The Washington times., 1921-04-06
bECKW|THMAD
FOR R2.MONTHS
Associates Recall Eccentricities
Of Man Who Killed Self After
Staying Dean.

SYRACUSE. N. Y. April g.
While Syracuse, town and gown, was
paying its last silent tribute to Dean
John Herman Wharton, murder VIC
tim Of his subordinate, DR.. Holmes
Beckwith, himself suicide, evidence
accumulated to stamp the slayer as
partially mentally unbalanced for
the last two months.
ACTIONS PROVED UNBALANCED.
DR.. Bsckwith's conduct In his class-
room and outside. placed under the
spotlight By the authorities, disclos-
Cd actions and deeds that were the
work OF an ego. either abnormal or
subnormaL
Added to the irrational course Of
action DR.. Beekwith pursued in his
classes In banking and insurance in
the College OF Business Administra-
rattle attitude In other fields.
DR.. Beckwith was mentally carded
as "Queer" BY attaches OF the Syra-
cuse office OF the state Income Tax
Bureau. where he arbitrarily demand
ed that he be permitted to claim de-
duction for the freight paid on the
transportation Of his household goods
from Colorado to this city.
His tnsfstence led to the officials
humoring him. but the Albany audit
ors rejected the deductions.
The opinion OF irrationaIity that at
taches OF the State office gained at
that time was strengthened later
when they heard him address a meet
Ing Of bank employees very recently.
ACTED QUEERLY AT BANK. e.
At his bank. DR.. Beckwith likewise
gave striking evidence of his loss of
mental balance. Although once q
California bank examiner, he COM
planned bitterly at the local bank be-
cause the entries in his bank book
were not all in the same handwriting.
Again. at the late tryouts Of the
Drama League for the case OF Two
Crooks and . Lady" DR.. Beckwith, a
quiet-mannered person. declared him.
self the type to enact the part of
daring crook. His mental state puz-
zied the members of the league, and
he was eliminated from the cast.
He ordered a breakfast at q crock
cry store very recently. but gave no
name and address,. and then COM
planned because the order was not de-
livered.
And so, piece by piece. the authori-
ties arc completing the chain of evil
dence proving that DIR. Beckwith was
mentally irresponsible for a period of
weeks. and their surprise over the fact
that his intimates failed to suspect
this 10 shared only by that occasioned
by the fact that DR.. Beckwith made
no attempt At Wholesale slaughter to
avenge the "injustice" Of which he
considered himself the victim
LETTER TO MRS. MERRILL
One OF the last letters written by
Beckwith was addressed to Mrs. Z. II.
Merrill. who subiets . part of DIR.
Beckwith's apartment here. In 1t he
says:
81 do not expect justice in death
any more than in life. but should like
to be correctly understood and ap-
praised, and have hopes that I may
be, in q slight measure.
Never did Job more passionately
express his desire by the words-new
version know that my vindicator
liveth,' that Is, someone who would
vindicate his accused self to the
world"
The double tragedy disclosed a hid
den chapter in Beckwith's lifc-the
fact that his wife had divorced him.
weddin CHER first cousin, Karl Davis
Robinson, OF New York. Praising his
wife in some parts OF his farewell
biography, DR.. Beckwith bitterly as
sails her in others. Robinson put
aside his first wife and mother Of two
children to wed Mrs. Beckwith, her
I'm sha nd states