Evening star., 1957-12-29
|1O% Sci Free
On Sanity Pleas
Return toCrinle
Murray Reports
On Study Of 300
In Past 10 Years

EOilcc CnleI ttODcTJ v. Mur-
Tray yesterday reported that
about 20 per cent Of the crimi-
mails released here after being
found Of unsound mind over
the past 10 years have gotten
into later serious trouble.
The police chief made public
q police study Of 30e cases
where court records showed q
finding Of mot guilty by reason
Of insanity" or "unsound mind. /"
The tabluation. he reported,
showed that lO4 Of these in
dividuals came into police Gus
tody after their release. OF
these. "a were charged with
offenses ranging from assault
and petty larceny TO robbery,
rape. assault with intent to kill
and homicide.
Query Launches Study
The study was made after
the chief was questioned about
q statement he made In an ad-
dress to the National AsSocia- :
ton Of Citizens Crime Com
missions. He said at that time
that the insanity defense had
been the vehicle for freeing
dozens Of persons who appeared
TO be normal while IN police
custody and that many Of these
individuals were found later by
police continuing their lives Of
crime.
The study showed that "a
persons have been committed
to the hospital under the 1855
law providing mandatory COM
mitment for defendants found
not guilty by reason Of insanity.
Ten of them were still in the
hospital as Of last month. in
eluding five committed since
last June.
OF the IL already released.
the study revealed. two have
been charged as fugitives from
justice since their release and
turned over to other iurisdic-
tions.
Two others were picked up by
police for offenses after their
release.
Records Searched
Chief Murray ordered a search
Of the records for the period
from January l. l947, to last
November to determine which
defendants released on insanity
grounds had gotten into subSe-
quent trouble.
It was in this group that 1t
was found that 20 per cent had
committed subsequent offenses.
A defendant whose assault
conviction has just been re-
versed by the Court OF Appeals
first shows up on Chief MUIR
rays list in 1850. He is Robert
Catlin. who was indicted for
robbery In july 1850, claimed
he was mentally incompetent
to stand trial and went to st.
Elizabeths. He was reported
mentally At for trial in March.
1852. but the Government
dropped the case. The day af-
ter he walked out Of jail, he
was arrested for petty larceny,
carrying a deadly weapon "a
gum. assault on a police officer
and destroying Government
property. He was found not
guilty Of the latter but was
sentenced to 500 or so days
on each Of the other charges.
Other Offenses
Two years later. he was
charged with pocketing more
than s400 by padding delivery
slips at a Suitland (MdJ su-
And q year after
that. in February. 1855. he was
accused Of seriously injuring
Mrs. Annie r. Potbury. IT.
year-old assistant manage Of
the YWCA. during an attempt
ed purse snatching in Farra-
gut Square. Mrs. Potbury suf-
fered a fractured left elbow
and a double fracture of her
pelvis.
Again. Catlin claimed he was
incompetent to stand
trial and was sent to st. Eliza
beths for a threee-month mem
tai examination. This time,
however. the hospital reported
he was Of sound mind and he
was tried, convicted and SEN
fenced 10 serve three to nine
years.
The Court Of Appeals re-
versed the conviction last
Many Of the cases listed by
Chief Murray showed several
offenses committed by
The same defendantS after THAR