New-York tribune., 1911-01-04
WANTS ROBIN BAIL RAISED
Indicted Banker to Leave Belle
, vue for Court To-day.
SISTER SAYS HE is INSANE
Makes Application for Com
mittee of His Person-Whit-
man to Push Case.

Joseph c. Robin. whose financial ventures
closed the Northern Bank of New YORK ana
the Washington Savings Bank. is expected
TO plead to-day before Judge Grain, In Pait
! Of General Sessions 10 the indictment
charging him with the larceny OF SSo'"
rrom the latter institution.
DR.. Gregory, Of Bellevue Hospital. where
Robin has been confined I'm the prison ward
since he attempted suicide. last FRIDAY III
formed District Attorney Whitman last
night that the patient was so far recoNereu
that he could be removed. Mr.. Whitman
said that Robin would be taken 10 court 10
day. and IL plea of not guilty was en-
tered he would ask Judge Grain to ralse
the bail. which was tentatively aXed AZ S-o'-
GO. 10 5000
Tho District Attorney said that Room
case would be pushed with all possible eH-
redition unless his counsel, former DlstrlCt
Attorney Jerome. tried to cause delay OF
the grounds OF Robins insanity. Nouce
was served on the District Attorney Nes'e'-
day that an application had been made h
the Supreme Court by his sister, through
counsel for the appointment Of a commit
tee OF the person and property Of Rooln
OF the ground Of incompetency. Mr.. WHIT"
man said nc did not believe that il Wouid
interfere with Rollins arraignment to-day
The application was made on the petition
Of Dr Louise j. Robinowitch, the defend
ants sister. cf No q West 10th street.
Justice Page signed the order. and set the
case for hearing on the application be
fore Justice Gof on Thursday. The sister
alleges in her petition that her brother has
been irresponsible for the last ten years
wCr 1c
and interests were trying 10 tnjure him,
among them J. F. Morgan and the Penn
sylvania Railroad
SAYS He Had DeIuslons.
He told her several times. she says. that
u vas necessary for him 20 use eXtraordi-
nary precautions 10 protect his life from
The Morgan crowd" and the Pennsylvania
Railroad. who were trying 10 prevent him
frcnl accomplishing his mission OF the uni
fCation of the world" Prior 10 1900 he suf-
fered from twenty attacks Of vertigo and
from loss OF memory. on December u,
while he was AT her home. i'm West 1Hth
street under treatment for kidney trouble.
she saws. he sprang from his bed with
determination 10 take his life. This out
burst was followed nv an epileptic seizure
OF great severity. which was described as
similar to some he had experienced before.
She alleges that her brother is the owner
Of a large amount Of securities in the vari-
Gus companies in which he was interested.
many of which are now in the hands Of
bs nks and trust companies as collateral for
the payment OF notes upon which he is
liable She saws that on December 26
large amount OF stocks and bonds which be-
'longed 10 her brother was unawfully taken
by various persons The petitioner states
that another brother. known As Edmund L.
Robinson has been an inmate Of an asylum
end now lives with her as his legal GUS
todian.
An afidavit made 10y Dr. Austin Flint. the
alienist. that he has examined Robin and
found him unable TO manage his affairs, is
attached 10 the petition.
Judge Grain in General Sessions. yester-
day charged the new January grand jury
which to-day will take up the investigation
of the Northern and Washington bank
scandals He referred specifically 70 the
recent Robin exposures and admonished
the grand jury 10 investigate the whole
affair thoroughly and indict wherever the
evidence in their opinion. justified 1t. 1t
is understood that other indictments will
be filed against Robin and against several
implicated with him in transactions which
are alleged to have been irregular.
Trust Company Wanted Bank.
The Columbia Trust Company, of No.
135 Broadway was among those negotiat
ing for the purchase Of the Northern Bank
prior to the time that the Robin disclosures
we're made and the bank was closed. VIII
lard V King. president Of the trust COM
panv. said yesterday that he had been in
vited to Iiquidate the affairs Of the North
ern Bank Just prior TO its closing. and had
D visited the institution on December % and
looked over the assets. He found the Sc
curities held by the bank for the most part
20 he very good, he said. but when Robins
transactions became known the trust COM
pany dropped The matter.
Mr. King said II the trust company had
taken the matter in hand IL would first
have liquidated the banks affairs as to
assure the drpositors of their money and
then turned the bank over TO some one
else. or reorganized u themselves and used
Il and its nine branches as branches OF the
Columbia Trust Company.
The parents OF the indicted banker were
found Yesterday to be living in humble cir
cumstances in a tenement house at No. Ssl
Bushwick avenue, Williamsburg They
are Mr. and Mrs. Herman Robinowitch.
s both seventy FIVE years old. They occupy
three small rooms. They displayed a birth
certificate yesterday which showed that
. thiIty-fcur years ago Robin was born TO