The Lamar register., 1922-11-08
Ills I uRYS
MYSTERIES
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NUMBER IS"

= the gloomy walls Of the Asylum for
the Criminally Insane at Mattewan,
n. Y, there Is headpiece which
bears the number "sS"-and, back Of
this simple inscription. is story OF
identity concealed even In the face OF
the laws most determined efforts
which makes fiction appear pale and
commonplace by comparison.
All that is known of the early his
tory of Mrs. Henrietta Robinson" the
palpably assumed name of the woman
whose body resB beneath the num-
bered headstone at Mattewan, is that
she was OF either English or Canadian
origin and that she came to Troy, y.
Y, In 1851, being always well sup
piled with funds from source which
rigid Investigation which followed her
arrest on the charge or murder.
Some months after Mrs. Robinson"
settled In Troy a strange and appar-
entity inexpllcable tragedy occurred
A merchant and young woman who
was living with his family dropped
dead at the table A post-mortem eN-
animation showed that they had been
poisoned and, despite the absence Of
motive, Mrs. Robinson" who had
been present. was arrested, but re-
fused to say q word even To her law
yer.
To add to the air or mystery which
surrounded the entire case. the de
PENDANT insisted upon appearing in
court shrouded In a heavy black veil
which effectually concealed her fea-
lures. All during the trial she sat,
impressive and unmoved, apparently
taking not the slightest Interest In the
conduct of the proceedings. When the
state had concluded its case, a com
paratively iimsy structure Of circum
stantial evidence, the counsel for the
defense arose and, admitting that he
had not a shred Of direct evidence TO
offer. introduced the ples OF Insanity.
At the conclusion OF the trial and
before delivering his charge to the
Jury, the presiding Judge called atten-
tion TO the fact that no one in the
court had seen the defendants face
and requested MIS-. 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
the crowded courtroom. ito undergo
a most painful ordeal, not to be
saEed at"
The request was not repeated and.
Aalfha.-a ~ hnnrz
the Jury returned verdict of
Guilty" and the prisoner was SEN
fenced to death-a decree which WIS
later committed TO life Imprisonment
by order of the governor. though not
before Mrs. Robinson" had made her
one formal statement In the shadow
of the gallows:
When l am dead" she declared.
all viii die with me. l have prom
ised to be silent. to die without be
traying anything"
The FIRST is years Of her life sen
fence were passed In Sing Sing peni-
tertiary She was then moved to the
Auburn State Prison for the Insane,
where she remained for IT years, and
finally to the Asylum OF the Criminally
Insane at Mattewan, where the woman
Of mystery finally died On May 4. 1893.
after - years In prison. During all
this time, however. she never wrote 4
letter nor spoke word, save to her
lawyer who visited her at regular in
tervals and who admitted that his
services haG been paid for by certain
influential persOnages" whom he was
not at liberty to name.
All that was known Of Henrietta
Robinson" was that she played the
organ ut Sing Sing with the touch Of
a master musician and that she died
as 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?
Had she poisoned the merchant and
his young guest and. IL so. with what
motive,
Why had she insisted upon conceal
ing her face during the trial2
II she were innocent. why did she
refuse for more than half a century
TO make any plea for leniency?
What did she mean by her state
ment that she had promised to be
silent. to die without betraying any
thingr'
Nrrto the f,tnHS NTH which