The evening world., 1902-10-18
WOMAN WHOTOOK
GEMS IS INSANE.
Wife of Louis L. Richman, Ac-
cused of Stealing $500
Necklace, Committed to San
itarium After Secret Hearing.
VERNON DAVIS THE REFEREE.

DR.. Walter E. Delabarre was much
surprised to-day when he learned that
Mrs. Rachel Richman, whose arrest he
had caused in Alexandria Bay last sum
mer on n charge OF stealing a purse
containing a SOS. 200 diamond and pear.
necklace and $437 In cash belonging to
his bride. had been adjudged insane by
the Supreme Court.
Mrs. Rlchman Is the wife OF Louis L.
Richman. a wealthy mirror marufac-
turer. She has been declared mentally
irresponsible b. Attorney Vernon NJ.
Davis, referee. appointed by Justice
L~eventritt. OF the Supreme Court, and
has been committed to the Rivercrest
Sanitarium at the expense OF her nus
band.
witnesses against Mrs. Kichman on
the larceny charge appeared before the
Grand Jury at Watertown last Monday.
1t is believed that an Indictment will be
returned next Monday.
AccuAer In SurprISed.
In expressing his surprise al the an
nouncement that Mrs. Richman had
been declared insane. DR.. Delabarre said
to-day:
II knew that efforts were being made
to save Mrs. Richman, but l did not
know that they would go to the extent
of having her committed to an asylum.
Persons who represented themselves as
Mr.. Richman's agents called on me
several times With various propositions.
They wanted me to intercede with the
Court. / refused all propositions. Ny
answer was that the matter was in the
N -. aa,-ka that ~ nora aim
ply witnesses. 1 believed that to be the
part of a good citizen. 1 never knew
Mrs. Richman to be insane
Vernon NJ. Davis, nominee for Su-
preme Court Justice on the Tammany
ticket, said:
THE session in which 1 heard evil
dence was secret by order of Justice
Leventritt. 1t is a %precautIon taken by
the court that one witness shall not
hear another's testimony. Referring the
case to a referee is an extra precaution,
as the Justice would not ave time to
heal each Individual witness. In the
form of a brief the evidence was pre-
sented to him and he passed upon IT;
My recommendation was that MIS-
Rlchman be declared insane. five EN-;
inent physicians appeared before me ana
noted In Mrs. Richman IN the last three
years.
Convinced Of Insanity.
But what convinced me more than
anything else was the appearance OF the
woman herself. She was not able TO
make a connected statement. She was
very nervous and her family physician
informed me that she had not been
nationally herself for W or three
years.
Relatives testified that she had been
known to take things not belonging 10
her. AS to the kleptomania charge, l
speak, as that Is out Of my
dition for a sanitarium and so recon-
mended."
DR.. Delabarre and his bride were stop
ping at the Crossman House, Alexandra
Bay, last summer. Mrs. Delabarre left
the purse containing the necklace and
money on n seat on the veranda OF the
hotel. When she returned for IL 1t was
gone. A window near the seat opened
into the room occupied by the Rich
mans. who we're taking a trip In cele-
b%ration of their t~wenty-ffth wedding
Mrs. Hickman was accused, warrants
issued and the $4,000 necklace was
found in the bottom of her trunk. She
was released on $40, 900 bail secured BY
her husband. She is still under ball,
and i Is expected that when the case
is called her counsel win plead that she
Is insane and cannot be produced.