The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-11-30
The Case of Robert Irwin

Inc case OF ROBERT irwin
TT SEEMS advisable to make few remarks the
i case of Robert Irwin.
Not that Irwin himself is highly important. But the
disposition of his raises the whole ques
ton of our present methods of dealing with insane killers
or potential killers and whether
Serves to Revue those methods are enlightened
An Old Question or out"orn
Irwin, some twenty months
after the crime began Monday to pay the penalty for his
Easter, 1887 murder of three persons-Mrs. Mary
Gedeon, her daughter, Veronica, and Frank Byrnes
boarder at the Gedeons apartment.
By pleading guilty to second degree murder, advice
of Attorney Sam Leibowitz Irwin ducked both the elec
trio chair and the Matteawan Hospital for the Criminal
Insane. He drew prison sentences adding up to 1879
years. and taken at padded cell in Sing Sing
Several doctors feel that Irwin will not live than
five years. he being victim of syphilis tuberculosis and
what alienists call good od-fashoned dementia
praecox while others call it caathymc crisis. Anyway
his brain is not all it should be.
Not that Irwin was or is insane at all times. He had
sense enough to figure out that the boarder Byrnes
might wake up and catch him in the murder apartment
after Mrs. Gedeon was killed
Sane Appearance; he had cunning enough to kill
TUisted Brain the sleeping ByrneS with an
icepck.
He smart enough to make his getaway, and to
eude nationwide police hunt for three months and to
bargain with Chicago newspaper for handsome fee
for finally giving himself up.
But he was known to be dangerously unbalanced,
shown by his insane asylum record Irwin was under
observation at Bellevue from October e. 1892 to March
II, 1888, during which time he tried to perform
emasculation operation himself. He committed
Ito the Rockand State Hospital for the Insane March H.
1885, and paroed May II, 1884 Failing to find work.
he voluntarily returned to Rockland January II, 1885,
and paroed in his custody July Is, 1886. He
served third short voluntary term in Rockand in the
summer and fall of 1886, being finally discharged
improved" on September rs, 1886.
Six months later-March %, 1937-he committed the
triple murder. Irwin, though known by acquaintance
to be highly and quick tempered able to act
sensby enough to be received in the home of the
NAL Gedeon family All the time, they befriendng
being who outwardly man but inwardly mad
dog whose killer impulses hung mysterious hair
trigger in his brain.
We send man like Irwin to comparatively comfort
able prison for f at the taxpayers expense Prevented
by prison routine from taking chances with his health
Irwin may easily fool the doctors who
MUU men, think he won't last over live years. He
, MIL Dn is good to society, good to himself.
""" 9 There are numerous killers who
might be reclaimed. Sane persons who kill in moment
of passion or accidentally in hodup, often have the
akngs of useful citizens if put through course OF
modern criminal rehabilitation. Yet the law is that such
killers must die Plenty of them beat the rap but that
is the law.
Insane Understanding to themselves and to
sociey-are immune from the death penalty because the
ancient philosophy of the law is that who does
not know the difference between right and wrong is not
to be punished for crime Hence we keep insane
killers alive.
1t all reminds you of the LoebLeopold in which
we have always thought justice miscarried OF these
two mad dogs has been killed by fellow convict
in some sort of foul prison mxup, while the other lives
on a burden to the taxpayers and to himself.
We ought to remodel laws according to modern
thought on these things The law should forget the
ancient idea of revenge for murder and interest itself in
M rehabilitatng criminals who be rehabitated and
(2) simply removing, for the good of all concerned
crimnaly insane killers who will never be cured