The New York herald., 1921-06-28
BLAME BOYS INJURY
FOR ATTACK ON GIRL
Friends Believe Erasmus
Hall High School Youth
Victim of Amnesia.
HURT In ATHLETICS
Blow OH Head in Lacrosse
Said Temporarily to Have
Deranged Him.
RECORD AS PUPIL HIGH
Insists He Recalls Nothing of
Episode, but Bail Still Is
Refused Him.
RECORD AS PUPIL HIGH

Temporary mental arrangement
caused by blows on the head suffered
in lacrosse matches and by injury to
the inner ear received while he was
swimming under water was advanced
yesterday as the explanation of the
strange conduct Of James T. Conway,
the Erasmus High School boy who is
locked up in the Raymond street Jail
In Brooklyn
He continues to say, with an inn
pressive manner of sincerity, that he
has no recollection of entering the
bedroom of Miss Ethel Stewart at IS
Sidney place early Sunday, trying to
gag her, tie her hands with towels and
beating her with a revolver. His
friends believe he is telling the truth.
]. Herbert Low, principal of Erasmus
High, says:
This boy is fine. clean and honorable.
He is q model student. He has won
thirteen medals In track athletics at
Erasmus. Last year he won a medal
for organizing the cheering section. He
has won five 'Es' on the track and one In
lacrosse and another In soccer football
and a small n. E. for cross country
running. We have never known him
to tell lie. I am perfectly amazed at
the charge made against him, and the
whole school Is behind him.
Held without Bail.
Nevertheless the evidence is such that
1.oII writ hail I~x,A Me-
trate McClosky in Adams Street Court
yesterday. on charges Of felonious as
sault and burglary. He was also held In
81 900 bail for having n revolver in vio-
lation of the Sullivan law. His father.
James +. Conway an insurance adjuster,
Of 165 Hicks street. visited District At
torney Lewis seeking the boys release
on bail. His counsel. John S. Bennett,
believes that in day or two bail will be
fixed at $25.000 and that young Conway
will be released He then intends to
have a physical and mental examination
MADE to determine exactly his clients
condition.
The policeman who arrested Conway
as he vaulted brick wall into
Joralemon street admits that his cap
tive seemed to be 'in a daze." Conway
himself. whose blue eyes never wavered
as he told his story Of loss of memory
W d NEW lORh HERALD reporter IN the
jail yesterday. said he could not believe
that even in the period Of blankness he
could have done what he is accused Of
He does not believe that Miss Stewart
could have identified him positively
Yet she does
Wore Rubber Soled Shoes
When arrested Conway not only had
his fathers revolver, but was wearing
a pair of rubber soled tennis shoes From
the prosecutors standpoint, this Is a
count against him, tending to indicate
generalization and preparation for
stealthy entrance into the Kings Daugh-.
ters cooperative boarding house, where
Miss Stewart and thirty other young
women live. Conway explains that he
had been wearing tennis shoes earlier In
the evening. while canoeing with his
friend, Raymond Boyson. at Sheepshead
Bay. and kept them on.
Conway said he went to the Y. NJ. C. A.
In Hanson place. expecting to go camp
ing, but as he found no comrade there
who wanted to accompany him he and
Boyson decided to go canoeing. They
left Sheepshead Bay after o'clock, the
boy said changed at Franklin avenue
from the Brighton Beach to the Fulton
street line and got off at Cumberland
street. Boyson went home and Conway
continued on toward his home a mile
away. on Columbia Heights. The last
thing he remembered he was watching
a block party. He thinks that's where his |
mind ran off the track. for, he says. he
cannot remember now just where the |
party was
The athletic coach and some of the |
pupils at Erasmus Hall say that few |
weeks ago Conway got an unusually |
severe whack with racquet Conway's |
testimony is II don't know about that,
but I got many a good wallop." Nine |
months ago. while swimming under
water. he felt what he calls terrific |
pounding in the ears" After that pains
in the head awoke him often when he
was trying to sleep. But he didn't tell
his father. The reason for this appar-
emily was that he was afraid his father
would take him out OF athletics But
the father became aware of the head
aches and called physician, who said
they would pass away presently. The
boy says he has never smoked or taken
a drink. He says he never knew Miss
Stewart or any other girl in the Sidney
place boarding house.