Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1908 — THAW IS DECLARED NOT GUILY BUT CRAZY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THAW IS DECLARED NOT GUILY BUT CRAZY

Second Trial of Young Pittsburg , Millionaire Ends f in His Acquittal by Jury. V* • Vrrr:- - PRISONER SENT TO A MADHOUSE • g Close -of the Famous Case Which i Has Long Interested Two Continents. A* “Not guilty—on the ground that he was insane at the time of the commission of tfce act charged in the indictment.'’ This was the verdict in the Thaw case. Justice Dowling immediately ordered the young Pitttsburg millionaire committed to the Matteawan asylum : for the criminal Insane until-he' can convince a lunacy commission that his discharge would not imperii the public Bttfety. When the words “Not Guilty” fell from the lips of the foreman of the jury, the most dramatic scene ever witnessed in a New York court room was enacted. Thaw, who had sat all though the trial,- apparently wholly indifferent to what was going on, leaped from his seat, lie could not restrain his emotions and tears streamed down his cheeks as he shook the hands of his counsel aild thanked them over and over again. The prominence of the Thaw family, socially and financially, the circumstances surrounding Harry Thaw’s marriage to Evelyn Nesbit, artists’ model and chorus girl, and the tragic climax when he fired the bullets into the breast of the man lie declared wronged his wife, all (elided to attract great interest to the events following the tragedy, and from one esd~xif the country to the other the proceedings of both trials have been watched with unabated interest. Comparison of the (wo trials shows a notable difference in the conduct of each. In the first trial Thaw's el®f counsel was Delphin M. Dolmas, noted

criminal lawyer from California. Dolmas made his defeuse the ’"unwritten law" and insanity. District Attorney Jerome Introduced at first only such witnesses as were necessary to prove that Thaw killed White. The defense then urged that Thaw was insane at the time of the killing, and offered Evelyn Thaw's testimony to show that the story she told Thaw of her treatment by White drove her husband temporarily insane and caused him to kill White. The defense also introduced the testimony of alienists, two of whom swore Thaw was suffering from n “brain storm” when he fired the fatal shot. Jerome during rebuttal caused a sensation by declaring he believed Thaw was then Insane. He got the court to appoint a lunacy commission. This body decided Thaw’ was sane, and the trial then proceeded to Us conclusion. In the trial just closed the line of defense was altogether different. Martin W. Littleton, who replaced Del mas as chief counsel for Thaw, based the defease solely on insanity. The trial began on Jan. 6 and the testimony ended Jan. 28. First Trial. Cost to defense $225,000 Cost to prosecution 70,000 Talesmen called 330 Number days to get Jury 8 Number days to finish trial.... 77 Second Trial. Cost to defense SIOO,OOO Cost to State 25,000 Talesmen called :. 300 Number days to get Jury 5 Number days to finish trial.... 17

HARRY K. THAW