The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-04-02
GIRL POISONER ACQUITTED,
BUT GOES TO ASYLUM
Jennie BurCh ConsOled by Woman
Whose Baby She Killed.
JUDGE PRAISES .URY'S FINDING
Alienist Declares Girl May Commit
Crime Again Under UnfavorabIe
Conditions-TelIs of Fault in
New York State Law.

Now 1OTh OLttSC Law
Carmel, N. Y.-On the ground of
insanity Jennie Burch, the fifteen
year-old poisoner, was acquitted in
the Supreme Court of having muir
dered an infant son of Herbert Win
ship, a wealthy farmer of Patterson,
in Putnam County. Immediately af-
ter the fling Of the verdict Justice
Mills committed the girl to the State
Asylum for the Insane at Matteawan.
Jennie Burch did not comport her
self as an insane person throughout
the trial. 1t was certain when the
jury retired, however, that under
Justice Mills charge and the sum-
ming up by the State the verdict
which was found would be returned
When the girl heard Justice Mills
make the commitment to Matteawan
she began to cry again. One of her
attorneys said to her:
you will be treated kindly there,
Jennie, and the doctors will help to
recover your mind. Be of good cheer
and keep your nerve
That's all very we'll, she replied,
"but how is any one to keep her
nerve in place like that, with luna
tics all around?"
When the girl was taken from the
court room to the quarters of Sheriff
Barry and his family she found
awaiting her Mrs. Winship, who met
her with outstretched arms and told
her to pray to forget the past, as she
was praying she might be able to do.
you have my entire forgiveness,
said Mrs. Winship, land do please,
try to keep your mind off the terri
BILE things that have happened and
grow up to be good woman"
After this visit Jennie seemed to
welcome the news that she would be-
taken Immediately to Matteawan.
After the jury had been discharged
it was learned that on the first ballot
one man wanted to find the girl
guilty of manslaughter in the first
degree, which would have meant an
Imprisonment of from day to TWEEN
ty years. This juror was reminded
of the unfortunate birth and ante
cedents of the girl So he was won
to join in the finding that was made.
In making the commitment to Mat
teawan Justice Mills said that he be-
lieved the jury had found strictly on
the evidence He added that from
personal observation in court he be-
lieved Jennie Burch to be insane and
also from the results of the investiga-
tons made by DR.. Granger.
Therefore" he declared, II am
going to commit her to Matteawan
on the ground that her freedom
would be a menace and a danger to
the peace of the community"
What would prevent this girl
from being liberated a year from
now?" DR.. Granger was asked by a
reporter.
Nothing. To all intents and ap-
pearances she may recover her men
tai health two or three months or
year from now, and all that would
be necessary would be for some law
yer to release her on writ of habeas
corpus. That is the one hole in the
laws of the State of New York
through which much misery has
flowed out upon the citizens of this
community. / would not trust her
in my household. She might be led
to commit similar crime at any
time"
The mother of the unfortunate girl
was not in court on the last day, and
it remained for the broken old grand
father to comfort her.
A remarkable phase of Jennie
Burch's abnormality has been her
rapid growth since September last.
At the time of her arrest she weighed
less than one hundred pounds Her
height was only five feet four inches.
She has grown three and half in
ches and gained more than forty
mounds