THAW MURDER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 103, 24 January 1908, Page 7

THAW MURDER.

ACCUSED'S ANTI-VICE ENDEAVOURS.

COMSTOCK'S EVIDENCE. ct TEijEartArn—Fßr.ss association—coprniopt. ' (Rep. Jan. 23, 9.40 p.m.) "New York, January 23. ' At the trial of Harry Thaw for the murder of Stanford White, further evidence was given for the defence. Anthony Comstock, president of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vico, testified that Thaw called on him in 1904 .(two years prior to the murder), and complained that a gang of six. br seven rich criminals conducted orgies and drugged nnd ill-treated young girls, at two houses in New York. , , . told witness that one room was furnished like a forest, with secret stairs leading to another room, hung, with mirrors. The rich criminals drugged tho girls, who were anablo to escape,'as the doors were difficult to find. ' Thaw also described a third room approached by a door concealed behind a picture. He declared that tho room contained valuable French paintings of peculiarly infamous suggestiveness. Thaw gave tho names of five girls who had/ been victims of these men. Ho offered to supply, secret service funds, and suggested that Miss Helen heiress and philanthropist—might be asked to. subscribe.' ■' Anthony Comstock further deposed that he never ; gained : admission to the house Thaw referred to. The prosecution insisted'that Thaw's communications to Comstock indicated him to be" sane. t DETECTIVES AT WORK. A statement attributed to Comstock, and said to have been given , by him to Thaw's counsel at the first trial—but not put in. as evidence—was published after the trial was over; It tallies with-that given above. It spates' that Comstock employed detectives, who were astounded at wliat-they discovered. The reason ; why they did not gain admission to the house was that, after two of the : detectives had- almost. completed arrpngements to hire rooms from which to keep a watch, one of them "made a bungle.-.Something which he said or : did (the statement continues) gave' the alarm to tho janitor,' and, although we were j on the waiting, list for a long time, and although several times apartments in the Tower "were vacant, wo were never .able .to secure a(i suite or,a single room." The defence's object l in producing this'testimony is no doubt to show that-Thaw's feeling in the matter of alleged wrongs to his wife and others was deep and\ sincere. ■ '