The times., 1897-06-29
GlaiAsEREDD|E IS HER SON
Miss Vandervere, However, Is
Adjudged Insane by a Jury.
A PECULIAR CASE In COURT
Young Woman OpiBm Victim Ac-
quilted of Responsibility for Steal
ing Jewels Says Mr.. Mertens'
Son Is Her Child The Boys
Father Refuses to Talk.


hnal court No. 2 yesterday afternoon during
the trial Of Kate V Vandeveie, a cornely look
ing, weIl-dressed young woman, charged
with breaking into the hoCse Of FTeder-
tck Mertens, I'LL Sixth street north west,
on May 30 last, when James Brown, enc
OF the witnesses for tie Government, tes-
titled that he caught tie prisoner as she
was escaping iIon the house, but allowed
her to go upon her statement that she was
the mother Of Fres.eriek MeItens, wholiyes
la the hoaSe-
Not the least sensational feature OF the
csse lay III tfae fact that il was The alarm
gtyess by the lad, Who has all along passed
rs Mr. Merteas' son, which led TO the
woman ssgpeet- He disd dnotappeariRcouFt-
Kate VaHs5eveae, who Is saster4n-law
of the Mertsns. 10 viii be TUrailesib by readers
OF The Times, on the day of the ,ebbery
6sceyed Mrs. Nertens from the elise
by a letter asking her to meet lie writer
in Sooth Washington, saying that the lat
ter would give her ploof of the iufideAtg
OF her husband Mr.. 1sertens was out of
the CITY at the tine, so that tie house was
entirely deserted The defen daut then
entered the h0Hse at night and took away
jewefry vaiHed at SSCo.
When The case was called Yesterday
mernipg Miss Yandeyere, still prestyr
bnt showing hy tie nervous handiing If a
fan which she carried and by Der paliid
Skin and sealkcn featnIes that size was II
the habit Of using opiates, was brought
fn and tCok seat beside neF
counsel, Attorney Mitchell. The latter
tn orening the case for the defense
stated that be expected to prove that
the defendant was addicted to The
uRe Or ofsiuEa. and that it was while
uIsder the hiflIeIrce of this drug that she
committed the offense charged against
her she VAS entirely irresponsible for
her actiotsS, and he would prove by expert
testimony tkat opium frequently ca used is
victims To steal, and that they Committed
these thefts withogt any motive or knoBT
edge of the acts On their part.
Mr. NeFtens was calico 10 tle stand as
tbe first witness for the Government. He
stated that On the night of the Ieidiery
he was away from home. He was noti-
fled OF the occurrence by a telegIaR, an.i
TetGrains immediately, found that his house
bad beeis entcr red and quantity OF ..eweIry
abstraeted-
lie notified the detective bureau. and
tin, next day, accompanied by Detectives
Boyd and Helan. he went to the rooms OF
Miss Vaudsvere in the ContnentaE Hotel
and fosIad there the missing jeweIry. The
woI7an Was in the room at the time lie
had asked her why she stole the gcoes
and to the best OF his reeolleetinn she
replied that She had to do 1t or starve.
woman had lived at his house foI seme
time as a servant.
Charles Brown. a neigtibor next testified
that Oh the night in question he was stand
Ing on Sixth street, opposite Mr. Mertens'
house, wnen he heard Freddie Mertens
shouting eHt that the house had been
robbed The witness then ran through th,
house and saw a woman slipping through
She back gate. he pursued and caught
her and was about to take her TO the
station, when, she protested that she was
FEeddif's mother, and as he had often
seen her about the house, he believed her
story and let her escape
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Browns testi-
mony Mr.. Mertens was recalled and asked
by Attorney Mitchell whether the state
nent made by the woman that. she was
Freddie's mother was true. The witness
hecane highly excited and appealed to the |
Judge, asking. Whats that got to do with
the case?p
Assistant District Attorney Shilngren.
however, objected, and Mr. Mertens was
not required TO answer the question.
detectives Boyd and Helan testified to
nnsiing the jeweIry in the woman's rees.
All the witnesses for the Go vernment were
cross-exaRlined by Attorney Mitchell as TO
the condition OF the pris1ner when they
ssw her, and they all testified that she |
seemed to be uBder the influence of rome
epiate.
For the defense number of druggists |
aid other persons were called to TIE stand /
and testified that they had either sold |
opium TO the defendant OF procured it for |
her, thus establishing the point thaU she is |
an inveterate user of the drug.
Matren Bennett, Of the District tajj. !
also testified to the woman's foa,ln,.ss |
for opium and related a number OF her /
fIeaks She related among other things /
fhas the woman had made violent AZ /
tempt to hang herself In her cell and was
caly prevented from doing SO by force |
After that an attendant was kept con- /
tinually in the cell. Another time the
oefenoant woke up screaming and de-
clarea tha There was some one In the
roon On stll another occasion the pris- /
oner oarricaded her cell door and cnald be |
induced to open IL only after the hose
had been turned upon her
Dr Shute, Of the District fail, testified
as 20 tie defendants queer copduet while
N the institution, but said that I've did not
observe any hallucin ations on her part.
ne SAID, however, in answer tp a clles-
Eon from the attorney fo- the defense
MAJ she might be subject to such halIucina-
Ii0as without showing it in her speech or |
actions
DR.. NJ. Emmons, summoned as anex |
pert witness by the defense, cave evi-
nence TO the effect that persons under
The Influence of the drug might conn |
hI't offenses such as was charged against
The defendant without being aware of
their actions.
The case was then submitted IN. tho
Jury on both SIDES, without argument
Assistant District Attorney ShilIingson re
marking only that, if the jury believed
he woman was irresponsible at the tin.e
'f the offense, they would add ..on. ac
AUNT of insanity to the verdict of not
,ufity.
The jury, after lengthy deIiberatien,
pronounced the woman insane, and, for
hat reason. not guilty OF the charge
ganst her. The District attorney, in
ccorsiance with this verdict, win I'm
nediateiy begin proceedings to secure her
'ansfer to the care of st. EIizabeth's
insane Asylum.
Mr. Mertens was seen at his home last
.nf.1.