Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-03-31 | Page 4 | New York Trying to Extradite Thaw

1W YORK TRYING TO EXTRADITE THAW Lawyer for Family Insists That Slayer of White Is - Legally Dead. PHILADELPHIA. March 30. Argument was heard today on the extradition ot Harry K. Thaw to New York to stand trial on charges of beating Frederick Gump, Jr., a Kansas City schoolboy. Thaw recently was adjudged insane here and is still in the hospital, where he was taken last January after attempting suicide. sui-cide. Six lawyers argued for Thaw's removal to New York, and one, representing the Tnaw family, opposed extradition. Attorney At-torney General Brown announced that he would file an opinion with the governor. James Gay Gordon, representing the Thaw family, contended that Thaw is in the sovereign possession of the court which adjudged him insane and that he is civilly dead and cannot be tried for crime. , , Deputv Attorney General Becker of New York, Assistant District Attorney Black of New York City and George F. Turner. aio of the New York district attorney's office, argued that the Pennsylvania governor gov-ernor has no discretion but to honor the requisition of the governor of New York; that the function of the governor is ministerial min-isterial and executive and not judicial. Mr Black said Thaw comes to life civilly whenever It suits him. He dies civilly in one state and comes to life in another, he said. When Mr. Black said he felt a "certain skepticism about the mental condition of Thaw," Mr. Gordon retorted that although the New York authorities had complained about the Thaw millions debauching New York, they now want the Thaw millions back there to further corrupt cor-rupt New York and enrich lawyers and experts In answer to a statement by Mr. Black that the whole matter resolved itself into a question as to "who Is the ctronKer in Pennsylvania the law or the Thaws '' Mr. Gordon said New York millions mil-lions cannot, touch Pennsylvania authority. J B Shannon of Kansas City, representing represent-ing the Gump family, urged the extradi- tlon of Thaw and said the mother of the Gump boy sincerely wished that the activity ac-tivity shown by the Thaw family in the lunacy proceedings had been bcL-nn before be-fore Thaw ever met her son in Los An- geles. CaJ.