New-York tribune., 1911-03-02
'VAI7,' AL|EN|STS ADVISE.
eohjn's Paranoia Will Develop,
Say Experts in Insanity.
uue WILL SHOOT SOMEBODY"
This Declaration by One Doctor
Think Plea of Guilty Clever
Play of Crazy Person.

~ doctors who reported Joseph q.
pobin as insane took his declaration OF
~ and plea OF guilty yesterday philo-
a,n,callv. wait for the developments
- tbeir attitude. He will be sent TO the
80 prison. Of course. and after ne gets
- n he is found 10 be insane, he VIII
=. cont 10 Matteawan. II may seem
- nlsv for him TO plead guilty but his
,-so-,,v will find him out as surely IN the
"..,,sn,iary as behind the counter OF
bank -, .b.
,,te.s who declared Robin 70 be insane,
- because this man was clever enough
eeece great many people that ne
"a not be insane. They do not under
e..,5 that thai Is only a proof OF his IN
-,.v They think. also. that because he
- 10 is SAM that is proof that his mind
:. sound that. likewise. is typical ot MS
-ai,tor The man is undoubtedly para
-oisc and. like al paranoiacs. he declares
r,-rsslf 10 be sane. II he regains his lree-
5o1, after term in prison. he VIII shoot
,o,ns one some day
- Austin Flint said that it was quite
-,sis,ent with the aienists' theory "i
r,n,n that he should admit shamming ana
80 entity with the aWowed purpose o.
ffr.osine those whom he accused OF con-
spiring against him.
60 FAR as I am now informed d.
y,,,. continued Il see no reason 10 chanse
-. onini9n that Robin is insane ana IN
D.,ahie ~ advising counsel as to facts IN
~ csse or inteligently assisting In ms
al
- srnDose that Robins friends "oulu du-
,5ss him 10 take a term in prison raIneI
-, rfe al Matteawan and that ne shouIu
s.oe,, that advice and make the s'a-e-
-.,,,s credited 10 him in regard TO sna'h-
ring. - A,..erl,,
, criminal paranoiac always bitterly
... O. defence Of insanity. and the MS
80. NJ paranoia abounds in cases IN "ihch
"a. asfsnce has been resisted, even Al 'ne
- ~ the prisoners life. The Thaw case
=. an example Of this.
..r,-o,, the first examination o. Room q,
..,. osce 70 the last examination at the
I,.e,-,c, Attorneys Office. he insisted thaI
- zane At the last examination he
-. a,,,sad OF shamm1ng and he denled
80. =. mas shamming and said that ne
vrss not insane. ne S1iN' ~ a..
-, g~o,nd for him 70 plead insanity
- that conviction for a criminal a0'
rssrt short term in prison While ao-
- m the ground Of insanity meant
,,rarcsration for llfe IN Matteawan'
- ,us, NrcLane Hamilton said that ne
- not interested in District Attorney
vrr,-r,an's comments on expert testimony
- an, doing ny work here every day TO
- t.s. oT nv ability" he said. and What
.ne instruct Attorney thinks Of expert tes-
.,-,o,,, does not matter 10 me. AS rar as
~, is concerned. the proceedings IN
.a,.-+ today do not change my opinion OF
-. -,srtal condition. He always declared
.o.re that he was sane, bur he was under
observation al the hospital for days anu
no was as crazy as any man they ever hao
there l reported that he was insane ana
I still think So -.
Or MzH G. Scr1app, who was P1e u Iie
sIenists on whose report Justice amend
committed Robin 70 Dr. Macdonald sana-
torium, said.
y was only concerned in the first ex-
animation Of Robin. before II was known
that he had committed any criminal acts.
T have not seen him since ~ became known
that Re vas q bank vrecker. but my opin-
,or OF his mental condition has not
changed I think the man is a paranoiac-
As FOR Mr Whitman's comments on ex-
rert testimony and his statement that this
case Is a great blow 70 expert testimony
! think IL is time that the whole matter
Of expert medical testimony was taken up
and put on a proper basis We have fire.
y .
unqualified 10 testify on insanity being &C
cepted in court az experts and allowed 10
exert q commanding influence in criminal
cases. The legal and medical professions
will have 20 get together and remedy this
condition OF affairs. or medical men win
have 10 do 1t without the help Of the law
yers for their own protection 1t is
scandal in the medical profession to-day
and il cannot be allowed 10 go on much
longer"