Harry Kendall Thaw
Harry Kendall Thaw was an American socialite and murderer, best known for the high-profile killing of renowned architect Stanford White in 1906. Thaw had a tumultuous early life characterized by expulsion from private schools and a penchant for reckless behavior, including heavy drinking and relationships with showgirls. His obsession with the young chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit, who had previously been involved with White, culminated in their marriage in 1905. The tension between Thaw and White escalated dramatically when Thaw shot White three times in the face at Madison Square Garden, believing he was defending Nesbit's honor.
Following Thaw's arrest, his trials drew significant media attention, resulting in a hung jury at the first trial and a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity at the second. He spent time in an asylum for mental health treatment and later escaped, only to be extradited back to the U.S. where he was eventually declared sane. Thaw's life continued to be marked by personal struggles and relationships with showgirls until his death in 1947. His actions and the ensuing trials had a lasting impact, inspiring numerous books and discussions about the complexities of love, jealousy, and the societal norms of the Gilded Age.
Subject Terms
Harry Kendall Thaw
American murderer
- Born: February 12, 1871
- Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Died: February 22, 1947
- Place of death: Miami, Florida
Major offense: First-degree murder
Active: June 25, 1906
Locale: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Sentence: Incarceration at an asylum
Early Life
Harry Kendall Thaw (thaw) spent his childhood being expelled from private schools. While at the University of Pittsburgh and, later, at Harvard, he went on drinking binges and spent most of his time with young showgirls. Thaw’s troubles began when Thaw noticed a copper-haired, sixteen-year-old chorus girl on Broadway. Evelyn Nesbit had already been noticed by prominent architectStanford White. Nesbit’s bout of appendicitis (which was initially thought to be a pregnancy) put her in the hospital for a while, and Thaw used this episode to further his attentions toward the young woman. Nesbit admitted to Thaw that White had “deflowered” her, which made Thaw angry; however, he still wished to marry Nesbit. The marriage took place on April 4, 1905.
Criminal Career
On June 25, 1906, Mr. and Mrs. Thaw were at Madison Square Garden for the premiere of a new musical revue, Mamzelle Champagne. Thaw was wearing a heavy coat that he had refused to check even though the night was warm. At the rooftop theater, Thaw approached White’s table and, drawing a gun from his coat, shot White three times in the face. Thaw walked away and met his wife at the elevator, telling her that he had probably saved her life.
Legal Action and Outcome
After Thaw was arrested, the first trial ended in a hung jury, with seven believing that Thaw was guilty of first-degree murder and the other five ruling that he was not guilty by reason of insanity. Less than a year later, Thaw was found not guilty by reason of insanity by a second jury. He was incarcerated at an asylum at Matteawan, New York, from which he escaped to Canada in 1913. He was later extradited back to the United States, where, in 1915, a jury found him to be sane. Thaw later spent seven more years in an asylum for another offense. Thaw continued his life of chasing showgirls until his death in 1947 at the age of seventy-six.
Impact
Because the murder happened during the Gilded Age in the most fashionable city in the United States, several books were written about it specifically, and others mentioned it in detail. While there are any number of murders throughout history that involve the “eternal triangle,” this one had three individuals of particular note: Harry Thaw, who was accustomed to getting everything he wanted; Stanford White, the most well-known architect of New York in that era; and Evelyn Nesbit, a young showgirl who was an accomplished actor while still in her teens. Another interesting person is Thaw’s mother, who thought that marriage would tame her son’s wild impulses. Evelyn Nesbit was promised one million dollars and a divorce if she stood up for Thaw at the trial; she got the divorce but not the money.
Bibliography
Lessard, Suzannah. The Architect of Desire: Beauty and Danger in the Stanford White Family. New York: Dial Press, 1996. A memoir written by White’s great-granddaughter concerning the sexual problems prevalent in generations of the family. The murder itself was a forbidden subject, which made it all the more interesting to the generations that followed.
Lowe, David Garrard. Stanford White’s New York. New York: Watson-Guptill, 1999. Details the work of the talented architect White and his contribution to the city of New York and gives a description of his murder by Thaw.
Mooney, Michael MacDonald. Evelyn Nesbit and Stanford White: Love and Death in the Gilded Age. New York: William Morrow, 1976. Details the pageantry of New York City during the Gilded Age with an emphasis on the murder of Stanford White.
Thaw, Harry K. The Traitor: Being the Untampered with, Unrevised Account of the Trial and All That Led to It. Philadelphia: Dorrance, 1926. Thaw’s own account of his life and the social scene of New York before and after his trials.