Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-01
TRIAL AFTER 20 YEARS
RELEASED FROM. ASYLUM MAN
MUST ANSWER FOR MURDER.

NEW IOtch. January LIN murOererS
row in the Tombs, so near to Harry Thaw
that he can see the choice food taken
daily to the rich young mans door and
the wel-dressed friends that visit him.
sits a broken-down man of fifty-one,
without kfth or kin or friends. He had
all these once, and money, too. but that
was twenty years ago. when Henry Ship
man was saved from the death penalty by
being adjudged insane.
1t was while he was in the midst OF
a "brainstorm'- that expressive
term had not been invented in 1SSI-that
Shipman shot Mrs. Josephine Mason, so
the physicians decided The brilliant
young man, whose family was one of the
most prominent in the western part of
the state. went to the asylum for insane
criminals. He was brought down from
Matteawan. a few days ago to be tried
on the twenty-year-ol murder charge.
Il have suffered enough during these
twenty lost years of my ife.' said Ship
man in his cell yesterday, ito pay the
penalty of my crime three times over.
If / killed this woman. Josephine, whom
l loved-and for years L was not con-
scious what I had done-it were better
that i had been tried at once than to
have gone through the hell the last TWEEN
W years has pteii.
Like Escape From Tomb.
Can you imagine the feelings of a
man who lives in a tomb for twenty
years-how he longs to walk the
streets that he knows, to see the faces
he has learned to love, to breathe the
free air? Yet, when 1 am a free man
in New York, l shall be as much of a
stranger as a man from another coun-
try These twenty years have robbed
me of my home. friends, relatives. l
have lost track of them all. My only
knowledge of the outside world is
from what / have read in the news
papers since l have been able to read
intelligently.
You don't know what it means to
me now to be allowed to converse with
sane persons During these twenty
years l have not known what t was to
exchange intelligent speech. When
ever 1 made an effort to talk to the
attendants or physicians would near.
oh. he's crazy!' Over and over again
have thought how much better on
I would be We're L dead.
without the slightest provocation l
was subjected to the most brutal and
inhuman treatment. Time aud time
again 1 was choked into insensibility
and on one occasion an attendant
broke three of my ribs. The horrors of
such a place cannot be exaggerated
Il have only a few dollars and little
influence with which to fight the state of
New York for my freedom. ! am not
like Harry Thaw. who has wealth. posi-
tion. friends and youth to aid him in his
struggle If he was insane when he
committed his crime I pity him. l shall
pity him more if he is sent to the place
I have Just come from.
Jury Found Him Insane.
Shipman killed Mrs. Josephine Mason,
an attractive woman with whom he was
infatuated and in whose boarding house,
at No. 33y West 31st street, he lived, on
February 3. 1887. He was declared in
sane by jury in general sessions.
He was found by policeman sitting be-
side the dead body revolver in his hand.
When it was taken from him he laid his
hands in the womans blood and eX-
claimed Il could take you in my arms
and nurse you back to life"
In not a few respects the early life of
Sbipmen resembled that of Harry Thaw.
Work and discipline were unknown TO him
when he was young man. He was the
son of a Rochester physician. who left
him 100000 when he died. He also had
a comfortable income from the estate of
an uncle For several years he studied
medicine. but on account of some brain
disease il was testified. in later years, he
was never able to concentrate his mind
s,,+Iiciently To practice his profession.