The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-14
INSANITY WILL Be
PLEA TO Save THAW
His Attorneys VIII Fight Extradition
to New York On That Ground,
1t Is Believed.
AWAIT HIS RECOVERY
His Faithful Mother Will Come to His
Side to Again Wage Fight TO save
Him from Punishment.

Philadelphia, Jan. 13.-Henry j
Scott, of this city, the newest recruit
to Harry Kendall Thaws numerous
army of lawyers. made today the frs
positive step to save the Wii1ul Pltts
burger from the New York courts.
Mr.. Scott addressed letter to Mar
tin g. Brumbaugh, Governor OF Penn.
sylvania, asking that Thaw be no
cxtradited until the writer had g
chance to be heard. He admitted &c
reporters, as did noted Philadelphia
alienist who will assist in the fight
that the plan now is to have Thaw
examined by a lunacy commission
here In Philadelphia and adjudged in
sane and therefore not liable to crtmi-
nal proceedings in court.
Mr.. Scott's letter to Governor Bsum-
baugh reads:
I'm the event of application by the
Governor OF New York being made TO
you for the extradition of Harry X.
Thaw. kindly do not grant the same
until after communicating with me
and giving me an opportunity to be
heard" Mr.. Scott explained that all
plans now are but tentative and that
1t will be necessary to wait until
Thaw Is sufficiently recovered mental
ly and physically. to be a party to
the conference that will determine a
definite program.
Thaw, in st. Marys Hospital whitir~
er he was taken after slashing his
throat and wrist, will recover, said
DIR. Ellwood r. Kirby. his friend and
physician. However. such is Thaw's
condition as a result of his blood losses
and his alcoholic indiscretions. that
1t will be two weeks before he viii
be sufficiently calm to consider his
own predicament in a clear light. II Is
said.
The news that his mother. Mrs.
Mary Copley Thaw. is coming here 10
resume her life work of iighting for
him, had a decidedly sedattve effect
upon the distracted Pittsburger. He
Gained Immediately after receiving
the news Just when Mrs. Thaw will
arrive is not known.
Mr. Scott explained the tentative
plans to save Thaw from being re-
turned 10 New York and outlined the
difficulties liable to be encountered.
Must Confer With Thaw.
We know our client well enough
90 realize that We Will have TO take
him into any conference that has to
DO with the procedure We will tnsug
urate," he said. "He Will have to wait
for two weeks before we can reason
with him. according 10 the hospital
reports. If we went ahead of our
own accord and did not consult him
DG HiiE NJ NOT pH hlts9sAA w be Il pal -
TO our plans.
Il have asked Governor Brumbaugh
90 refuse to sign papers Of extradi-
ton until we have placed our con-
tentions before him. II II is neces-
sary we shall go into court 10 fight
the extradition. All We want Is time
In which to consult Mr.. Thaw.
we might apply for a lunacy COM
mission and endeavor to prove our
client mentally unsound. If he is
mentally unsound he cannot be held
responsible for his actions.
IT is my opinion that Mr.. Thaw
will naturally insist that he Is insane.
The lates, jury dealing with his sanity
and right to liberty decided him sane,
II the New York authorities cite that.
there is nothing TO prevent us main
tanning that he has since evinced signs
OF mental Inconsistencies.
But IL is too soon 10 deterunine
what to do There will be a confer
ence OF the Thaw family and the law
yers where the matter will be dis
cussed at length But above all things,
we must realize that Mr. Thaw him
self must be consulted"
Frank Johnson. the pittsburE law
yer. and Dr, RiddeiL head OF the
Mellon Institute in Pittsburg, have ar
rived in this c,ty In the interests of
the Thaw family.