Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-10-04
|HISTuRYIS|
MYSTERIES
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NUMBER SO"

IN The Potter's field just outside
= the gloomy walls of the Asylum for
esie Griminally Insane at Mattewan,
q. Y, there is headpiece which
bears the number "SS''-and, back of
fhis simple Inscription, is a story Of
identity concealed even In the face of
the laws most determined efforts
which makes fiction appear pale and
commonplace by comparison
al that is known of the early his
tory OF Mrs. Henrietta Robinson" the
palpably assumed name of the woman
whose. body rests beneath the num-
3ered headstone at Mattewan, is that
she was of either English or Canadian
origin and that she came to Troy, N.
T., 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 or murder.
Some months after Mrs. Robinson"
settled in Troy a strange and appar-
emily ineXplicable tragedy occurred.
A merchant and young woman who
WAS living with his family dropped
dead at the table post-mortem ex-
animation showed that they had been
poisoned and, despite the absence of
motive, Mrs. Robinson who had
keen present, was arrested, but re-
fused to say a word even to her law
yer.
To add to the air OF mystery which
surrounded the entire case, the de-
3endant insisted upon appearing in
ccurt shroud,d in heavy black veil
which effectually concealed her fea-
lures. All during the trial she sat-
mpasslve and unmoved, apparently
taking not the slightest interest in the
ronduet Of the proceedings. When the
State had concluded It's case, COM
nsratiyely fiimsy structure of circum-
StRDtial evidence, the counsel for the
defense arose and, admitting that he
bad not shred of direct evidence to
pfsy, introduced the plea of insanity
Al the conclusion of the trial and
before delivering his charge to the
Jury, the presiding judge called atten-
tioD TO the fact that no one In the
fpuri had seen the defendants face
and requested Mrs Robinson" to lift
her veil
Slowly and with great dignity she
arose, but made no effort to comply
with the courts request.
81 am here" she stated, in a voice
which penetrated to every corner of
she crowded courtroom, Ito undergo
4 Mtsst painful ordeal, not to be
gazed at"
The request was not repeated and,
after deliberation of several hours,
She Jury returned verdict Of
-Gyiity' and the prisoner was SEN
Fenced to death-a decree which was
later committed to life Imprisonment
by order Of the governor. though not
sefore Mrs. Robinson" had made her
me formal statement in the shadow
If the gallows:
When | am dead" she declared,
all will die with me. have prom
lsed to be silent, to die without be
1rayfng anything"
The first IS years of her life SEN
Hnce were passed In Sing Sing penl-
tentiary. She was then moved to the
Auburn State Prison for the Insane,
where she remained for II years, and
Mally to the Asylum Of the Crimlnally
insane at Mattewan, where the woman
VI mystery finally died on May 4, 1905.
xfter 50 years In prison. During all
his time, however, she never wrote a
lefter uor spoke word, save to her
sawyer who visited her at regular in
seryals and who admitted that his
serviaes had been paid for by certain
nsasnsial personages" whom he was
not at liberty to name.
AL that was known Of Henrietta
Robinson was that She played the
rgan at Sing Sing with the touch of
master musician and that she died
rs she had lived-in silence, utter and
absolute, leaving as a heritage some
Of the most puzzling questions in the
history of criminal proceedings:
What was the woman's real name
and where had she come from?
AaN she poisoned the merchant and
dis young guest and, If so, with what
zStive2
Why had she insisted upon conceal
ing her face during the trial?
II, she were innocent, why did she
rsfusxA for more than half a century
10 make any plea for lenlency?
What did she mean by her state
ment that she had promised to be
silent, to die without betraying any
sniDg2"
Who supplied the funds with which
me lawyer was paid?
The answers to these and as many
more uns0lved riddles connected with
this woman Of mystery lie concealed
beneath that simple headpiece In the
PETERS field at Mattewan, a head
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