St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1922-11-03
His TEEY'S
MYSTERIES
"NUMBER So"

Tn the Potter's field Just outsld
a the gloomy walls Of the Asylum 70
the Crlminally Insane nt Muttewnn
n. Y, there Is headplece whlcl
bears the number "sS"-and, back o
this simple inscription, Is story o
identity concealed even I'm the face o
the laws most determined efforts
which makes fiction appear pale anC
commonplace by comparison.
All that Is known Of the early his
tory Of Mrs. Henrietta Robinson" IN,
palpably assumed name " the woman
whose body rests beneath the mum
bered headstone ut Mnttcwan, Is thnt
she was Of either English or Canadian
origin and that she came to Troy, n
Y, In 1851, being always well sup
piled with funds from a source which
remained concealed even during the
rigid investigation which followed her
arrest on the charge OF murder.
Some months after Mrs. Robinson
settled I'm Troy n strange and nppur
entity inexpllcable Tragedy occurred
A merchant and a young woman who
was living with his family dropped
dend nt the table. A post.mortcm cX.
animation showed that they had been
poisoned and despite the absence OF
motive, "NIrs Robinson" who had
been present. was arrested, but re-.
fused 10 say word even 60 her law.
yer
TO add 90 the mir or mystery which
surrounded the entire case, the de.
fendant Insisted upon appearing IN
court shroudcd IN n heavy black veil
which cffectunlly concealed her fca.
lures. All during the trial she sat,
impnsslye and unmoyod. apparently
taking not the slightest interest IN the
conduct ~ tho proceedings. When the
state had concluded lts ease, com.
pnrntively nlmsy structure of clrcum.
stnntlnl evidence, the counsel Tor the
defense arose and, admitting thut he
had not shred of direct evidence IN
ofrcr, introduced the plcn Of insanity
AZ the conclusion ~ the trial and
before delivering his charge tu the
jury. the presiding Judge called nticn.
tlon 10 the fuct that NO one IN the
court had seen the defendants fucc
and requested "Mrs. Robinson" to lift
her yoll.
Slowly and with great dignity shc
arose. but made no EFFORT to comply
with the courts request.
~ nm here" she stated, IN n voice
which penetrated to every corner of
the crowded courtroom. "to undergo
most painful ordeal. not 60 be
gaEed at."
The request was not repeated md.
after n dcllbcrntlon ~ several hours,
the jury returned verdict ~
Guilty" and the prisoner was sen.
fenced 10 death-n decree which wus
later commutcd 10 HE Imprisonment
by order ~ the governor. though not
before "Alrs Robinson" had mudr her
one formal statement IN the shndow
OF the gnllows:
when 1 am dcnd," she declared,
"all viii die with me. / have prom
lsed 20 be silent. 10 die without be.
trnylng anything
The first rs years OF her lIfc sen.
trnce were passed Ia Sing sling pvnl'
tentiary. she was then moved to The
Auburn State Prison Tor the Insane,
where she remained Tor ~ years. aud
finally 20 the Asylum ur the Crlmluully
Insane at Muttewun, Wherr the woman
~ mystery finally died on May I. 1893.
after " years IN prison. During all
this time. however. she never wrote
letter nor spoke a word, save a. her
lawyer who visited her az regular la
terynls and who admitted that his
services had been paid Tor hy certain
Influential personnges' whom he was
not al liberty 10 name.
All that was known Of Henrietta
Robinson" was that she played the
organ at Sling Sing with the touch ~
a master musician aud that shc died
as she had liyed-in silence, utter and
absolute, leaving os heritage some
OF the most puzzllng questions IA the
history OF criminal proceedings;
What was the wOmnns real uumr
and where had she come fromI
Had she poisoned the merchant aud
his young guest and. II 30, with what
mOtlyei
why had she insisted upon conceal.
Ing her face during the trinlf
II she were innocent. why aid she
refuse for more than half century
10 make any plea for lenleucyf
What did she mean by her state
nent that she "had promised 90 bc
silent. 10 die without betrayng any
hingf"
Who supplied the funds with which |
he lawyer was paldf
The answers 20 these ana as many T.
more unsolyed riddles connected with /
his woman Of mystery lie concealed |
beneath that simple headpiece IN the |
pOtters field at MutteNan. a head /