Evening star., 1925-09-09
FATHER TO PROVIDE
DEFENSE FOR NOEL
VIII Do Duty as Parent, He
SayS-TeIIs of Sons
ECCentriCities.
By the Associated Press.

NEW YORK, September 9.-What
he regards as a fathers duties are
to be performed by Dix W. Noel. 2
New York lawyer, in behalf of his 90
Eear-old son. Harrison, who kidnapped
and killed 6-year-old Mary DAILY OF
Montclair, \. j., and killed a negro
chauffeur in order to get an automo
bile for the abduction.
At the Fraternity Club here las
night Mr.. Noel announced that he had
retained lawyers and would stand by
his son, who he says is insane. For
release of his son from an asylum
' Mr.. Noel blamed asylum officials. who
he said had informed him that the
boN would become mentally well.
l shall perform my duties as a
1ather toward my insane son." Mr.
Noel said
Indictment Is Sought.
Meanwhile authorities at Newark
are seeking indictment of the youth.
j. Victor D'Aloia. acting county prose
cutor at Newark, plans to present
the matter quickly to the grand jury.
capt. James F. Mason, chief of
county detectives. said yesterday that
she youth was hopelessly insane and
that a trial was unlikely. After con-
rerring with Mr.. D'Aloia yesterday,
Mr.. Mason said:
We are going to leave it up to the
defense to prove that Noel is insane.
The law presumes that a man is sane
slll he is proved TO be ininsane.'
The captain said that after indict-
ment and arraignment he expected at
forneys for the defense to bring up
the sanity issue. Meanwhile sanity
experts in behalf of the State will ex-
anime the youth.
Mr.. Noel said that he had been liv-
sng at the Fraternity Club for a week.
His wife, Mrs. Anne Noel a writer,
has been Frustrated at the Noel home
IN Montclair since the revelations last
Sunday as to her sons crimes.
Mr.. Noel reviewed eccentricities of
his son. At one time. he said. the boy
was filled with "remorse and compass
sion" at having shot and killed a. rab-
bit. The same feeling came over his
son, he said, when the boy hit him
over the head with a hatchet while
asleep in camp at Sag Harbor, Me
Numerous specialists had examined
young Noel from time to time, his
father said. He was placed in several
institutions. At II he passed the
Harvard entrance examinations, but
suddenly changed his mind and went
10 Andover (Mass) Academy. In two
weeks he entered Harvard. and sew
eral months later was asked to leave
by the dean.
Tells of Sons Behavior.
Showing plainly the strain occasioned
by his sons troubles, Mr.. Noel de-
clared he was in such a state that he
could not speak. He, however. gave
out lengthy statement through his
attorney, James ID. Carpenter of Jer-
sey City, in which the eccentricities
of the boy were outlined
while Harrison has shown a good
many eccentricities, said the state
ment, II have never, previous to the
present horrible occurrence at Mont
clair, known of but one instance in
which he displayed any tendency to-
ward violence. AS a matter of fact,
since boyhood he has seemed exceed
Sngly gentle
The hatchet incident then was de-
Hcribed by Mr.. Noel as follows:
About three years ago while my
two boys, my daughter. my wife and
. myself were camping at Sag Harbor,
was sleeping on the ground oppo-
site Harrison. Before going to sleep
we both seemed somewhat restless
and talked most amicably. | remem-
Der that before / went to sleep Harri-
son recited to me quite a long pas
sage from Kiplings Hymn. In the
sniddle of the night l was awakened
by blows over the head. ! sat up
and shouted, Harrison. Harrison!
Somebody is hitting me- Harrison
fell into my arms and said, Why, 1t
must have been L. He was SO COM
passionate and Jealous in giving me
first aid that i never could believe
that he was conscious when he did
st. The blows, however, We're made
with a hatchet and if it had not
been for the very efficient aid that
was extended TO me by my sons, Dix,
,ir., and Harrison, / no doubht would
have suffered severely from loss of
blood.
This is the only previous instance
when | have ever known him to be
snclined toward violence.
Incarceration Was Advised
Knowing that my son was eccen-
fric following this attack. / consult
ed an eminent neurologist and had
him examine my son. He said that
81 it were his boy, he would send
him to an institution"
air. Noel then asserted that after
Having been patient at an institu-
zion in Beacon, n. Y. Harrison was
committed to Overbrook.
81 learned of my boys escape from
Overlook from a telephone message
from Bellevue Hospital on the LIST of
July" the statement continued. This
telephone message was 70 the effect
Shat my boy was confined in the OBJ
servation ward, that there was appar-
emily not much the matter with him
and that ! should come and get him.
II called at the observation ward
that afternoon and said l had come
for my son. On our way down town
Harrison told me he was very tired
and did not want to go home to
Nontclair that night. Accordingly, l
took him to my brothers apartment
al l15 Washington place, New York.
Preferred Death to Asylum.
81 slept In the same bed with him
through the night. The next morning
lie accompanied me to my office and
we made a start for Montclair. I
told him that l would have to take
him back to Overlook and straighten
out the matter of his leaving the
hospital without permission. On the
way from the Office Harrison told me
that he was afraid that If he entered
the place again he would never leave
alive. He said: L wish you would kill
ne rather than take me back there
! told him could do nothing myself
without the advice Of physician
from Overlook, but that 7 would try
W SCl lllC NOClOL . pei lliASoiOiA 1Ol iiliil
10 stay with me and let him go back
TO work if they thought that he was
IN fit condition to do So"
Mr. Noel said he was told at the
hospital that Harrison could go back
30 work, but that the parent should
report his progress. He said he OBJ
falned a job for Harrison in New
York early in July, which he held for
some days and then went to spend
n week with his mother in Montclair,