New-York tribune., 1911-03-15
Sentence Deferred, He May Be
Sent to MatteaWan After Giving
Aid in Carnegie Trust Case.
EVIDENCE SAID TO BE VITAL
Whitman Expects Corroboration
Of Robins Story from Bank
ers After It Is Told to
the Grand Jury.

| IL rust Company an tne NlEtteeHNf
Ward Bank, and Robert l.. Smith. vice
presiden; Of the Carnegie Trust Com
pany, with several clerks OF the Carnegie
Trust Company and the two uptown in
stitutions. testified before the grand jury
yesterday. Their story concerns the de-
tails cf transaction by which one OF
the directors Of the Carnegie company
got 100000 from the company.
Joseph G.. Robin will not be sentenced
or his recent plea of guilty" before
April %. and he will have one last
though rather indirect. opportunity to
change the location Of the place of his
confinement from Sing Sing to Mattea-
wan. Robin would otherwise have been
sentenced on March 90. This much re-
suited from the first conference OF those
most closely connected with the Robin
case held since his decision to plead
| guilty TO an indictment charging him
with grand larceny.
The conference was held late yester-
tice Seabury. who will pronounce sem
tence upon Robin. and besides the Justice
there were present District Attorney
Whitman. William Travers Jerome,
Robins counsel up to the day he pleaded
guilty, and Samuel J. Goldsmith. his
present counsel DR. Louise Robino-
witch. Robins sister. and Mrs Dorian.
his secretary. were in an anteroom
awaiting the outcome Of the conference.
Robin will thus he enabled to help Dis
trict Attorney Whitman In his investiga- =
| ton Of the tangle that has grown out Of
| the failure Of the Carnegie Trust Com
rany and his good faith in that respect
may possibly tend 10 mitigate his own
punishment.
! From the story Of George l.. Dyer,
Carnegie Trust Company for s396,Ooo. II
appeared yesterday that Andrew car
negie's legal right to hold the stock OF
the Platt Iron Works was doubtful
The stock Of that concern was made
over to Mr.. Carnegie as security for his
! loan To the trust company. in January,
/ 1910. of $4,000, 600 In United States Steel
bonds. Dyer said yesterday that the
| Platt Iron Works stock had been the
| original security for his note. and that
J it was only after the closing Of the trust
company that he discovered the substi :
tuition of the Independent Fertilizer
| Company stock as security for his note
Varying Stories Of Conference.
The conference in the late after
noon gave rise TO many rumors and
numerous unanswered queries as TO its
origin. Justice Seabury understood that
It was planned by Goldsmith. Robins
lawyer. Goldsmith said that it was JUS
tice eabury's idea. The District At
| tOrney said he did not originate the idea
but was called in only To verify Gold
smiths claim that it would be well t.
postpone the sentencing of Robin, and
Mr.. Jerome declared lie came into it only
because he felt it to be his duty as Al
officer Of the court and as a citizen.
District Attorney Whitman said thai
Robins testimOnoy was supremely es
sential to his prosecution of the Car
|
some slight corroboration from banker!
concerned, and that with that corrobora
ton Of Robins story. which he fully ex
pected to get, it was necessary to hi!
case that he have Robin on hand TO re-
peat his story to the grand jury.
1T was agreed when Robin made his
plea." said Judge Whitman. that Mr.
Jerome might lay before Justice Seabury
ANYTHING that he saw fiji that might
guide him in passing sentence
Justice Seabury has a right, it wa:
said by lawyers yesterday, to order an,
irouiry that he feels may be necessary
now to determine Robins sanity. to sat
isfv himself before he sentences him.
The scheme agreed upon at yesterday:
conference. it was reported, was tha'
those expert alienists and the laymer
who testified before Judge Swami on the
oucstion of Robins sanity will be asked
70 appear now and give their present
opinion on the same question, based upor
their previous observations and their de-
liberation since that time. These opin
ions will simply be noted by stenog
raphers. who will make three transcripts
NJ this auasi-testimony. one of which
will GO TO Justice Seabury. one to Mr.
Whitman and one to Mr.. Jerome.
Evidence Of Robins Condition.
These transcripts will be nothing more
than a statement OF opinion, to which
the witnesses may AXE oath after II has
bcen Transcribed. From the transcript
q is understood. Justice Seabury. aideo
nv a comparison with the statements
c,om the same witnesses made at tn,
tune Of Robins trial, will determine fol
himself the question as 10 whether Robin
is unquestionably sane enough to bt
sentenced to state prison, or insane
enough to be committed 10 the asylum
for the criminal insane. IL he should
no, he convinced either way after com
paring the statements, he might appoint
q commission Of experts to make fur
ther report. but i'm such proceeding he
would probably have the opposition oi
the District Attorney. who feels that
with the recorded judgment Of the ex-
per ; who previously passed upon Robins
case. no medical auihorltles would DC
found to dissent from that decision tha'
the banker was insane.
1t was carefully explained from sew
oral sources that the decision reao ohed by
,bo conference was not to be construed
as meaning that Justice Senbury was
! seeking In any way Ia reNle" 'hc nhuihe
Pol