he
shouted for help and then ran around
the room with Thaw chasing him and
slashing at him ''1ike a savage" The
boys narrative goes on:
'.I got to window and was so
scared that was going to jump out to
get away from him,b ut he caught me
and pulled me back into the room.
Thaw. who is much stronger than !.
laid me across his knees and laid the
lash across my back again and again.
I thought was being beaten to death"
Then Thaw put the boy in bed with
him, but twice more in course Of the
night got him up to whip him. Mo-
other violence was attempted, Grump
said. He was so completely terroriz-
ed that he was unable to use even his
slight strength the way of resist
ance. He thought this was a queer
- 4rr16 nj
Thaw's promise to bring him East and
make an engineer and an ornament 10
society of him.
Treated as Captive.
In the acknowledgements 26-says
Gump, Thaw sent OByrne out to take
Gump for a walk. They went to the
Bronx Zoo. O'Byrne treated him
kindly, but the boy felt that he was
a captive; anyway he was too scared
to run away. When they got back to
the hotel Gump made some remark
about the police and Thaw remarked
that the police didn't amount to much.
The boy made up his mind to es-
cape by a ruse. He says he made
OByrne and Thaw think that he was
enjoying his stay with them. Finally
he said he guessed he'd go out and
get a glass of soda. AS he left his
bags in Thaw's room he was allowed
to go unescorted. What he did then
was to run all the way to the Balti-
more and Ohio ticket office.
The next train for Kansas City was
an extra fare train. Gump bought a
ticket, boarded it, and in due time
was at his home in Kansas City. tell
ing his parents about his adventure.
WeIts Still Visible.
At the suggestion OF Mr.. Walsh
who is lawyer, they had photo
graphs taken Of the boys back. The
district attorney has these pictures
According to Mr.. Walsh and Assistant
District Attorney Black dark welts
still show on the young mans body.
His back is crisscrossed, gridironed-
stroke after stroke Of the whip, ap-
piled diagonally first on the right
side, then on the left, having left dark
blue bruises.
On the train to Kansas City Gump
told another passenger what had be-
fallen him and showed him his bare,
back. That man is now in this city
and will be called as witness il
Thaw is found and brought to trial.
In outlining the case yesterday AS
sistant District Attorney Black said !
he was anxious to have the newspa-
pers report his belief that the man
agement Of the McAlpin was absolute !
ly without blame. "It could have hap
pened in any hotel,'' he said. 1.-THE |
hotel people knew absolutely nothing
of what Thaw had been doing until
we told them on Friday night, after
Mr.. Walsh came to us with the boy. |
The McAlpin management sent to my |
Office that night every employee who
could conceivably give any informa-
ton. I should like to have it men,
toned also that the district attorne, !
got the testimony of all the witnesses
before anybody had chance to try |
to get them away from the state.
Engaged Rooms in Philadelphia
1--WE got through with the McAlpin |
witnesses at O'Clock on Saturday
morning. We understood that Thaw
had taken rooms at the Belgravia Ho-
tel in Philadelphia on the 22d. while
he still had his suite at the McAlpin
We understood he was coming back
to New York. We were at the Penn
sylvania station from $50 to Ill
O'Clock Saturday morning, but he did
not appear. Afterward we heard he
had been seen at the WaIdorf-As-
toria.''
Hearing that Thaw was in Wash
ington Detective John Cuniff of the
District Attorneys office went to that
city on Saturday The next day De-