AMERICAN MILLIONAIRE TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 197, 18 August 1906, Page 13

AMERICAN MILLIONAIRE TRAGEDY.

STRONG HOPES OF THE DEFENCE. Mr Harry Thaw came up- In Court on Frfday, June 29, to face the charge of muraering Mr Stanford White, the architect. By tie aaTice of jjjj. ne pleaded not guilty at this stage, with the privilege reserved of substituting another plea at a later date. Mrs Thaw has agreed to testify at the later hearing, to as to save her husband from revealing the facts of her relations with the dead man. Detectives employed by the Thaw family are scouring the Tenderloin district of the city, digging up information as to- the habits of the dead architect. With this it is hoped to so blacken the character of the victim ______ Mr Thaw will escape from his serious position at the bar with little or no ill-effect. Even now it is freely predicted that no jury would convict a man for killing so depraved a character as White is said to have been. It is stated that the defence will call Mrs Thaw an a witness, and that an opportunity will be given for describing her first meeting with Mr White when she was sixteen years old. She will be asked about the<_statement that Mr White drugged her. Altogether the investigations of the Public Prosecutor are revealing a condition of affairs concerning the leading actors in the tragedy, and affecting other prominent people, that is astounding. Some of these persons have suddenly discovered that the climate of New Totk is exceedingly trying, and have departed unannounced for their provincial homes. HOW THAW SHADOWED HIS VICTIM. The trial of Mru Thaw for the murder of Mr Stanford White will, according to a New York despatch, take place next October. One of the most ej-traordiiiary developments -of the case (says the "Telegraph"' correspondent) has been the proof that White had been tracked by Thaw's private detectives for a whole year, and that White himself set a big staff of detectives to watch the movements of the men who were dodging his footsteps, with the object of ascertaining who employed them. A statement is made by Mr Bergoff, Mr Stanford White's chief detective, consisting of extracts from his diary. It shows that White undoubtedly feared for-his life, that he took minute precautions to guard against a surprise, and that equally ingenious plans were made to keep track of ryery movement of the luckless man about town. The diary is a surprising exposure of life among the Bohemian set of New York.

Bergoff, who is manager of a. detective bureau, says that from February, 1905, Mr White suspected that he was being shadowed, and that some of his lady friends were also vigilantly watched. The suggestion is that Mr' Thaw was collecting evidence against his foe for a long time, and only shot him when he failed to secure a police prosecution. It is further alleged that Thaw acensed the architect of employing a gang of cutthroats to waylay and assault him one night two years ago when he was returning from his club. Bergoff spent big sums of money and employed many men before ascertaining definitely who was responsible for the watch set upon Mr White. Then in May last the secret was discovered. He telephoned to Mr White, who came hurriedly to a cafe where Bergoff awaited him. What followed Is told in ihe words of the detective's dairy:— "Together we the cafe where White ordered two whiskies. When we were seated at a table I told him that I had positive information that Harry Thaw, of Pittsburg, was the man having him watched. He trembled violently, shaking frnm head to feet, and was so overcome that he spiled the whisky iv raising the glass to his lips. "I suspected it all along,* he groaned. In the course or our almost daily association White and I had become quite lntimatej 'Why is Thaw having this work done?' I asked. "Bergoff, I'll tell you.' was the response. "This man Thaw is crazy. He imagines that I have done him some wrong. I used to know his wife. I befriended her and the family. Thaw is crazy and insanely jealous of his wife. He doubtless imagines that I am meeting her, and, before God, I am not My friendship ! for the girl was taken from a purely j fatherly interest, and since her marriage ■ she has repaid my kindness by annoying !me greatly, by making remarks to different ' acquziintances of mine. Snch remarks are ! intended to arouse tfce jealousy of her hns- ] band." MR THAW'S PRISON LIFTS. ! Prisoner, who is unaccustomed to a cell ! less than 10ft. square, and the oppressive j atmosphere of the city during the hot months of July and August, feels his posi- ] tion acutely. If possible, he would like to ! secure an early hearing, but the murder ! calendar is unusually heavy, and the Ear! [of Yarmouth's brother-in-law is only four- ! teenth on the list. He is allowed to- 'exercise daily with the other prisoners, but does not care about the privilege, because a view of the prison ground can be secured from the upper windows of certain skyscrapers in the vicinity, and be became unpleasantly conscious of the fact that scores of binoculars were levelled in his direction. Mrs Thaw visits her husband every day In gaol, and takes him cigars, books, paperd, and letters. Mr Thaw says that the Intolerable closeness of the city is impairing his health, and he still urges his counsel to press for an earlier trial. It is estimated that the Thaw family possess not less than £8,000,000, and to spare their youn-; kinsman a felon's fate they are prepared to spend heavily on his defence. A very large number of witnesses will be called, and much of the evidence will be remarkable.