Evening star., 1924-01-17

Announcement that Harry. Kendall
Thaw will mako another fight for
freedom and that, once more, his
family, Will endeaTeF to have him re.
tanned in the insane asylum, has re-
moved discussions Of the status OF
the murderer Of Stanford White. Edi-
tors are unanimous in insisting that
Thaw ought not to have his release,
and they criticize the attorneys who
are behind the latest move.
THE Pennsylvania courts will incur
a great deal of unfavorable criticism
If they free this man who is at once 4
menace TO human life and Juvenile
morals" the Roanoke Times argues.
THE less the public hears about
Thaw the better pleased the. public
will be. But it is safe TO say, judging
the future in the light of the past,
that it. will hear q good deal more
about him, and that at no distant
time. il, the courts set him free" The
Pittsburgh Press is fully convinced
"it is an unerring instinct when leaos
the aged mother to resist mis- Propose1o
vania state Hospital for the insane.
When Thaw was tried for Whites
murder tho sympathy OF no smali part
of the American people was FOR MIN.
"a genius that his murderer utterly
lacked was a man of oetestaoie
morals. There was widespread feel
ing that the world was better on for
his leaving it, and that the metnod
Of his removal ought not to be strenu-
ousiv objected to. Today the public
takes a saner view OF the matter.
Even II moral deprayity such as
Whites is to be punished, we want no
self-appointed & sSeeu.i9nsEssii .nen Mrs TS TbaW t
with whose sorrow all good people
have, syrnpathized, evidently believes
that her son is really 8 periodicai
maniac and that the jury hnding to
that effect was an nones. aia souno
one There Will be great reluctance
on the part of any court to release
Thaw IL he must be released, In face
of his mothers protests.
TX * X x
"As a. story of legal uuibbling and
the eluding of justice" the Boston
Traveller pronounces the Thaw case
as "stsnding without parallel. Thaw's
attorneys were able to make him In
sane ono minute and sane the next,
70 suit their convenience. They long
ago succeeded in .befuddling the issue
that Thaw ceased to be wanted for
his original crime. of ,mau-killing,
and today he has a. substantial pros
pect Of freedom. The public finds
itself inadequately guarded against
reneracy.p The Louisville Times re-
calls that Thaw's own legal and
medical experts admitted he suffered
"from progressive insanity in order
to save him from the electric chair.
''The testimony OF the experts, IT
Sv1y Scir n I'll ia
jury but tt was not. convincing to
the press or the public. There was
prevalent the belief that Thaw; was
using his mothers wealth In every
way possible to build up q defense
that was not in good faith. 1t would
seek to get out Of custody Of his
guards. but it would be surprising II
he really sought to face trial in
In the opinion of the. ANA Arbor
Times News "Thaw is probably the
largest loopholes in the criminal law.
Whenever he commits a crime he Is
able to show that he was insane at
the time, and after he has spent a
few years in an asylum he hnds II
convenient to get cured. 1t is prob
der or willfully applies whip to an
inoffensive boy Is really iabortng
under q form OF insanity at'the time,
but should such a person be allowed
absolute freedom during his period
of sanity? This insanity ]oophole; Is
a menace to society and travesty
on Justice. The legislator who can
devise g. means for correcting this
evil deserves generous sum OF mon !.
rey for his uSe while alive and q tall
monument to preserve his memory
.whenJhe Is gone" -,
- o. 4.
/. The Toledo Blade insists that the
attitude OF his relatives should be
tise.eengeiHHEweig ght.ssxit tn. ting. court
in deciding this case. as "they can