I[!!|!lll,lin!iii!l aiiiiii 'riiiljii iHlilllilllJIlllllillJIllltlllililWiiill'ii'I'ililli y\/74 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1 89 1 BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE DATE DUE tl4:P€ m. l Uh!AK ' i LOAmBiSjL I. The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924032587010 Cornell University Library HV6248.R66 W74 Henrietta Robinson Clin 3 1924 032 587 010 HENEIETTA EOBINSON *' Her early years were fall of promise. Beauty Was hers, and intellect, and all the aids Which fortune, family, and friends could give, ******** But she was ' crossed in love,' and thence her life To headloBg ruin tended. BY D. WILS ON. ^EWYORKAiWAUBUfiiX: MILLER, ORTON <& MULLIGAI^'. New York: 25 Park Row— Auburn : 107 Geneaee-st. 1855. ^O /\(oO 0^ ti- Entered according to Act of ('oii<,^ress, in the year one thousand eight hxmdi'cd and lifty-five, B >■ T> . WILSON. In the Clerk's Office of the Distiict Court of the Northern Disti-ict of New York. A U B U R IJT : MILLEE, OR TON & MULLIGAN, STBEEOTYPEne AND PKTMTEK8. PREFACE. The principal design of the author in the compilation of the following pages has been, to preserve, in substantial form, the proceedings of one of the most important criminal trials that has ever taken place in this country. There have been few- cases in the history of our jurisprudence, wherein the plea of insanity has been miore ably discussed, and none, perhaps, which has left more serious doubts upon the public mind, notwith- standing its rejection by the jury. The charge of Judge Harris has been published in Mr. Justice Parker's recent volume of criminal reports, but it was suggested by several eminent legal gentlemen, that a full and accurate report of the testimony and proceedings might not only be of use for future reference, in cases of a like nature, but would also, perhaps, serve to render more clear the appli- cability of the law as laid down by the presiding judge. It was under this advice, and with no ambition to make other than a faithful record of the trial, which seemed, indeed, wor- thy of preservation, that the compiler was originally induced to undertake the preparation of the work. In his examination of the reporter's minutes, however, the many remarkable incidents connected with the trial, and espe- cially the mysterious conduct of the prisoner herself, led him to make some inquiries in regard to her previous history. It must be confessed, these inquiries, in some measure, were the result of a curiosity that generally prevailed, as well as a desire IV PEEFAOB. to ascertain whether they might not, possibly, throw some light on the question of her insanity. In these researches he was so fortunate as to obtain the evidence of those who knew her well and intimately in early life, and whose testimony set tied the question of her identity beyond any reasonable doubt. Contrary, also, to the determination so long and perseve- ringly adhered to, Mrs. Eobinson herself after her transfer to Sing Sing, disclosed to the author, at the request of some of her friends, the full particulars of her history. These were communicated minutely, without hesitation, and in an earnest and apparently truthful manner. How far the statements of a convicted murderess, and as some still contend, a confirmed monomaniac, is entitled to credit, each is left to determine for himself. The author, however, has been careful to reject every material statement which was not either strongly corroborated by circumstances, or substantiated by positive evidence. Under these circumstances, the volume has assumed, per- haps, more the character of a biography, than the report of an important trial ; and in this shape it is submitted, with- out fiarther apology, to the reader. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE, Introduction — Birth-Place — ^Family Connections — Advantages of Birth and Station — Pei-sonal Description — Beautiful Girlhood — ^Violent Passions — Mental Characteristics — ^The Bark without an Anchor, ...... 9 CHAPTER II. Flattering Anticipations — Departure for School — Life at the Seminary — First Love — Ambitious Views of her Family — Disappointed Affection — Her Marriage with a British Of- ficer — Departure for England — Incidents on the way — ^The Voyage to Liverpool — ^The Welcome to London, . . 14 CHAPTER III. Life in London — Travels in Scotland, France, and Italy — Her Children — Abandons her Husband — Returns to America — Description of Scenery — Her Journey from New York to Quebec — Arrival in her Native City — Repulsed by her Family — The Mad Prophecy — Novel Situation — Seeking Employment, ....•••■ CHAPTER IV. A poor Prospect — The Misfortune — The suspected Spy— Re- turn to Troy — Inveigled to Destruction — A "Woman and an Outcast— The Partners of her Shame — Her Personal 1 23 vi CONTENTS. PAaK, Appearance — The Lamentable Destiny — Origin of the Assumed Name— Removal to Albany— .Strange Fancies — The poor Seryant-girl — Arrest in Albany — The Troy Cot- tage — Attempt to Escape — The Failure, . . .32 CHAPTER V. Return from Boston — The Rumor — Absurd Imaginations — Arms herself with Revolvers — The fear of Violence — Becomes Notorious — Contradictory Accounts of her Fam- ily — ^The Picture and the Flowers — The Unbending Spirit — Becomes Intemperate — Timothy Lanagan and Cath- erine Lubee — Truth stranger than Fiction — The Tele- graphic Dispatch — The Double Murder, . . .43 CHAPTER VI. Monomania — ^Her Appearance in Jail — Ravings — ^Fearful Fan- cies — ^The Card from the Seminary — Curious Philosophy — Public Curiosity — ^The Attempt at Suicide — ^The Arraign- ment — Appearance of the Prisoner — Magnificent Apparel — ^The Law's Delay — The New Indictment — Newspaper Complaints — The Grand Jury "Sold" — Contradictory Re- ports — Intense Excitement, ...... 5'r CHAPTER VII. First Day of the Trial — Entrance of the Prisoner — Her Dress and Appearance — Empauneling of the Jurj' — Opening Address of the District Attorney — ^Adjournment of the Court — Second Day of the Trial — Testimony of Dr. Ad- ams — ^The Vail — Testimony of Drs. Skilton and Seymour — Mrs. Lanagan— The Vail Again — William H. Ostrom— Un- Tailing to the "Witness — ^The Crowd in the Street, . . 71 CHAPTER VIII. Third Day of the Trial— Unsuccessful Attempt to Remove the Vail— Testimony qf the Policeman — The Cottage Ssarehed CONTENTS. Vii PASS. — Discovery of the Arsenic — Arrival at the Jail — Testi- mony of Burr Lord — The Coroner's Evidence — Analysis of the Poison — The Vail, Again — The Coroner's Visit to the Jail — The Prisoner Searched — The Question of Insan- ity — Professor Daikin's Testimony — The Prosecution Close — The Editorial Article — The Card from Quebec — Who is the Vailed Prisoner ? — ^The Mystery Increases, . . . 102 CHAPTER IX. Opening Address of the Defense — The Hon. Job Pierson — ^The Grounds of the Defense — Anxiety of the Audience — An- other Effort to Remove the Vail — The Testimony of the Deputy Sheriff — Conduct of the Prisoner in Jail Described — Destruction of the Chairs — The Silver Cake Basket — Evi- dences of Insanity — Testimony of the Young Dressmaker — Flights of Fancy — The Story of the Daguerreotype — The Miraculous Cake — Adjournment of the Court, . . . 123 CHAPTER X. Fourth Day of the Trial — Testimony of the Butcher — Reex- amination of Mary Dillon — The Private Consultation — Evidence of the Poor-master — Application to the Chief of Police — The Canal Commissioner — Mrs. Robinson Disguised — John H. Knickerbocker — A Night Scene in Second Street — The Jailer Recalled — Testimony of the Lawyer — The Letters — ^The Order Protested — -Conclusion of the Defense — The Prosecution Resumed — The Rejected Evidence — — ^Peter Cox, the Liquor Seller — The Testimony Closed, 143 CHAPTER XI. Fifth Day of the Trial — The Crowd — Mr. Townsend's Address — His Denial of the Prisoner's Guilt — ^The Question of In- sanity — References to Authority — The Absence of Motive — The Monomania of the Prisoner — The Madness of Love — Tha Question of Intoxication — Mr. Townsend Coacluda»— Viii CONTEHTS. PAOS. The Prisoner's Opinion of the Speech— Mr. Van Santvoord for the People— The Insane Influence- The Argument against Insanity— Pistols and Brandy— The Mania for Ly- ing—Honest Tears— Conclusion of Mr. Van Santvoord's Speech— The Eclipse of the Sun 163 CHAPTER XII. The Sixth Day of the Trial— Entrance of the Prisoner— Mr. Pierson's Argument — Grounds Taken — Mrs. Lanagan — The Case of Green— The Case of Phelps— Judge Edmonds —The Lispenard Case— The Case of Drew— "The Villain Killed me "—Mr. Pierson Concludes— The Troy Whig— Mr. Hogeboom's Speech — Grounds Taken— The Author of the Crime — The Question of Motive — The Rule of Law — The Irish Dance — The Paltry Loan — Dr. Bonteeou — " The Loose Habit " — References to Authority — Irrationality — Dr. Hegeman — ^The Destruction of the Chairs — The Stories Explained — Shakspeare — Conclusion of Mr. Hogeboom's Argument, 193 CHAPTER XIII. Judge Harris' Charge to the Jury — Mr. Townsend's Proposi- tions — Retirement of the Jury — Recess of the Court — Agreement of the Jury — Return of the Court — Entrance of the Prisoner — Her Brother William — Return of the Jury — The Verdict of Guilty — A Scene in Court — The Excitement of the Prisoner — She demands another Judge — The Adjournment — The Condemned in Prison — She Arrays herself in White, in token of her Innocence — De- termined not to be Sentenced — The Monday Morning Scene — The Multitude of People — The Legal Motion — The Sheriff's Affidavit, and Clerk's Certificate — The Ar- gument of Counsel — Sentence Suspended — Elation of the Prisoner — The Closing Scene, .... 222 CHAPTER XIV. The Question of Identity — ^The General Impression — Mr. Willard, of the Seminary — The Whimsical Notion — Mor- CONTENTS. ix FAQS, bid Curiosity — The three diiferent Families — Is Mrs. Robinson Miss Wood ? — Mr. AVillard's Letter to the Whig — Mr. Wood's Letter to the same — Mrs. Campbell and the Cab Driver — The Supposition who she is — The re- mark of her Counsel — Mr. Jeffreys, the gentlemen from Quebec — Mr. Heart, the Bank Teller — An account of the Sisters — A visit to the Jail — The Prisoner's Hand — The Argument upon it — The Letter criticised — The Recog- nition in the Court House — Disagreement about Facts — Is Mrs. Robinson accomplished? — Mr. Jeffrey's Testimony — Mr. Heart's Opinion — The crowning reason — Suppositions and Absurdities — The Anonymous Letter Writer — The Inconsistency — Deposition of the Magistrate — Com- ments of the Whig and Times — The Question Settled — Mrs. Robinson is not Emma Wood, .... 252 CHAPTER XV. The Indefatigable Counsel — Kindness of the Sheriff's Family — The strange Hallucination — Assault upon the Sheriff — The Prisoner in Chains — The Montreal Transcript — Its Statements Contradicted — Mr. Wood's second letter to the Whig — Again visited by the Grand Jury — The Law's Delay — Search for the Irish Woman — Her Arrival at the Jail — The Recognition — The Disclosure of the Pris- oner — The remarkable Remembrance — The Testimony of the Quebec gentleman — The Crooked Finger — Circum- stantial Evidence — Description of Persons and Events — The Affair of the Doll — Salisbury Pond— The Recog- nition of the Clergyman — The Positive Proof — The An- nouncement of her Marriage — The Libel Suit, , . 273 CHAPTER XVI. The Motion for a Kew Trial — "The Appellant's Points — Refer- ences to Authority — The Answer of the People — The Motion denied — Rejoicings of the Prisoner — The Illumina- tion — Postponement of the Sentence — The Prisoner again in Court — The District Attorney's Motion — Remarks of Mr. Pierson — Dialogue between the Judge and Prisoner — X CONTENTS. FAQZ. The Sentence of Death pi-onounced — The manner in which it was received — The Prisoner prepares for Death — The Inventory — The Eev. Peter Havemans — Her Confession and Baptism — ^The Beads and Cross — the Sisters of Charity — Opposes the Commutation — Her Incomprehensible Conduct . . . ... 292 CHAPTER XVII. The efforts to procure a Commutation of Sentence — Letters to the Governor — Proceedings of the Trojans — The Editorial Article — The efforts of Sheriff Price — Of the People's Counsel — Of Judge Harris — The benevolent New Yorjc Lady — She pleads with the Governor — Interesting ac- count of her interview with the Prisoner — The forlorn de- sire of Death — The Sentence Commuted — The anger of the Murderess — The action of the Governor approved — Preparation for a grand Conflagration — The plan frustra- ted — Departure for Sing Sing — Illusion of the Prisoner — Her admiration of the Scenery — Incidents on the way — Arrival at Sing Sing — The unmannerly Reception — Refuses to answer Questions — She pronounces the Prison officer Crazy — Conclusion. .... 307 HENRIETTA ROBINSON. CIIAPTEE I. IKTEODCCTIOJf BIRTH-PLACE FAMILY CONNECTIONS ADVANTAGES OF BIRTH AND STATION PERSONAL DESCRIPTION BEAUTIFUL GIRLHOOD VIOLENT PASSIONS MENTAL OHAKACTEEISTICS THE BARK WITHOUT AN ANCHOR. The propriety of publishing the biography of those who have become notorious as criminals, is a question in regard to which there exists a difference of opinion. When, however, one who has been surrounded by every worldly advantage which the possession of rank, genius, wealth, and beauty can bestow, and whose open- ing life gave promise of a useful and brilliant future, is borne down into the depths of infamy, as much by misfortune as by depravity, and when only a part, and that the more repulsive portion of the facts at- tending the downfall, is blazoned through the world, it would seem no less than an act of justice to the victim that the whole truth should be told. No heart is so utterly debased as to be entirely lost to every feeling of humanity, and few have ever stained their souls with such unpardonable crime, that some exten- uating circumstance might not be pleaded to mitigate the condemnation of the world. A* 10 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. The subject of these pages has been exhibited to the public gaze as one ^vhose character was des- titute of every redeeming trait. Indeed, in no other light can she properly be regarded, if we look only at the shameless life to which she had descended, and the horrible crime of which she has been con- victed. But something like compassion, we are ready to believe, will mingle with the sterner feel- ings of the reader, as we raise the vail, hitherto more impenetrable than the one with which she has sought so assiduously to hide her features from the gaze of man, and expose the bitter causes that drove the high- born maiden from a home of luxury into an existence which her soul abhorred, and from thence down the desperate descent of vice to madness and to mui-der ! Much eifort has been expended to involve in doubt her origin and birth-place, but on her own authority, and for reasons which will appear in the progress of this narrative, we shall state that the unfortunate woman, known to the world under the assumed name of Henrietta Eobinson, and whose persistent strug- gles to conceal her face from public observation, have obtained for her the appellation of '■'•The Vailed Mur- deress" was born in the city of Quebec, Canada East, in the year 1827. Sentiments of regard toward the surviving mem- bers of the family, who have abandoned and dis- owned her, and whose sensitiveness has led to a de- nial of any tie of consanguinity, prevents us from sta- HENEIETTA ROBINSON. H ting her true name in this connection. That we leave for the reader to, determine, as the facts con- nected with her wild and melancholy history are de- veloped. Suffice it to say, that her family, in respectability, standing, and influence, is among the very first in the ancient capital of Canada. Possessed of an ample fortune, and moving in the most refined circles of so- ciety — influential from their wealth, and respected for their intelligence and integrity — nothing hereto- fore has ever occurred to cast the slightest shadow on their honorable name. It was sometimes customary with the poor, fallen subject of this history, to enter- tain those who visited her in prison with an account of her genealogy — tracing back her lineage through the aristocratic blood of England, even to the house of Hanover. Under such auspices, Henrietta Robinson entered upon life. So far as elevated station, and the com- forts and conveniences that wealth affords, are con- cerned, she inherited all that the most ambitious could desire. Her father's house, on the shore of the St. Lawrence, was the abode of luxury and refine- ment. Thither resorted the well-born, the rich, the distinguished ; and the fair child who has since be- come the companion of vice and crime, would then have scorned to come in contact with the humble and less pampered children of her native town. With all these desirable advantages, however. Hen- 12 HESTEIETTA ROBINSON. rietta Kobinson inherited that, also, which the most destitute might not envy. God had endowed her youth with surpassing beauty, and cast her lot among the favored of the earth, but he had not granted her the gentleness of nature that constitutes the chief at- ti'action of her sex. It was her misfortune to possess a wayward and unbalanced intellect, and to be the slave of passions she was unable to control. Always, in her placid moods, she was graceful, winning, kind to every one, and intelligent beyond her years. At the age of six- teen she presented, indeed, a charming picture of blooming and attractive girlhood. Those who knew her at that early period, describe her as of medium height, with coal-black hair, dark blue eyes, a com- plexion fairer than art could imitate, and teeth whiter than the snows of her native north. Proud by na- ture — a quality increased, perhaps, by a consciousness of the high sphere in life to which she had been called — erect in form, perfect in symmetry, there was in her manners and in all her movements a nameless grace and dignity that everywhere attracted atten- tion and commanded admiration. But, unhappily, her haughty spirit could not brook restraint. Once aroused, the most frightful and fiery passions ra"-ed within her breast. Possessing a mind of no ordinary strength and brilliancy, it was nevertheless subservi- ent to impulse — wanting altogether in the faculty of eelf-subjection. Of a temperament excitable in the HENEIETTA EOBINSOIT. 13 extreme, and with a somewhat disjointed moral sense, her better judgment at once forsoolv her, when the headfong passions were awake. Thus, unfortunately, the graceful bark that floated so swan-like down the current of her early life, was without an anchor to hold it fast within the channel of propriety. We shall see presently how adverse blasts drifted the frail thing out among rocks and shoals, and at length scattered it, a ruined and useless wreck, along the shores of sin. CHAPTER n. FLATTEKINQ ANTICIPATIONS DEPAKTUEE ITOn SCHOOL LIFE AT THE SEM- INAKY riKST LOVE AMBITIOUS TIEWS OF BEE FAMILY DISAPPOINTED AFFECTION HER MAKKIAGE WITH A BRITISH OFFICER DEPAETUEK FOR ENGLAND INCIDENTS ON THE WAT THE VOYAGE TO LITEEPOOL THE WELCOME TO LONDON. Until she had advanced beyond the age of sixteen years, Henrietta Kobinson remained a constant in- mate of her father's house. Up to this period her training, and all her associations, had been of the most virtuous and reiined character, l^o pains had been omitted, no expense had been spared, to afford her the opportunity of cultivating her mind and man- ners. In fact, of the four daughters in her family, she was the one who had inspired the parents with the most flattering anticipations. Fortunate, we may consider it, that they are now dead. Better it is so, than to have lived to witness the disgrace that overwhelmed their darling, and which would have brought down their gray hairs, a little later, in sorrow to the grave. She had now made such proficiency in her studies, that it was concluded to place her in some higher in- stitution of learning than was to be found in the city of her residence. After deliberation and inquiry, the HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 15 celebrated female seminary at Troy, IST. T., which, Tinder the admirable management of its founder, had acquired an enviable reputation throughout the coun- try, was selected- Accordingly, in the year 1843, accompanied by a younger sister, she set forth from Quebec, and having ascended the St. Lawrence to Montreal, pursued her journey up the romantic waters of Lake Champlain, and arrived in due season at Troy, the point of her destination. This was the first time that she had ever left, for any considerable period, her comfortable home. It was her first entrance into the great world, which she now complains has treated her with such remorseless cruelty, and which she professes to regard, and no doubt sincerely, with feelings of bitter and unrelent- ing hatred. At that time, however, her young spirit was fresh within her ; and, susceptible to the lovely and the beautiful in nature, the islands of the river, and the glorious scenery of the lake, seem to have made an abiding impression on her memory. This we infer from the fact, that she recalled them in a tone of rap- ture, while passing down the Hudson, on her way to prison, and, so far as we can judge, approached the living grave in which she is entombed for life, with these pleasant recollections of her youth all thronging round her. She remained in the seminary at Troy two years. 16 HENEIEITA E0BIN80N. During this time she conducted herself with hecom- ing prudence and propriety. She was assiduous in her studies, and became proficient in drawing, paint- ing and music. She excelled, especially, in the study of the French language, speaking it with equal fluen- cy and correctness as her mother tongue. Subsequent travels in France gave her opportunities to render herself still more perfect in this respect, and so fa- miliar has it become, that she is in the habit, almost uniformly, of using it in her address to strangers. Though distinguished at the seminary for gayety and an air of haughty self-reliance, she yielded at all times a ready obedience to her superioi's, and never once, as we have learned, incurred their disapprobation. On one occasion she employed" a dressmaker of the city to manufacture a doll of somewhat unusual di- mensions, clothing it with much taste an^in the ex- treme of fashion. Having stationed it in her room, she sent out invitations to her friends, and as they entered, introduced them to it with great ceremony and formality. On another occasion she visited, with others, a se- cluded pond for the purpose of bathing, and ventur- ing beyond her depth, was in imminent peril of drowning. Though thankful then to the person who rescued her, she has often, lately, in alluding to the circumstance, expressed a regret that its waters had not closed over her forever. She usually attended the Episcopal church, but HENEIETfA KOBmsON. 17 was occasionally in the habit of listening to relis'ions services in Ferry street, especially during a j-evival that created some excitement, and became favorably- impressed with the earnest eloquence of the clergy- man who conducted it. These are circumstances so light and trivial in them- selves, that we would have deemed them altogether unworthy of record, were it not that they have become important evidences of heridentiiication, as will more fully appear as we progress to the conclusion of the narrative. We come now to speak of an event which may be considered as the turning point in her miserable life — an event which first stirred to their inmost depths the strong feelings and emotions of her nature. It was the commencement of those perplexities which drifted athwart her will, breaking up the deep fountains of passion, and throwing her out of harmony with the world. Among the acquaintances she had formed during her residence at the seminary, was a young gentle- man of the city, who, from the hour of their intro- duction, possessed her favorable regard. He was a young man of fine personal bearing and appearance, amiable in his deportment, frank and intelligent. A mutual attachment sprang up between them, and with her temperament and mental organization, it will be readily conceived, the full torrent of her afi'ections 18 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. was permitted to flow without restraint toward tlie obj ect of her idolatry. • Doubts have beea expressed, after an examination of her phrenological developments, whether, under any circumstances, she could have been held to the strict decorums of life. "We are constrained to believe that, if her first and only love had been suffered to result in the consummation of marriage, her educa- tion, the innate pride and dignity of her character, and her connection with one to whom she was so ardently attached, would have proved sufficient to have re- strained her within the bounds of virtue ; at least, we are confident she would have avoided the disastrous destiny which has overtaken her. As already stated, he was one whose reputation was unblemished and irreproachable, well connected, and afiluent in his circumstances. Yet his rank was not of that exclusive and aristocratic kind to meet the ambitious views of her family. They anticipated for her a more influential and distinguished alliance, an anticipation her unusual accomplishments and com- manding beauty of person, gave them reasonable warrant to indulge. Regardless, therefore, of the tender^sentiments that had taken such deep and passionate possession of her soul, or deeming it, perhaps, but a youthful folly that a brief absence would cause her to forget, she was removed from the institution, and returned once more to Qnebec. HENRIETTA KOBmSON. 19 Ent in the luxurious mansion of her father, she was ill at ease. Distance, absence, old friends and old associations, failed to divert her thoughts from the image of him who sat enthroned, sole monarch, in the temple of her heart. A correspondence ensued, but events were at hand, destined not only to terminate their epistolary in- tercourse, but to crush forever the last hope of a matrimonial union with the beloved of her youth. With such pain as those only can comprehend who have been compelled to turn away from the idol of their young affections, she was aroused from the dieamy contemplations she had so long indulged, only to behold the glorious vision of her love dissolve, and vanish into air. Connected with the regiment at that time stationed at Quebec, was a young Englishman, who held a lieutenant's commission in the British service. He was somewhat celebrated as a sportsman, and noted above his fellow-officers, for his fondness for fine horses, and the exciting pleasures of the course ; but what commended him particularly to the family of Henrietta Eobinson, was his wealth and aristocratic connections. He was a scion of English nobility, well known in the most fashionable quarters of London. In so far as worldly advancement was to be considered, with- out reference to compatibility of temper, disposition, and mutual attachment, a union with him presented, 3 20 HENEIETTA EOBINSOlf. indeed, extraordinary inducements. In the estima- tion of the world, which regarded only the external trappings with which it would surround her, such a matrimonial alliance was pronounced fortunate for herself, and honorable to her family. ISTotwithstanding, however, his high descent, and with all the glitter of his wealth, he found no favor in her eyes. Her spirit yearned for something more than mere earthly splendor ; and while her high-born suitor was kneeling at her feet by the broad river of Canada, her heart was communing with another on the distant shore of the Hudson. The waters of those rivers flow in opposite directions to the sea, and it would have been as impossible for them to have rolled back and united in a common channel, as it was for her to turn into another and diverse direction the strong current of her affections. To her family, and to her aristocratic lover, she stated, with earnest and decided frankness, that her heart was already disposed of, and that she could never love him. She depicted the consequences that would ensue, and portrayed in vivid colors the un- happy life that would result from the connection. But her affections were derided as the love-sick fancies of a girl. The advantage of position, and the social eminence such a union would secure, were ur^ed upon her by her family with all the eagerness and impetuosity that interested motives could suggest. She was appealed to, as she regarded her own welfare HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 21 and the honor of her house — she was commanded, as she feared the anger of parental authority, to yield her consent to the nuptial ceremony. Thus alter- nately threatened and entreated, and wearied out, at length, with their incessant importunities, she suffered the young lieutenant to lead her before the priest, and offered herself a reckless and haughty sacrifice on the altar of worldly pride. The marriage was celebrated on the 16th Decem- ber, 1846. They remained in Quebec but a brief period. The happy and successful lover, resolved to introduce his beautiful bride to his friends and family in England. Accordingly, they departed for ISTew York, with the purpose of embarking for Liverpool, and on their way rested a few days at Troy. Here, for the first time after their marriage, she gave way to the crazed and heedless impulses that have, since, so strangely characterized her unfortu- nate career. She clothed herself in male apparel, and wandered through the city. She drank, and raved over her broken hopes, exhibiting a spirit of utter recklessness, and overwhelming her husband with a bitter storm of reproaches. "Whether the cause of her excitement may be attributed to the memories her presence in Troy would be likely to re- call, it is unnecessary to determine, but very certain it is, her husband departed with her from that city with feelings more of shame than pride. Arriving in New York, they secured a passage, and 22 HEKEIETrA EOBmSON. after a speedy voyage across the Atlantic, reached Liverpool, and from thence proceeded directly to the family residence of the lieutenant, in the city of London. She was welcomed to a dwelling more mag- nificent than the homestead she had left behind her, and surrounded by friends anxious to administer to her happiness ; yet, amidst it all, the restless heart of the woman was desolate and wretched. CHAPTEE nr. UFE IN LONDON TBAVELS IN SCOTLAND, FEANCE, AND ITALY HER OHIL DEEN ABANDONS HER HUSBAND RETURNS TO AMERICA DESCRIPTION OV SCENERY HER JOURNEY FROM NEW YORK TO QUEBEC ARRIVAL IN HER NATIVE CITY RKPULSED BY HER FAMILY THE MAD PROPHECY NOVEL SITUATION SEEKING EMPLOYMENT. Three years she continued to reside in London, and they were years of conjugal bitterness and infelicity. This unhappy state, however, was not the result of any severity, unkindness, or inattention on the part of her husband. It was solely attributable to her own unreasonable conduct. She had been " crossed in love " — cheated, as she fancied, out of a life of bliss, and it was characteristic of her evil nature to remem- ber it with emotions of resentment and revenge. Though still maintaining her stately bearing before the world, and preserving her virtue from the shadow of suspicion, her domestic life, during her entire resi- dence in Europe, was so violent as to be the source of perpetual annoyance and mortification to her friends. In the hope that it would in some measure mollify her temper, her husband accompanied her into the Highlands, and having visited many places of histori- cal interest, crossed the channel to Paris, from thence 24: HENEIETTA EOBINSON. making long journies into Italy, and tlirougli the most delightful parts of France ; but among the solitudes of Scotland, or amidst the gayeties of Paris, she was still the same intractable creature, whom neither novelty, kindness nor reason could win to the ways of gentleness. The truth is, without just cause — indeed without any cause whatever, as she has always been ready to admit — ^her indifference toward her husband grad- ually changed into absolute hatred and disgust. She became the mother of two children, who are now liv- ing ; yet these events did not effect an alteration in her character or deportment. She seemed, indeed, to be one in whose breast the fountains of maternal tenderness were forever sealed ; nor did she look upon her husband with any more kindly favor, or with a less unrelenting spirit, because he was the father of her offspring. Thus matters progressed until the autumn of 1849, when she resolved to return to America. In regard to the circumstances attending her departure from England, she is silent. Whether she left with the consent of her friends, or secretly escaped, we have not been able to ascertain. We are inclined, how- ever, to the opinion that her departure was clandes- tine, and we are led to this conclusion from the fact that she kept herself closely confined to her cabin on the passage, " suspecting," as she expressed it, « there were spies on the vessel." HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 25 Arriving in JSTew York, she stopped at the Irving House, and there, as she represents, she attracted, for the first time, the attention of one whose subsequent connection with her may be regarded as most unfor- tunate. He was a man who has occupied a prominent position in the world, and whose name has not been unfamiliar to the people of Ifew York. He has been commended by partisans as a person of integrity, and denounced by his enemies as unworthy of confi- dence. Having now passed from the observation of his fellow citizens into comparative obscurity, we have no desire to direct attention toward him or any other person connected with Mrs. Eobinson, further than it may be necessary to present the incidents of her life, as she herself relates them, faithfully and truly. In regarding her career, from this time forward, it is useless, perhaps, to speculate upon the question, how far her misfortunes were the result of her per- sonal associations. Driven, as she was, by the force of circumstances, into a condition of dependence, and to the verge of desperation, it is not for us to say that she might not have formed other connections equally as «lisastrou8 to her reputation. However deserving of the severest censure the conduct of others may be, whom circumstances may have brought in contact with her, it, nevertheless, aflfbrds no justification of the subsequent course of life she consented to lead, or of the henious violation of law of which she has been pronounced guilty. 26 HENRIETTA EOBIHSON, There were those, it is true, if her own sorrowful story is to be relied on, who were instrumental, to say the least, in placing her in the unfortunate position from which she found it impossible to extricate her- self; and while she attributes to such instrumentality the beginning of those troubles which finally kindled in her bosom the murderous frenzy that resulted so calamitously, it is difiicult to regard them as entitled to apology or forgiveness. Yet, it will be seen, as we trace, step by step, the gloomy fortunes of the woman, that whatever may be the circumstances that surround us, the only safe anchor to depend upon, amidst the temptations and perplexities of life, is a strict adhe- rence to virtuous principles, and that the wickedness of others, though it may palliate, cannot excuse the violation of them. And such is the lesson, we trust, her history will convey. Helen Eeynaud, a young French girl, was the only person, as we are informed, who accompanied Mrs. Kobinson from England. This girl had long and faith- fully served her in the capacity of waiting maid, and between them there existed a sincere attachment. Since that time she hasmarried and returned to Fr^ce, where she is now residing in the vicinity of Paris. During their voyage, both of them suffered severely from sea-sickness, and in order to recover from its ef- fects, they resolved to remain several days at the Irving IIouse,before continuing theirjourney toward Quebec. Although she had attracted attention, as already sta- ted, while at the Irving, she nevertheless found no HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 27 acquaintances there, confining herself very closely to her own apartments. At length, sufficiently recruited, she took passage on a Hudson river steamer, and in due time found herself once more in Troy. She lin- gered here but a short period, only long enough to wander, unrecognized, through several familiar streets, recalling many events connected with her happier days, and affected by the sad recollection of her dis- appointed love. Without revealing her arrival in the city, to any of her old friends, she resumed her travels, pursuing her coiirse toward Canada by the way of Lake Champlain. It is somewhat remarkable, that through all her trials, she still retains the most lively recollection of this pleasant lake, and the scenery that surrounds it, de- scribing it with animation and enthusiasm, as " the jewel of the north." Indeed, her admiration of natural objects, trees, mountains, waters, is such as would scarcely be expected of one in her condition. It was just at twilight of a fine autumnal day that the steamer approached her native city of Quebec. Three years had elapsed since the familiar scenery that now surrounded her had faded from her sight. Every object that her eyes beheld recalled the days of her youth, the pleasant memories of the past. Her mar- ried life had been unhappy beyond endurance, and through all the scenes she had passed in Europe, she had been discontented with her lot. Her impatient soul had yearned continually to break through the meshes of conjugal bondage and fiy to the city of 28 HENEIETTA EOBINSOIT. her birth. As she approached it now, after her long and unhappy absence, her description of the emotions that possessed her bosom— the tender remembrances the scene revived — exhibits her in a light so gentle and subdued, that we forget the impulsive violence of her character, and are constrained to regard her more with feelings of pity than dislike. On leaving the steamboat she hastened to the man- sion of her relatives. Her arrival had been antici- pated. The intelligence of her probable departure for Canada, and the abandonment of her children and husband, had preceded her. She was met at the threshold with reproaches. She pleaded her uncon- trollable repugnance to her husband ; declared that they well knew that she had never loved him ; that she never could love him or endure him, and that no earthly power should ever compel her to return to him again. These assurances were greeted with contempt and exclamations of shame and scorn. Aroused by the bitter words and epithets that assailed her, she returned taunt for taunt, and scarcely had she entered the old home — still standing in the hall — not yet hav- ing laid aside her traveling apparel, before the con- troversy had become inflamed into a mutual tirade of vituperation. She was denounced, disowned, de- clared unworthy her name and lineage, and, to crown the scene, she was driven from the house, with many angry admonitions never to return. With a heart seething with mortification, insulted HEJSEEETTA EOBINSON. 29 pride, revenge, and hate, she turned away forerer from the house where she was born ; but not until she had raised her wrathful arm toward heaven, and vowed by the Almighty, that she would yet cause those who had thus repulsed her to hang their heads in shame. Little did she dream how soon the mad prophecy would be fulfilled. She sought shelter that night in one of the Quebec hotels. The following day she remained in her apart- ment, brooding over her situation, alternately excited to frenzy at the recollection of the treatment she had received the previous evening, and depressed with apprehension at the uncertain prospect before her. Her indomitable pride at once led her to the resolu- tion of concealing the fact of her presence in the city. From her window she observed many ladies moving through the streets who had been her friends from earliest remembrance, and whom, under different circumstances, she would have hastened to embrace. Alas ! it would have been well for the woman, could she, on that day, have conquered her haughty spirit, and on her bended knees suffered her tears to plead for forgiveness with her kindred. But it was not in her proud nature to submit to dictation or adversity. Though there were moments when grief overpowered her, yet her predominating mood was one of indepen- dence and defiance. It was, however, a novel and alarming situation in which she found herself. She had been petted and 30 HiaraiETrA EOBiKSoiir. pampered through childhood-courted and caressed in youth— surrounded by throngs of friends m her maturer years ; she had never experienced the want of means or known a day of toil ; but now she had not a friend in whom she could confide, and, for the first time in her life, the thought of obtaining her own livelihood became the subject of reflection. The ex- penses of her voyage from England had nearly ex- hausted her funds, and she scorned the suggestion of applying to her family for more. In this extremity her mind reverted to her school- girl days at the seminary, in Troy. She had confi- dence that her capacity and acquirements were such as fitted her to discharge the duties of tutoress in some branches of education taught in the institution. Hav- ing seized the idea, she pondered over it long and earnestly, and no other course more likely to succeed presenting itself, she resolved to pursue it. Besides, while she anticipated it might relieve her from im- mediate necessity, she also fancied, at the same time, it would result in the gratification of her feelings of revenge. She was aware that her friends, from their position and elevated notions of society, would be mortified to behold her engaged in such a praise- worthy but unaristocratic employment. It would be annoying and humiliating to them, she imagined, to see her laboring as an humble tutoress for her daily bread and, in alluding to this passage in her life, she re- marked, with somewhat malicious emphasis, "I HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 31 thonglit how it would ating my brother." Accord- ingly, without being recognized by any of her ac- quaintances, she left the hotel, and, securing a pas- sage on the first steamer that departed for Montreal, was borne away from the city, overcome with far dif- ferent emotions than those which the sight of her na- tive suburb, and the sweet memories of youth, had excited in her breast, as she approached it three days before. CHAPTEE IV. A POOR PKOSPKOT THE MISFORTUNE THE SUSPECTED SPT RETUEN TO TROT INVEIGLED TO DESTRUCTION A 'WOMAN AND AN OUTCAST THE PARTNERS OF HER SHAME HER PERSONAL APPEARANCE THE LAMENTA- BLE DESTINY 0RI9IN OF THE ASSUMED NAME REMOVAL TO ALBANY — • STEANGE FANCIES THE POOR SERVANT GIRL ARREST IN ALBANY THE TROY COTTAGE ^ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE THE FAILURE. Possessing, as Mrs. Eobinson does, the unsubdued, unregulated character, we have endeavored' to de- scribe, rendered desperate and reckless by treatment she considered imdeserved, and going thus forth alone into the world, actuated by a sudden and angry im- pulse, and in pursuit of an employment totally un- suited to her disposition or education, and which, it is very probable, she would have failed altogether in obtaining had it been applied for, as she designed, the prospect of a happy life that now presented itself was very poor indeed. It is unfortunate, however, that she abandoned the resolution with which she departed from Quebec, before she had carried it into effect, so far at least as an application at the seminary for the situa- tion of tutoress was concerned ; for although she mis- took the calling for which she was fitted, and would undoubtedly have been disappointed in the end, whether successful or not, it would have brought her to the notice of those to whom she was known, and HENEIETTA EOBINSON, 83 whose interest in her welfare would, in all probability, have saved her from the melancholy fate she has since encountered. Aside from the emotions of pride, revenge and fear by which she was alternately influenced, there is nothinginher description of the journey back to Troy by the same route she had just traversed, of any par- ticular interest, except it may be, perhaps, a suspicion she was led to entertain, that she was followed by a person, employed in the capacity of a spy, to observe her movements. This suspicion grew out of the fact that she recognized among her fellow-passengers up the St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain, an individual whom she also remembered having seen among those who accompanied her on the passage northward. His eyes, she fancied, were fixed on her, whenever she was visible. Besides, she gradually became impressed with the idea that his features were not unknown to her, that she had often seen his face before, but when or where she was utterly unable to recall. Her curi- osity, at length, became excited in regard to him, and the more she revolved the matter in her mind, the greater was her anxiety to ascertain who he was, and whether the fact of their thus meeting on the same conveyances was the result of accident or design. She inquired of herself if she had ever seen him in England. She could not remember distinctly, and yet it must be, was her conclusion, that he was no other than an emissary of her husband, who had been Bi HENRIETTA EOBINSON. sent out by him to watch her progress and report her movements. This subject occupied her attention, and diverted her thoughts from more unpleasant contemplations, during a great portion of the journey. It happened, however, on arriving at the southern termination of the lake, while herself and waiting maid were experi- encing much difficulty in taking charge of an unusual quantity of baggage, he politely presented his card, with the proffer of his assistance, when she discovered, to her relief, that the conclusion to which she had arrived in regard to him was entirely unfounded. Mrs. Eobinson represents that on her arrival in Troy, instead of proceeding directly to the seminary, she stopped for the night at one of the principal ho- tels. Circumstances, not necessary to be recounted, induced her to change her mind, and to adopt a dif- ferent and less worthy mode of life than that upon which she had resolved. We shall pass over in si- lence the week ensuing her advent to the city, omit- ting any attempt to describe the accursed arts, by which the poor victim was inveigled to destruction. Impetuous and turbulent of temper as she was, headstrong and impatient of control as she had al- ways been, with all her faults, and follies, and foi- bles, we have found no reason to surmise, nor do we at all believe, that previous to this time, Henrietta Bobinson had ever deviated from the line of chas- tity. Her first sin, she has said, was the desertion HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 35 of her husband and children. The excuse, however, which she offers, if any excuse may be offered in mit- igation of such an act, is, that she was forced into a marriage she found it impossible to endure. The consequence of the desertion of her husband was a rude expulsion from the presence of her family and kindred, and thus, without experience, without friends, without means, with no one to protect or to advise her, she was driven forth, a woman and an outcast, upon the world. "We can sympathize with the father of her deserted children, and excuse the hasty rashness of her of- fended family ; but for whoever it may have been that first enticed her into the path of evil, there is no ex- cuse that can relieve him from indignant censure. Her sins, indeed, have been terrible, and terrible is the punishment with which they have been visited ; but while the world pronounce upon her the righteous sentence of condemnation, let not those who may have ensnared her into vice escape unscathed. At this period, Mrs. Kobinson was twenty-three years of age, and in personal attractions, the stately presence of the woman had not disappointed the promise of her youth. She was still erect, with the same lofty carriage and aristocratic air. The spring bud had expanded into the rose of summer, and time had crowned the graces of her girlhood with a most attractive dignity. In her manners, she was elegant 3 36 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. and engaging. In conversation, she was fluent, he: language correct and polished, and what, perhaps added to its interest, was the slight foreign accent ii which she uttered it. She presented, in fine, the ap pearance of a beautiful and well-bred English lady one whose education had been highly cultivated, an( who had evidently moved in the most refined circle; of social life. And this is the M^oman — heretofor( Burrounded, as we have seen, with wealth and splen dor, but whose history, strange as it may be, we arc about to trace through scenes of shame and mad ness, and at last murder ; and whom, only executive clemency has saved from the penalty of death ! Conscious of having forfeited all claim to esteem oi respect, she yielded to unfortunate suggestions, and in the course of a few weeks, had taken up her resi dence in a quiet part of the city, without any appa rent business to occupy her attention. There wen many at that time, in Troy, who would have readilj recognized her, and it became, therefore, necessary, ii order to avoid exposure, to confine herself to th( strictest seclusion. Her pride revolted at the ide£ of her fallen and degraded state, and she resolved t( hide herself from the knowledge of her friends for- ever. She accordingly lived apart from all society and never entered the streets unless closely vailed or under cover of darkness. This manner of life was so different from that tc which she had been accustomed, and so contrary tc HBrmEIETTA EOEINSON'. 37 her natural fondness for the company of associates, that her characteristic infirmity of temper became more irritable and eccentric than ever. Days, weeks and months passed by, and still she sat brooding over the lamentable destiny that had befallen her. In the whole city there was but one who scarcely knew that she existed, and he only sought her in disguise or un- perceived, ashamed of the association, for he was re- spectable, and men honored him, and on election days threw their hats before him in the air, and gave him their triumphant suffrages. She assumed the name of Mrs. Henrietta Robin- son, and the reason she assigns for selecting this par- ticular appellation appears to encroach considerably upon the fanciful, and is here recorded merely for the benefit of the curious. We, by no means, rely upon her as historical authority, but she states that George the Third contracted an illicit union with a certain Mrs. Hobinson, and that by tracing back her genealogy in a direct line, we reach the issue of that alliance. She, therefore, adopted the name of her ancestress, and considering their respective positions, there seems to have been a peculiar appropriateness in the selection. It is not our object to exhibit her as one in whose veins runs the blood of royalty, although she asserts that such is the fact, with laughable sincerity ; never- theless, we were somewhat surprised to learn,through a gentleman whose authority is reliable in all mat- 38 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. ters relating to the history of the house of Hano- ver, that he possessed a biography of George the Third, nearly all of which was suppressed, contain- ing a particular account of his intimacy with a Mrs. Eobinson, an actress, precisely as she relates them, and furthermore that it represents that a son, the off- spring of their connection, assuming her family name, emigrated to Canada. But all this is of little consequence, simply show- ing that the ancient and modern Mrs. Kobinson ex- perienced a similarity of fortune — the only difference being, that while the former had the taste to intrigue with a king, and the descendant of a I'ace of kings, the latter consented to consort with one of less dis- tinguished and aristocratic blood. Upward of a year she continued her residence at Troy in the unpleasant and unnatural manner that has been mentioned, when circumstances, of which we are not particularly informed, induced her to seek another place of abode. Accordingly, she se- lected, from motives of convenience, the neighboring city of Albany, removing thither some time during the year 1851. There she first exhibited those singular manifesta- tions of monomania which are traceable throughout the whole of her subsequent career. Her mind be- gan to dwell upon strange and peculiar fancies. She conceived that she was an object of persecution, and though almost entirely unknown and unnoticed, im- HENKIETTA EOBINSON. 39 agined that she was the subject of general comment and gossip in the neighborhood. She, however, attributed the origin of it to the witchcraft of an humble and unoflending servant girl in the vicinity, who, she surmised, had excited the populace against her, and consequently the full force of her hatred and indignation was concentrated upon her. She believed if the girl was dead, the cause of her afflictions would be removed. Accordingly, she provided herself with a pistol, and so openly sought an opportunity to take her life, that a warrant was issued for her arrest. The police officer found her in the company of a friend, who, having snatched a moment's relaxation from the cares of business, was quietly seated by her side at table, enjoying his eve- ning meal. He accompanied her to the magistrate's office, and became her bail, but the affair was never further proceeded with. It induced her, however, to remove to another, and less frequented part of the town ; but the measure to which she had resorted, with the view of allaying an imaginary excitement against her, had the con- trary effect, as may well be supposed, and as the story of her flourishes with the pistol was noised abroad, she became the "town's talk" indeed. To such an extent was public attention attracted toward her, that it was finally considered prudent to remove her en- tirely from the city. At the north end of Troy, close by the left bank of 40 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. the Hudson, is a small white cottage, with pillars m front, and a tasty yard overgrown with grass and shrubbery between it and the street. A large brick edifice hides it entirely from view as you approach it from the south. It is not in line with the adjacent buildings, standing nearer the water, and looks like a little abode of modesty, which had shrunk back from the street, in order to avoid observation. From the rear is a pleasant view of the river. Green Island, and a broad landscape stretching toward the west. A stranger would regard it as the home of humble and unpretending innocence. Within this cottage she now took up her residence. It was furnished with taste and elegance. An old white headed man was taken into service, acting in the capacity of gardener. She was attended, also, by a young servant girl, and with these domestics passed her time, to all outward appearances, in a very easy and comfortable manner. She was well supplied with money, having a de- posit in bank, from which she could draw at conve- nience, and was permitted to indulge her taste in dress to the utmost extent. Indeed, in the matter of ap- parel, the fact fully justifies the assertion, that she was literally " arrayed in purple and fine linen." The truth is, that while she had suff'ered herself to become irretrievably disgraced — entirely at the mercy of one upon whom she was now dependent for a livelihood, she, on the other hand, had acquired HKNKIETTA EOBINSON'. 41 a controlling influence over him. Extravagant as were her demands, they were invariably, and it might be added generously, complied with. She deeply in- terested herself in all his affairs, sincerely rejoicing with him in his prosperity, and grieving with him whenever he met vrith misfortunes or adversity. In fine, she entertained toward him a sentiment which was something more than what arose from a mere sense of personal dependence, and something less than a genuine affection. She, however, appreciated her condition, and was unhappy. Her long and guilty seclusion from the world had become irksome ia the extreme. The memory of what she had been was a continual sorrow ; the realization of what she was, excited her to mad- ness. She was oppressed with desires to return again to the society from which she was excluded, to rise from the degradation to which she had descended. At last, her thoughts turned toward England, and promp- ted, we will hope, by some lingering of a mother's love, she resolved to seek her husband, and cast herself penitently upon his mercy. With this resolution strong within her, she ascer- tained the time of the departure of the steamers, and taking advantage of her associate's absence, secretly eet out for Boston. On reaching that city, she stop- ped at the Eevere House. So cautiously had she proceeded, that she indulged not the slightest appre- hension the route she had taken would be discovered. She had broken away, at length, and a few more days 42 HENEIErrA EOBINSON. would place the wide ocean between her and the scene of her shame and misery. It was a thought that rose up pleasantly in her mind, bringing with it a blessed sense of relief. But these better feelings and impul- ses of her nature were of short duration, for the in- satiable wolf was again upon her track, and will pre- sently overtake her. CHAPTER V. RETURN FROM BOSTON ^UNEXPECTED DIFFICULTIES THE KUMOE ABSURD IMAGINATIONS ARMS HERSELF WITH REVOLVERS THE FEAR OF VIO- LENCE BECOMES NOTORIOUS CONTRADICTORY ACCOUNTS OF UEE FAMILY ^THE PICTURE AND THE FLO^VERS THE UNBENDING SPIRIT BECOMES INTEMPERATE TIMOTHY LANNAGAN AND CATHARINE LUBEE— TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION THE TELEGRAPHIC DISPATCH THE DOUBLB MURDER. In some manner the sudden and mysterious ab- sence of Henrietta Robinson became known very soon after her departure from Troy, and no time was lost in making such inquiries, at rail road depots and steam boat landings, as led to the discovery of the course she had taken in her flight. It was at the moment she ■was about leaving the hotel, to engage passage in a steamer to Liverpool, that a servant announced the arrival of a person who was desirous of an interview, and before an answer could be returned he had has- tened to her apartments and presented himself before her. She was somewhat confused by his unexpected presence, but nevertheless expressed her determina- tion to proceed to Europe in accordance with the resolution she had taken. He, on the contrary, as she alleges, combated the idea with all the skill and ingenuity of which he was master, and unluckily with 44 HENKIBTTA EOBINSON. such success, that the close of the ensuing day found her once more in the little white cottage on the bank of the Hudson. From this time forth, it would seem that her destiny was sealed, that she was a woman lost beyond the prospect of redemption. In addition to other sources of unhappiness, her friend was beset with startling and unexpected difficulties, growing out of a disagree- ment between himself, and some of his co-Tnanagers in the extensive iusiness in which he was engaged, and the dissatisfaction of a large nuTriber of those hy whom he was eTuployed. Absorbed in the arrangement of his aifairs, his visits to the cottage became less and less frequent, and finally seemed to have terminated altogether. She was neglected, her funds were run- ning low, and in addition to it all, there came to her ears the hissing rumor that he was about to forsake her in order to form a more honorable alliance. These causes were sufficient to arouse one of her pe- culiar temperament to the highest pitch of excitement. Again, as at Albany, she gave evidences of a mind disjointed and deranged, brooding over strange and absurd imaginations, and adhering to them, against all persuasion, with vehement pertinacity. She con- ceived that a wide-spread and powerfal consjjiracy had been formed for the purpose of crushino- par- ticular individuals, and that she was included among the victims. In her language, and in all her actions she appeared strange, confused and HENEIETPA EOBINSON. 45 inconsistent, indulging in eccentricities of the most singular description. She gradually emerged from her seclusion, and had evidently lost that sense of modesty, or rather of pride, perhaps, which had heretofore kept her in re- tirement. She came forth into the streets leaning on o the arm of her gray-haired gardener, and with such a singular and reckless air, that people turned and gazed ^fter them with inquisitive curiosity. She courted conversation, even with strangers, and at once launched out into earnest phillipics against indi- vidual citizens, as if all the world was familiar with her troubles. She continually imagined she was surrounded by a mob — that her neighbors had become burglars, and had entered her house and despoiled her of her prop- erty. Again, she armed herself with revolvers, and publicly proclaimed her determination to take the life of particular persons. On one occasion she entered the house of a neigh- boring woman, inquired for her son, and very delib- erately remarked that she desired to shoot him. On another occasion, she requested a young lady to hasten for a certain physician, asserting that her husband was lying ill, presenting her with a pistol to protect herself on the way, and offering her money as com- pensation for the service, but presently saying her husband was not ill, and that her object was to get the physician into her house in order " to blow his 46 HENEEETTA ROBINSON. brains out." The alleged provocation of this sangui- nary purpose was an imaginary insult, and the fan- tastic fabrication that he had attempted to poison her — a fact which she had demonstrated, she said, by ad- ministering his medicine to a dog, from the effects of which the dog died, subjecting her to an expense of five dollars. She fancied that a gentleman who resided near her, in addition to his active participation in the general persecution that raged against her, had stopped the navigation of the Hudson river. She was found gro- ping in the dark, through the halls of public build- ings, inquiring for the police office, and demanding of the authorities assistance to protect her house, which, all the time, had remained unmolested and undisturbed. She wandered about the city at night, armed with her revolver, and presented it at the breast of one who had the curiosity to observe her movements. She sallied out at a very early hour in the morning, clad only in her night garments, and arousing an acquaintance from sleep, requested the loan of a dress, with the singular apology that she had forgotten her outward apparel on leaving home. Her appearance at times was wild and unnatural ; her dress, heretofore uniformly and unusually neat, occasionally became disordered and slovenly. She sought advice of different people as to the most ef- fectual manner of defending herself against attack ; and, indeed, all her thoughts had evidently concen- HENEIBTTA EOBINSON. 47 trated in one great fear of violence. This state of mind aroused within her a revengeful spirit of resist- ance ; she concealed her jewelry beneath her carpet, through fear of theft ; she kept her pistols constantly about her person ; she threatened " to wash her hands in the blood of her enemies ; " and, in fine, the destruc- tion of human life appeared to be the most familiar subject of her contemplation. This conduct was fast rendering her notorious about the neighborhood. She proclaimed herself the lawful wife of a very prominent citizen, declaring that they had been married at his father's house, and express- ing her purpose to take his life should he fail to avow it on his return. So frequent and public were her references to him, and so many were the assertions she made, that certain of his familiar friends, deem- ing they might become detrimental to his interests, perhaps, resolved to seek him in ITew York or Wash- ington, at one of which places he was at that time remaining, and inform him of the scandal she was bringing upon his name, with the view of his remo- ving her from the city. It is a somewhat remarka- ble fact that these gentlemen had made arrangements to depart on their friendly errand the very morning following her arrest. During these seasons of unreasonable apprehension, however, she steadily concealed her real name and history. She frequently alluded to her husband, ac- counting for his absence, by representing that he was a 48 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. contractor on a railroad ; and whenever sbe referred to her parentage or antecedents, her statements were extremely ludicrous and contradictory. Sometimes her father was a lord, who had driven her from his castle, because she had married beneath her rank ; at other times she attributed her misfortunes to the un- kindness of a step-mother ; and still, at other times, she spoke of herself as the daughter of an humble Irishman, and as having been born in Vermont. She had in her possession the picture of a lady, represented as holding in her hand a bouquet of flow- ers. Over this she would sob and weep, informing those present that it was the likeness of her mother — a gift she had received from her as she was driven from the castle gate — and that the original of the flowers had been gathered in the garden of the king of France. Pier moods were more sudden and change- able than the wind. At one moment she would laugh immoderately, the next would find her droop- ing over her mother's picture, and bathing it in tears, and the next, dancing about her apartments in the highest glee. She amused her acquaintances with stories of the wildest and most whimsical character. Fondling her revolver, she descanted upon the glorious life of the soldier, and boasted of the chivalric feats in arms she was able to perform. Standing on the river bank she gravely related how she could swim out into its deepest parts, and then by placing a miraculous cork HENEIETTA EOBmSOIT. 49 between her teeth, float in safety on the surface. Like the lady in Byron's dream, "She was become The queen of a fantastic realm : her thoughta Were combinations of disjointed things." These singular and insane demonstrations, howev- er, it should be understood, were only periodical. The greater portion of the time she conversed ration- ally, and conducted herself becomingly. It was ex- tremely rare, while in her natural state, that she ap- peared in public ; and when she did venture out for the purpose of exercise or shopping, her urbanity of manners and genteel appearance made a favorable impression on all with whom she came in contact. It was only at certain times, and on certain subjects, that she threw aside the graceful dignity of manner for which she was distinguished. Any allusion to her imaginary difficulties — any- thing that reminded her of the terrible cmispiracy which had now become a familiar phantom of her be- wildered brain — aroused her instantly ; and the slight- est reference to the marriage before alluded to, threw her completely off her balance. On these occasions, she was incapable of exercising any control whatever over her imperious and haughty nature ; her language became assuming and dictatorial, and the remotest slight, insinuation or familiarity, at once resulted in some reckless demonstration of violence, singularly in contrast with the pleasing and affable demeanor that marked her moments of composure. C 4 60 HENEIETl'A EOBINSON. It would convey more than is true, to say that she loved him with whom she consorted, for in her heart there was an under-current of mingled hatred and contempt of the man ; and yet she was jealous of him, and clung to him the closer, the more she was neglected. To him only would she turn for society or protection; for him she had sacrificed every claim to sympathy or respect ; and in view of all that she had lost by the dishonorable connec- tion, she un doubtedly felt that she had a right to de- mandattention and kindness. The recollection of the high station from which she had descended to minis- ter to his passions, inspired her with angry and con- temptuous emotions. Indeed, throughout her whole career — among the high or low — in prison — before the judge that condemned her, she has displayed the most proud and unbending spirit. Nearly opposite her cottage, on the corner of Eens- selaer and Eiver streets, was a small grocery store, kept by a man named Timothy Lanagan. It was a building of one story, divided into two apartments, in one of which he transacted business, and in the other his family, consisting of his wife and four chil- dren, resided. Mr. Lanagan was an uneducated man, an Irishman, and in humble circumstances ; but he bore ^n honest and reputable character. His place HENKIKTiA BOBINSON. 51 •was the habitual resort of his countrymen who in- habited that quarter of the town. He sometimes fur- nished them with a cheap entertainment, in the way of music and dancing, and on such occasions the ex- citement of the pastime, and the exhilaration pro- duced by frequent potations, rendered the jolly sons of Erin more noisy than was necessary. In the spring of 1853, Catherine Liibee, aged twen- ty-five years, a sister of his brother's wife, became a member of Mr. Lanagan's family. She had been at service in Albany; but at that time having no pres- ent employment, she had sought a temporary abode in his house, until a situation could be obtainied. Catherine Lubee is represented as an humble but modest and inoffensive girl. She was at enmity with none, having but few relatives in the country, and from early youth had led a toilsome, lowly, and unob- trusive life. At this grocery Mrs. Eobinson was in the habit of purchasing her provisions. In the commencement, these purchases were made by her old gardener, or by her servant girh After a time, she began to send there for beer, and this gradually became of such fre- quent and daily occurrence as to excite curiosity. She sometiznes also sent for brandy ; and it was apparent, from the continually increasing quantities of beei and liquor that she used, that her intemperate habits had become fixed, and that she must have been con- stantly in a state of inebriation. C 4 62 HENErEnTA EOBmSOK. This was presently manifested by her appearance in the streets. Her conduct was now more wild and eccentric than it had ever been before. She seemed to have become entirely reckless—to have lost all sense of dignity and propriety. Instead of sending out for her liquor, and using it in private, she would now call for it at the counter, and swallow a glass of beer or brandy with the relish of a habitual tippler. She became a constant visitor at Lanagan's, drinking at hie bar, and brawling with every ragged drunkard that hung around his groggery. Her associates were of the lowest kind. She at- tended a dance at the grocery on one occasion, min- gling with the rude and rowdyish characters who composed the assembly. Taking fire at some real or supposed insult, she drew her revolver ; and such was the disturbance which the broil created, that she was forcibly ejected from the building. Truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction. "We doubt if romance ever disclosed a more marvelous phase of human life. It is difiicult to realize that this drunken woman, who litters profane and vulgar language, wrangles with intoxicated rowdies, and is turned into the street, as unworthy to join in a low Irish dance, once associated on equal terms with the English nobil- ity, and was the center of admiration in the saloons of London. It is difficult, indeed, to realize that she is the daughter-in-law of a baronet. During the month of May, 1853, she became out- HENKIETTA EOBINBON. 63 rageous and uncontrollable. Her apprehensions of violence again returned, and the burden of her con- versation was threats of vengeance against different persons toward whom she had conceived an animos- ity. There had been some ill feeling on her part to- ward Lanagan, at the time she was driven from his premises, but they had become reconciled. In fact, his family was the only one in the neighborhood with whom she appeared to be on terms of intimacy and friendship. They treated her kindly ; and Mrs. Lan- agan, in particular, was assiduous in her attempts to soothe her, and to induce her to omit her frequent visits to the grocery, and remain at her own house. Early in the morning of the 26th of May, 1853, she entered the grocery, and purchased a quart of beer. Some two hours after, she sent her gardener over, to borrow two dollars, and immediately followed him, demanding the cause of his delay. At eleven o'clock she again made her appearance, announcing to Mrs. Lanagan that she was overwhelmed with trouble, just having received a telegraphic dispatch, bringing the information that her husband had been injured by the cars — an announcement, however, which was disregarded, it being one of her usual imaginations, with which the family had become familiar. She passed through the grocery into the back room, where several loungers had assembled ; and forgetting the story of her injured husband, and suddenly relieved of her distress of mind, became immediately engaged 54 HENEtETTA EOBINSOlf. •with them in a loud and angry conversation. ThroTign the persuasions of Mrs. Lanagan, she was finally in- duced to retire. At one o'clock in the afternoon, she again returned, and found Lanagan, his wife, and Catherine Lubee, at dinner. Accepting their invita- tion, she sat down with them, and after partaking of a slight repast, proposed to repay their kindness, by treating them to beer at her expense. Two tumblers were accordingly filled — into which she put some su- gar — and were drank by Lanagan and the girl. She excused herself, with the remark, that she "did'nt feel like taking any at present," and passed immedi- ately out of the grocery, without any further conver- sation. Two hours afterward, Timothy Lanagan and and Catherine Lubee were seized with mortal sick- ness. The newspapers of the next day contained the following announcement : HOEKIBLB DOUBLE MURDER BY POISONING. The upper part of the city was thrown into a state of great excitement yesterday, by the startling report that two persons had been poisoned, and that both would probably die from the effects. Before seven o'clock, p. m., the truth was partially realized by the death of one of the victims, and, at an early hour this morning, by the death of the other. The supposed murderess, a Mrs. Robinson, who undoubtedly flourishes un- der an alias, was, during the evening, arrested in the street, near the Mansion House, by Officers Sayles and Burns, nio-ht policemen, and committed to jail. C!oroner Bontecou was HESrEIETTA ROBINSON. 55 soon after called, and an inquest held over the body of the man and, after taking some testimony, adjourned until this morning. We were unable to get the evidence before the coroner, as the jury have not, as yet, rendered their verdict. The stom- achs of the deceased persons have been taken charge of by him for analyzation. We give the particulars of the horrid affair, as near as we have ascertained them. We learn that the sup- posed murderess, Mrs. Eobinson, had been in and out of the grocery of Mr. Lanagan, the murdered man, a number of times during yesterday, and in the forenoon wanted to borrow some money. She was refused, and left, but returned in the afternoon, when she was evidently laboring under the effects of strong drink. About one o'clock she called at the grocery for the last time, and asked for beer. Lanagan's wife brought it into the back room, with two tumblers. Mrs. Robinson then asked for some white sugar, which was supplied her in a saucer. She took the saucer and walked across the room a number of times, and then poured out the beer into the tumblers, and put the sugar into it. She then invited those present to drink. Tim- othy Lanagan and the murdered girl, Catherine Lubee, both partook of the beverage. Mrs. Lanagan refused. The girl remarked, immediately after drinking it, that it did not taste good, and asked the woman, Robinson, what she had put in it. She replied, " Nothing but what will do you good ; do not spit it out." The girl was soon after taken sick, and died at five o'clock this morning. The man died at the hour above mentioned. He left his store to go down street soon after drinking the fa- tal draught, was taken ill on the way, but managed to get back home, where he soon breathed his last. Timothy Lanagan kept a grocery store on the corner of Rensselaer and River streets, was thirty-seven years of age, 56 HENRIETTA EOBINSON. and has left a wife and four small children. The girl, Cathe- rine Lubee, was unmarried, and aged about twenty-five years. She resided in Albany, but had been on a visit here some weeks. Her acquaintance with Mrs. Robinson, who pretended to be her friend, had been short. We learn, also, that no quarrel had existed between Mrs. Robinson and Lanagan, ex- cept some words that passed on his refusing to give her liquor, on a previous occasion. Mrs. Robinson, alias , the supposed murderess, lived nearly opposite Lanagan's, in a cottage adjoining the res- idence of O. Boutwell, Esq., on the north. She is twenty- five or thirty years of age, good looking, and has a foreign air. She claims to be French, but is undoubtedly English by birth. Her manner of late has attracted the attention of the neigh- borhood. She has manifested an ungovernable spirit, resisting all efforts to restrain her, and has frequently threatened to use her revolvers, with which she is well supplied. Her house was well furnished, and she has been reported as having plenty of money until within a short time. Since her imprisonment last night, she appears rather excited, and does not seem to 'realize her situation. She was searched after her arrest, and her pistols taken from her, as it was thought she might commit suicide. CHAPTER Yl. MONOMANIA BEE APPKARANOE IN JAIL EATINGS FEARFUL FANCIES THE CARD FROM THE SEMINARY CURIOUS PHILOSOPHY PUBLIC CURIOSITY THE ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE THE ARRAIGNMENT APPEARANCE OF THEPRIS- ONER MAGNIFICENT APPAREL THE LAW's DELAY THE NEW INDICT- MENT NEWSPAPER COMPLAINTS THE GRAND JURY " SOLD " OONTEADIO- TORY REPORTS INTENSE EXCITEMENT. We have now followed this unhappy woman in her mad career, from the palace to the prison. Her his- tory, thus far, has been strange and melancholy, but there are other scenes through which she is des- tined to pass, equally marvelous and exciting. An impartial and intelligent jury, after a long and patient investigation of testimony, has pronounced oth- erwise, yet it is impossible for us, with the additional light which a knowledge of her previous life and subse- quent conduct throws upon the question, to resist the conclusion, that the woman is now, and was, at the time of the murder, a monomaniac. The jury were not aware, when they rejected the plea of insanity and declared her guilty, what grievous causes had excited her to desperation ; causes sufficient, it would seem, to drive her into madness. At that time, in the language of her counsel, in his opening address to them, " she had utterly refused to disclose her life and character, her family and connections." They C* 58 HKNKtEriA ROBINSON. saw only what tlie testimony permitted them to see, a woman mad, it is true ; but according to the evi- dence—ignorant as they were of the exciting sources of her derangement— it appeared to them but the unjustifiable madness of intoxication. Could her troubled life have been revealed to them ; withal, could they have foreseen her subsequent history, it is possible the verdict might have been different. At all events, for the honor of her sex, and of human nature, it would be well, if the fact of her irres- ponsibility could be established. On reaching the jail she appeared bewildered and confused. Her remarks were disconnected, and, to use the expression of a witness, " she seemed irrita- ble and sullen." The most of the day following her incarceration, she sat perfectly quiet in her chair ; hut whenever she did move, it was with an impulsive and spasmodic motion. When informed that the fu- neral cortege was bearing the dead bodies of Lana- gan and the girl, Lubee, to the grave, she seemed un- able to comprehend it, and only replied to the infor- mation with the expression that it was " queer." During the second night of her imprisonment, how- ever, she became impressed with her old idea, that she was in danger of being subjected to violence. She raved to such an extent, that the officer in attend- ance at the jail apprehended that she might endeavor to destroy herself, and accordingly placed himself in a position where he could watch her miovements. HENEIKTTA KOBIXSON. 59 She was alone in her cell, and not aware of the pres- ence of the officer. Through all the long hours of the night, she passed from one side to the other of her room, calling aloud for the watch and the police, saying, she would be killed. During the succeeding day, she was visited by a well-known gentleman of the city, and in the course of their interview, she explained the imaginary causes which had so fearfully excited her. We are unable to reconcile her chimerical explanation with the idea of a sound mind. " I went into the cell," said he, " where she was confined, for the purpose of conversing with her, and she told me she was going to be killed ; that they had tried to kill her the night previous. I asked her who ? She said a mob of two or three hundred persons had broken into the jail du- ring the night, and just as they got to the door the sheriff came and stopped them; 'but,' she said, 'I shall be killed, for a man and woman up town have caused a complaint to be entered against themselves, in order to get in jail next to me, and during the night they heated a cauldron of boiling water, came to my cell, broke it open, began to abuse me, and gave me a choice, either to get in or they would put me in.' She said she told them she knew she had got to die, and if they would not abuse her she would get in ; but just at this time a noise was heard at the door, and they ran away. Immediately placing her hands on her dress, she said, ' Don't I look shabbily 3 ' C* 60 HENEIETTA EOBESrSON. and besan to laugh. During the relation of this story, her eyes were distended, the pupils very much dilated, and she had a wild and frightful look." In this manner she continued to conduct herself, battling nightly with imaginary enemies, her brain apparently thronged with a thousand absurd fanta- sies. In the meantime, a whisper was creeping through the city, that she was the daughter of a dis- tinguished and wealthy family of Quebec, and a former pupil at Mrs. Willard's seminary. This origi- nated from the fact, that strangers, who, it was ascer- tained, had arrived from Canada, had made frequent visits to fhe jail, exhibiting a singular anxiety in her behalf, and also from the fact, that she always ap- peared to be well supplied with money after their de- parture. The public curiosity was still more excited by a very singular card, over the signatures of the princi- pals of the seminary, which appeared in the Troy Daily Whig, of July 9th, 1853. The philosophical portion of this communication was, that Mrs. Robinson could not be the person which rumor had represented, for the reason that the kind feeling existing between the principal and all those to whom she had imparted instruction, was of such a character, that, had Mrs. Robinson ever been a pupil at the seminary, she would necessarily have apphed there in her extremity. This might all have been very true and very logical ; nevertheless, it en- HENEIErrA EOBINSON. 61 tirely failed to be conclusive. On the other hand, it had the tendency to confirm the very point it labored to dispute. Among other things, the card went on to say, " It is said Mrs. Robinson is beautiful and ac- complished, and has asserted sh^ was formerly a pu- pil of the Troy Female Seminary, and a Miss "Wood, of Quebec. As the Misses "Wood were well known in the first families of Troy, with whom this woman also pretends an acquaintance, the story hence origi- nated that the murderess was one of that family, al- though no human beings are less likely to have com- mitted the crime for which she awaits the action of the law. * * * * Fearing from the ]S"ew York papers, that this report will be copied into those of Great Britain, we feel it our duty to come forward at once with a denial. * * * * Of the four beau- tiful and amiable daughters of the late Mr. "Wood, who were pupils of the Troy Female Seminary, every one married, and are now living in Great Britain, and are all allied to eminent families. Their brother, Mr. "Wood, is now in Troy, haying come to sift this injurious report," &c. In this card, there were three vulnerable points, which subjected it to general criticism and suspicion. The first was its assumption that she would have ap- plied at the seminary, and the remarkable reason given for it, which we have omitted to transcribe, but which is substantially stated above. The second was, that it alleged that she had represented herself to be 62 HENEIETTA EOBIKSON. a Miss "Wood, when the fact was well known — to re- peat once more the assertion of her counsel, made long after — that "she utterly refused to disclose her life and character, her family and connections." And the third was, if Mr. Wood knew his four sisters were married and residing in Great Britain, it was remarkable that he should give himself the trouble of coming from a distant part of Canada " to sift the injurious report." From this time, until recent de- velopments have conclusively settled the matter, the question, " Who is Mrs. Robinson ? " became an in- teresting and fruitful subject of discussion. In her rational moods, as the summer advanced, Mrs. Eobinson became sad and melancholy, fully comprehending, at these times, her wretched condi- tion. She declared herself weary of life, and ex- pressed an apparently, sincere and earnest desire for the rest and oblivion of the grave. The curiosity caused by the publication of the card from the semi- nary had not subsided, wlien the attention of the com- munity was again directed toward her, by the intel- ligence that she had attempted suicide. The Troy Daily Times, of July 25th, 1853, under the head of home matters, announced the particulars of the affair in the following manner : '' Mrs. Robinson appears to have a penchant for poisoning, so that even her duress has not overcome it, as is shown by her recent attempt to destroy her- Belf, by a method somewhat similar to that with which HENRIKTTA UoBlNSON. 63 it is alleged she 'took off' Lanagan and the girl. We learn, at the sheriff's office, that on Saturday last, at noon, when her dinner was taken to her cell, she was observed to be asleep, but that not being an un- \isual circumstance, she was not disturbed. About four o'clock, p. M., it was discovered that she had been vomiting, and that the matter discharged had a blue- ish appearance. Upon being interrogated by the sheriff, the woman acknowledged she had taken a considerable quantity of vitriol, for the purpose of de- stroying herself, alleging that she had seen trouble enough, and was tired of life. By the efforts of Dr. Adams and Brinsmade, who were immediately called, she was revived, so that to-day she feels quite well, except a soreness occasioned by severe retchings. It is not known certainly by what means she obtained the drug. Possibly she took it to the jail with her, but that is not probable. It is quite as reasonable to suppose that she was indebted for it to persons from without. It may readily be imagined that there are those who have sufficient reason for desiring her to reach her last account by a shorter route than the oyer and terminer. However this may be, we are informed she broods continually over her sad condition ; and that when she read the an- nouncement in the Times, that she would not proba- bly be tried at this term of the court, she expressed her- self dissatisiied, and intimated that she desired her 6i HENEIETTA EOBmSOSr. fate fix:ed at once ; that she did BOt want to live, and that life was a misery to her." The intimations thrown out in this article, that there was a probability that the poison had been se- cretly conveyed to her, by those anxious to avoid the publicity of a trial, even at the sacrifice of her life, in- creased the impenetrable mystery that hung around her, and gave to the case a still more tragical complexion. Mrs. Robinson was arraigned on the 10th of Octo- ber, 1853, one term of the court having passed after her arrest, without proceeding with her trial. She entered the court room splendidly attired, but so closely vailed that no one was able to catch a glimpse of her features. The indictment having been read, to which she pleaded " not guilty," the district attor- ney moved that additional jurors be drawn and sum- moned for her trial. This motion was resisted by the counsel for the prisoner, on the ground that the wo- man was so deranged that he had been unable, until quite recently, to converse with her, so as to be pre- pared to conduct her defense. The district attorney, however, urgently insisted that the case should be disposed of — that public interest and justice de- manded it, and that the reasons presented for a fur- ther postponement, were specious and insufficient. After listening to argument, and the reading of affi- davits, the court finally granted the request of the prisoner's counsel, and remanded her back to prison, lu commenting upon her appearance, and the post- nENEIKTTA EOBmSOK. 65 ponement of the trial, an evening paper of the city used the following language : " The law loses half its restraining power by these delays in its operation. Not unfrequently justice is entirely defeated. If there is or has been insanity — which has come to be such a common plea in murder cases — a trial can alone establish the fact. We shall see what we shall see. " The woman Eobinson was richly dressed in court this morning. She was vailed, so that we could not get a view of her countenance. She wore a low- neck, splendid black silk dress, with rich lace under- sleeves, a blue silk-velvet mantilla — a very rich and costly article — a dashing display of jewelry, &c. Her ' outfit ' must have cost two or three hundred dollars. " On being remanded to jail, she walked off, ac- companied by the sheriff, with firm and elastic step, and in a manner indicating that the pride of the wo- man is still there." At the February Oyer and Terminer, 1854, held at Troy, the counsel of Mrs. Eobinson announced their readiness to proceed. The district attorney thereupon stated he would be unable to determine as to the course he should adopt at the present term, until af- ter consultation with his associate. On the assem- bling of the court the following morning, the Hon. Henry Hogeboom, of Hudson, who represented the attorney general, stated to the court, that he had ad- vised, in the case of Henrietta Eobinson, the procure- ment of new indictments, not deeming it safe for the 5 66 HENEIKTl'A EOBINSON. people to proceed to trial upon those already found, on account of their being defective in several ma- terial points. It was thereupon arranged that the district attorney should proceed to draw up new in- dictments as soon as practicable, and the cause was consequently postponed until the succeeding term. The great length of time which had elapsed since the commission of the crime, the various postpone- ments which had been obtained, and other incidents connected with the case, had created an impression throughout community, that secret and powerful in- fluences were at work to prevent the trial ever taking place. This feeling found expression through the pub- lic journals in such articles as the following, which appeared in the Troy Times of the 22d April. " The circuit court, and court of oyer and terminer, Judge Harris presiding, will commence its adjourned sitting on Monday. There are some twelve or fifteen prison- ers in jail who are to be tried on indictments for high crimes — among others, Mrs. Kobinson for murder. We have heard some doubt expressed, however, whether this woman is to be tried at this term. If this trial is again put over, we shall endeavor to learn the true reasons, and the public shall have the benefit of those reasons. All attempts to bring this woman to trial appears to be in vain. She has been confined in jail nearly one year ; a heavy bill of expense to the coui^ty is run up on her account ; new indictments have been obtained— and yet there is no trial. If there HENKIETTA EOBmsON. 67 is to be more trifling witli justice in this matter, the people demand to know why it is, and we shall en- deavor to give them the reasons, if any can be found." The enormity of the crime with which she ^vas charged, her attractive personal appearance, and withal, the mystery that enveloped her origin and previous career, drew crowds of persons to the jail. Yery few, hoAvever, gained admission to her room, and those who did, rarely had the satisfaction of beholding her face. On all occasions, in the presence of visit- ors, she wore her vail. Mrs. Kobinson. was not so absorbed, however, in the contemplation of her ap- proaching trial, as to be insensible to a joke, and ac- cordingly we find her perpetrating a trick at the ex- pen se of the grand j ury, which created no little amuse- ment. The Times, from which we have quoted above, gave an account of the afFair, in its issue of April 2'rth, under the caption, " The Grand Jury Sold." It ran as follows : "As usual, the grand jury at the close of their ses- sion to day, visited the jail for the purpose of seeing its inmates. They visited the different apartments and found every thing clean and in good order. Fi- nally, the jailor, Mr. Hegeman, offered to conduct them to the room of Mrs. Kobinson, in compliance with their particular request, as each one of them was very anxious to see her. The door was opened, and the jury with much dignity walked in. They sur- rounded a large rocking chair in which she sat closely 68 HEISTEIETTA EOBINSON. vailed. Some of them very politely requested lier to withdraw it. She made no response ^vhatever, but sat perfectly silent and motionless. Their anxiety was so great, that they requested the jailer to remove the vail, which he respectfully declined to do. Finally, one of the jury stepped up and removed it himself, when to their very great surprise, no Mrs. Eobinson was there, but on the contrary a silk dress neatly stuffed, after the latest Parisian fashion ! The bird had fl-own — where? The jailer was asked if she had escaped. Search was instantly made. xY slight ' titter,' at length, was heard proceeding from under the bed. The curtain was raised, and there she lay so full of laughter, that she could hardly contain herself. There is considerable method," added the editor, " in this woman's insanity, sui*ely." What increased the joke considerably, was the fact that " one of the jury," feeling punctured in his official dignity, made the af- fair the subject of a grave newspaper communication, denouncing it in very ludicrous, but decided terms, as " discourteous conduct." From the day of her arrest, indeed, we may say from the day she arrived in Troy on her return from the city of Quebec, in pursuit of employment, through all her paroxysms of intoxication or insanity, she never revealed her real name. The reports in rerrard to her being the daughter of a deceased gentleman of Quebec, did not originate with her. The intima- tions contained in the published card from the sem- HENKIETTA EOBINSOtT. 69 inary, that slie liad claimed such relationship, were incorrect. On the contrary, it seemed to be her con- trolling purpose and determination, to prevent the possibility of recognition, and to hide from the world all knowledge of her former history. To all inquiries and importunities on this subject, she either answered evasively, or refused altogether to reply. In this pur- pose, beyond all question, she was sincere. Up to this time, and until long after her conviction, she was evidently firm in the resolution — ^in case she was re- quired to expiate her offenses by an ignominious death — " to die and make no sign." A thousand contradictory reports were circulating through the city in regard to her, but they were vague, indefinite and unsatisfactory. She was a mys- tery, a problem, which nobody could unravel or explain. Various articles appeared in newspapers in differ- ent sections of the country, pretending to identify her. At one time she was represented as a Mrs. Campbell, who kept a drinking house in one of the suburbs of Quebec, and afterwards ran away in the company of a cab-driver. On the other hand, it was declared by a correspondent of the Times, that she was the daugh- ter of a Dr. Robertson, of Montreal, who died nine years before in the lunatic ayslum, at Hudson, N". Y., while an Albany paper intimated that she was the daughter of an Irish gentleman of rank, and had been disinherited for marrying the son of her father's steward- 70 HBNKIETTA ROBINSON. All this Avas peculiarly calculated to excite curi- osity, and as the day of trial approached, the interest became intense. It formed the general topic of con- versation and discussion. Wagers were made upon the result of the investigation about to take place — ■ some contending she was insane — others, that how- ever guilty, there were secret causes at work which would prevent a conviction. But the great absoi'b- ing question in the mouths of every body was, "who is she ? " The trial commenced on Monday, the 22d day of May, 1854, Judge Harris presiding. Justices Burdick and Newberry associates, and occupied the remain- der of the week. The facts developed by the testi- mony of witnesses, the incidents occurring during the progress of the cause, the grounds assumed by coun- sel on both sides, the impressive charge of Judge Harris to the jury, and their verdict, it will now be our object, in succeeding chapters, to report. CHAPTER YII. FIRST DAT OF THE TRIAL ENTRANCE OF THE PRISONER HER DRESS AND APPEARANCE EMPANNELLING OF THE JURY OPENING ADDRESS OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ADJOURNMENT OF THE COURT SECOND DAY OF THE TRIAL TESTIMONY OF DK. ADAMS THE TAIL TESTIMONY OF DKS. SKIL- TON AND SEYMOUR MRS. LANAGAN THE VAIL AGAIN WILLIAM H. OS- TEOM UNTAILING TO THE WITNESS THE CROWD IN THE STREET. Judge Haeeis and his associates having taken their seats upon the bench, the court was opened in the usual manner, and the trial of Henrietta Robinson, upon the indictment charging her with the mur- der of Timothy Lanagan, being moved, the district attorney, Mr. Anson Bingham, and Henry Hoge- boom and George Van Santvoord, Esqs., appeared on the part of the people, and Job Pierson, William A. Beach, Martin I. Townsend, A. B. Olin and Sam- uel Storer, Esqs., as counsel for the prisoner. As soon as quiet was restored. Judge Harris di- rected the sheriff to conduct Henrietta Eobinson, the prisoner, into court. She made her appearance presently, accompanied by the sheriff's officers, and took a seat near her counsel, inside the bar. Her face was covered with a heavy blue vail. She was magnificently attired in black, wearing a finely worked collar and undersleeves, a white shirred bon- net, ornamented with artificial flowers, overhung 72 HENiaETTA EOBINSON. ^vitli the vail, white kid gloves, and a rich black man- tilla lined ^vith white satin. She at first manifested considerable uneasiness, but in a short time assumed an air of the utmost composure, remaining in her seat, motionless as a vailed statue. The clerk then proceeded to empannel the jury to try the cause. John Cline, of Pittstown, was the first one called, and being asked if he had formed an opinion in regard to the case, replied that he had heard nothing of it except through the newspapers, and had not formed or expressed an opinion. He further declared that he had no conscientious scru- ples against hanging, adding, " life for life is scrip- ture, and that is what I go for." He was sworn. Some thirty juroifs in all were examined touching the fact whether they had formed an opinion, and whether they entertained conscientious scruples in regard to the death penalty. Of these, twelve proved to be entirely unprejudiced, having formed no opinion in the case, and entertaining similar sentiments with Mr. Cline upon the subject of the punishment of death. They took their seats in the jury box, and were sworn. At this point the officers were directed to preserve strict silence outside the bar, and those inside were requested to keep as quiet as possible, the judge re- marking that they were about entering upon an im- portant trial, and he should not suffer the business of HEXEIETTA KOBESrSON. 73 the court to be interrupted by any unnecessary wliis- pering or confusion. Tlie district attorney then rose to open the case on the part of the people. He said : " Gentlemen, the prisoner at the bar, Henrietta Eobinson, has been heretofore arraigned, charged with the murder of Timothj^ Lanagan, in tliis city, on the 25th day of May, 1853. She is now here for triah The crime of murder is well rmderstood. It has but one meaning. It is not necessary, at this time, to read its definition, from the statute. I only purpose, at present, to give you an outline of the facts as they will be established in the course of the testimony we shall produce. "ItAvill appear that the prisoner, on tlie 25th of May last, resided in the extreme north part of the city, and had resided there previously, a year or more, keeping house. What her antecedents have been, it is not necessarj- to inquire, nor do we know. On the opposite side of the street from her house, re- sided Timothj'- Lanagan. He occupied a small dwell- ing, using part of it for his family, and part for a grocery, and had been residing there from the pre- vious October. " The prisoner and the deceased had no pei-sonal ac- quaintance until the latter moved .there. Some two months after this event, the prisoner became a fre- quenter of his grocery, purchasing there her provis- ions. Previous to the time we allege the m^urder was committed, a trouble arose between them in this D 74 HENEIKTTA ROSIIsSOK. manner : she attended a dance at Lanagan's lioLise, and during the evening got into a wrangle with a man, or several of them, in tlie course of which she drew a pistol xipon them. Upon this, she was put out of doors by Mr. and Mrs. Lanagan, and taken to her home. Two or three days afterward she called at Lanagan's liouse, quite early in the morning, be- fore Lanagan himself was up, and abused Mrs. Lan- agan violently. Some time elapsed before she re- sumed her visits to the grocery, but when she did, it was to purchase articles as usual, and they became apparently on good terms. " Ou the 25th of May, 1853, very early, she called at the grocery in the absence of Mr. Lanagan, and purchased a pound of crackers and a quart of beer. In an hour or two afterv^fard she returned, and re- quested the loan of two dollars. The money Mi's. Lan- agan did not have. The same forenoon she returned again to the house, while several men were there, before whom she conducted herself with such impro- priety, that Mrs. Lanagan requested her to leave — to go away. She did go, but returned about one o'clock. The family consisted of Mr. Lanagan, his wife, and a young woman at the time visiting there, named Catherine Lubee. These three persons were at din- ner. Mrs. Eobinson took a seat at the table, and partook of some of the food. While seated at the table, Lanagan left the back room for the grocery, which was in front, leaving the three women about HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 75 the table. After tliey had completed their dinner Mrs. Kobinson said, " We must have some beer." The two others declined, but she pressed the proposi- tion, saying, "Tou ninst have some on my account." She also requested that they should have some sugar in it. Mrs. Lanagan left the room to procure what the prisoner had called for, and soon returned with sugar in a saucer, and a quart of l)eer. Upon return- ing, she found Mrs. Eobinson walking the floor, and having a white paper in her fingers. She noticed the paper more particularly from the fact of her wanting to borrow two dollars in the forenoon, and she looked at it to see if it was not a bank bill. Mrs. Lanagan then poured the beer into the tumblers, but they were not full. Mrs. Eobinson insisted that they should be filled. Mrs. Lanagan, upon this, left the room for more beer, and when she returned, she found that the prisoner had poured the sugar from the saucers into the tumblers, and also found a slight 'powder on the surface of their contents. " Just at this time, Lanagan, who was in the gro eery all this while, called for' his wife to come there ; she went, and Mr. Lanagan, the deceased, came into the room where Mrs. Robinson and Miss Lubee were. She then stirred the beer in the tumblers, and invited Lanagan and Miss Lubee to drink, and both of them did drhik. Mrs. Eobinson thereupon left the premi- ses. Lanagan also left, to come down into the city. He soon returned to his house very ill ; physicians D 76 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. were sent for, and he died at seven o'clock tliat eve- ning, and we shall show, we think, beyond a question, that he died from the eifects of arsenic, and that the accused administered the fatal poison. " "We shall also show you, gentlemen, that previous to this transaction, on the 10th of May, the prisoner purchased arsenic at one of the drug stores, and that a quantity of the article was found at her house con- cealed beneath the carpet ; that soon after adminis- tering the poison, she left her house, came to Os- trom's drug store, and told them she was charged with poisoning Timothy Lanagan, and that from fum- bling round the glasses she had put something in the beer. She was soon after arrested in the streets, charged with the act. It will be our duty, gentle- men, to show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that she did administer the poison, and that she is responsible for the crime of willful murder, of which she stands ~ indicted. Of the nature of the defense I am not informed." The district attorney having thus laid before the jury an outline of the testimony he proposed to offer, and upon which he declared he should demand the conviction of the prisoner, stated that the witness they desired to call first was absent, and as it was near six o'clock, suggested, if it was the pleasure of the court, an adjournment for the day, which was ordered by the judge. The next morning, at half past eight o'clock, the HENEIKTTA EOBmSON. 77 court reassembled. The prisoner entered, still com- pletely Tailed, no one as yet having obtained the slightest glimpse of her countenance. She was cJad this morning in an elegant plaid silk. Order being restored, the counsel for the peopie called Dr. Adams to the witness' stand, who testified : I reside in the city of Troy, and for several years have been a practising physician. I knew Timothy Lanagan in his life time, and was his family physician. He is now dead. I do not recollect the day of the month he died, but it was in May, 1853. I was called to see him about three and a half o'clock, and remained with him until he died, about half past six or seven. Dr. Skilton came there after I did, and remained also until his death. Mr. Lanagan died at his residence in the upper part of the city, on the south-east corner of Eiver and Kensselaer streets. It was a small, one story building, not painted. There were two rooms on the first floor — one, fronting on Eiver street, was used as a grocery, the other in rear of it was used for family purposes. He died on a bed in a back room. I know Mrs. Eobinson. Mr. Hogeboom here arose, and asked the court if it would not be proper for the prisoner to remove her vail. It was necessary, he remarked ; otherwise they would be unable to prove her identity. Judge Har- ris replied, that he supposed there would be no ob- jection. It was removed by the prisoner for a single instant, and then replaced. 78 HENRIETTA ROBINSON. The witness contmued : That is the lady. I knew her some three months previous to this occurrence. She lived on Eiver street, nearly opposite Lanagan's, next north of the residence of Mr. Boutwell. (A diagram, representing the relative situations of buildings, &c., was here shown the witness, and pro- nounced correct.) On my arrival at Lanagan's, I found him vomiting, and, from the statements of the family, supposed he had taken poison. He complained of pain in the stomach and bowels, and a burning sensation in the throat. I do not know, positively, what he died of, but it is my decided belief that he died from the ef- fects of- some poisonous substance administered. I could not tell exactly, by the symptoms, the nature of the poison, but they corresponded with the effects of arsenic. I was not present at the post mortem ex- amination. Lanagan's symptoms were violent, in the extreme ; so much so, that I was apprehensive, from the first, that the case would terminate fatally. He told me, himself, he thought he should not recover, but did not ask me what I thought. His expression was, " The villain has destroyed me, and I shall not re- cover." Cross-examined hj Mr. Beach, one of prisoner'' s counsel. I gave him hopes — told him I thought he ought not to despair — that he might recover. I was then applying remedies for his relief, but none of HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 79 them, as I could perceive, relieved his pain. I can- not speak of my own knowledge, as to the severity of his pains, nor can I say but that they were somewhat modified. Indeed, there were intervals when he did not have so much pain. He continued to take my medicine and I continued to labor for his recovery. His decease was sudden. He continued to help him- self in and out of bed, until within half an hour of his death, and to converse until within a few minutes of that event. I do not remember that a minister was sent "for, but a shoi-t time before he died his mother knelt down by his bedside and prayed. I understand that Mr. Lanagan was an Irishman. Direct examination iy the people resumed. Dr. Skilton and myself conferred with each other, and he also expressed the opinion that he would not recover. I continued of that opinion throughout, because I saw the case was a very aggravated one, the symptoms very violent. In all cases of poisoning there is sometimes less pain than at others. It was previous to his ma- king the remark that " the villain had destroyed hirn," that I told him he ought not to despair. When I told him he might recover, I did not believe he would. He did not make the remark in relation to the " vil- lain," more than once. The precise expression was, " A villain has destroyed me." I had a conversation with him regarding the origin of his illness. It was previous to his statement that he could not recover. Mr. Hogeboom, for the people, at this point in the 80 HENEIEITA EOBINSON. testimony of Dr. Adcams, proposed to prove by him the dying declarations of Lanagan, who could, under the circumstances, have no motive to tell anything but the truth. I consider it a case, he said, where such declarations are allowable in evidence. The court held the evidence could not be received. If these physicians, the judge remarked, had informed Lanagan he must die, that there was no chance for his recovery, it would have been different. On the contrary, they informed him he might recover. On these grounds the evidence was excluded. Re-cross-examined iy Mr. Beach. I consider the intense pain at the stomach, the bui'ning sensations in the throat, constant retching, severe evacuations, cramps and prostration, as peculiar symptoms caused by poison, and they comprise about all the symptoms. The constant retching and burning sensations in the throat is not common to other diseases. The burning sensation is not peculiar to any variety of poison. In all cases of suspected poison I understand it is cus- tomary to analyze the stomach. .This is done by the faculty, to'satisfy themselves as to the cause of death, and without that, it is my opinion the cause cannot be certainly ascertained. I have had occasion to at- tend cases of cholera. In those cases there is irrita- tion in the throat, and thirst. I have found in my practice that the recovery of the patient depends much aponthe strength of the constitution. Severe retch- ing, sudden prostration, cramps, &c., are decided HENEIETTA EOBtNSON. 81 characteristics of cliolera. "Without an analysis of tlie stomach, from my knowledge, I would not like to give it as a detinite opinion that Lanagan died by poison, but I u.nderstand the contents of the stomach were analyzed. I have attended his family four or five years. He Avas a man of vigorous constitution, and so far as I know, regular and temperate in his habits. Re-examined ly Mr. Hogeboom. Mr. Lanagan, ordinarily, was able to attend to his own affairs. I used to meet him or see him about every week. He was thirty -five years of age. The symptoms he ex- hibited were not those of cholera, and I think I can pronounce with confidence that he did not die of cholei'a. I have a decided opinion as to the cause of his death, independent of an analysis, and it is such as I have named. Again cross-examined iy Mr. Beach. I cannot positively state the cause of his death. My opinions of the cause, were formed to some extent from the statements of the family, but I arrived at a satisfac- tory conclusion in my own mind, aside from those statements. Judging from the symptoms alone, in cases of this character, I should be willing to express my belief that they were produced by poison, but it is the general opinion of medical authorities that no sure reliance can be placed on external symptoms, and therefore, as a usual thing, the stomach is ana- lyzed. I do not know as I have ever heard or read of a case of poisoning in which analysis was not had. 82 HENEIETTA ROBINSON. De. J. A. Skilton was next called by the prosecu tion, and gave the following testimony : I have been for a niTmber of years a practising phy- sician, and reside in this city. I saw Timothy Lana- gan on the day he died. I arrived at his house about five o'clock. A great number of people were there. He was in the back room ; his appearance was some- what livid, his pulse very feeble, and he was rolling and writhing on the bed in a manner indicating in- tense pain. He was constantly retching and vomit- ing, and complained of severe pain in the stomach and throat. I believed then that Lanagan had been taking mineral poison ; I believe it now, and I speak with confidence on the subject. After seeing him, I had little hopes of his recovery. I recollect his say- ing once that he could not live, but he did not state in my hearing anything as to the cause of his illness. I was present when he died, and also present at the post mortem examination. That examination showed the stomach highly inflamed in patches, and, in some parts more than others. No chemical tests were ap- plied on that examination, to prove the presence of poison. The appearance of the stomach corresponded with the opinion formed as to the cause of his death. There was found in the lower part of the stomach what appeared to be a white pov/der, and in the in- testines there was a greater quantity of mucus than usual, mingled with mineral substances. The exter- nal appearance of the polar or larger intestine, was HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 83 singularly wliitened or blanched. The wliite powder was enveloped in mucus, and was not tested there. Ar- senic is a white powder, and looks like flour. I have no doubt as to the cause of Lanagan's death, and, as a professional man, I fully believe the poison admin- istered in his case was arsenic. The coroner's jury- was present at this examination, _ and Dr. Seymour was examined. In medicine, the symptoms he ex- hibited are so sure as to leave the physician no chance to doubt. I do not admit that I could be mistaken. Beck's Medical Jurisprudence asserts that it is not safe, in case of poison, to come to a determination until chemical tests are applied to the matter found in the stomach. I mean to testify, that, by a single examination, I can, satisfactorily to myself, determine whether death is caused by mineral poison. The most prominent medical authors, on this subject, are Guy, Christison, Beck, and Orfelia. I assign the rea- son Beck took the position he did to be, he consid- ered jurors were not physicians. It is true, there is more certainty when the chemical test is applied. In this case, I am not certain there was a chemical anal- ysis. At the post mortem examination, the stomach, &c., were taken out, and given in charge of Dr. Bon- tecou. JS'o symptom of vegetable poison came un- der my observation. De. "William P Setmoue, sworn : I have been for six years a practising physician in Troy. I did not see Timothy Lanagan on the day of his death, D* 6 84 HEHKIBTTA KOBINSO]^, but was present at the post mortem examination. Dr. Bontecou and myself made the examination the day after he died, in the afternoon. Dr. Skilton was also present. The stomach evinced all the evidence of severe and acute inflammation, and contained a small quantity of fluid. I discovered the presence of a white powder distributed in the lower part of the stomach. I can say nothing as to its specific weight. I considered the yellow appearance in the intestines as a mere discoloration. The whole stom- ach was highly inflamed, so much so as to cause death. I give that as my personal opinion. The ap- pearance of the stomach exhibited the efiects of an irritating poison, but whether vegetable or mineral, I will not attempt to say. There is no doubt what- ever in my mind, from that examination, that Lana- gan died from poison. Dr. Bontecou took charge of the stomach, &c., and placed it in a clean jar. In another jar was the stomach of a woman, said to have been poisoned at the same time. The inflammation was not necessarily produced by poison, but I have no doubt it was. There was no other evidence of disease, except the inflammation. The powder was entangled in a thick mucus ; I do not think there Avas a teaspoon full visible. Mes. Ann Lanagan, the wife of the murdered man, was now called as a witness. She appeared much enfeebled, and at an early period in the day had nearly fainted in her seat. A considerable time HENEIETTA EOBINSOIT. 85 elapsed Ijefore slie became sufficiently collected to answer the questions propounded by her counsel. At length, however, she was sworn, and said : Timothy Lanagan was my husband. Before his death we resided on the corner of River and Rensse- laer streets, and had resided there from the previous October. He died on the 25th of May, 1853. About two months after going to that place, I became ac- quainted with Mrs. Robinson. She lived near me, across the street, next to Mr. Boutwell's. I saw her, the first time, on the 25th of May, about six o'clock in the morning, in our grocery. No one except my- self was there'. She called for a quart of strong beer and a pound of soda crackers, which I furnished her, and she took her leave. At this time my husband was not out of bed. I saw her again in the grocery that morning, about eight o'clock, as nearly as I can judge. An old man by the name of Haley, who lived with Mrs. Robin- son, was there when she came in. She had sent him over for the loan of two dollars. She asked the old man what kept him so long. I answered, that I had delayed him ; that I had no money in the house, and that I thought I would send and see if I could not borrow it. She asked, was I so scarce of money ? and I said, yes. She said she was sorry, and that to-morrow she would lend me a hundred dollars. She then turned and went away. I saw her again about eleven o'clock. She came 86 HENEIETTA KOBINSON. into the grocery, and told me she was in great trouble ; that she had a telegraph dispatch a few minutes ago, that Eobinson was hurt on the cars. A man stood by, who told her not to fret ; that he had a wife out west, and if she was dead he would n't fret about it. She then turned away from the counter, and walked into the kitchen. There was a lot of men sit- ting inside there. Soon after she went in there was loud talking, and I could hear Mrs. Eobinson's voice above the rest, but did not understand what was said. My husband was in the city at that time. I went to her, and advised her to go home ; told her that it was no place for her to be, among such a lot of men. Af- ter a while she left. I saw her again that day, about one o'clock. She came through the grocery into the kitchen, where my husband, Catherine Lubee, and myself were at dinner. Catherine was stopping with me at that time, having come from Albany on a visit. Mrs. Robinson said, as she walked in, "Are you at din- ner ! " I said, " Yes." There was an egg on the ta- ble, and pointing toward it, she asked, " Whose egg is that? " My husband replied, " It was hers, if she wanted it." She took the egg into her hand, and my husband arose and went into the grocery. She then sat down by the table and ate the egg, and I peeled a potato for her. She said, when she was done, that Cath- erine and I must have a glass of beer from her. I told her I did not want any; that I was tired of HENKIETTA EOBINSOKT. 87 beer, and ■would not take it. Catherine likewise made answer that she did not like beer. She then asked me if I had any sugar in the house. I said we had, but that I thought she did not need any, as she had got nine pounds during the Aveek. She said she did not want to take it home, but wanted it to put in the beer, to make it good. I took a saucer, and went into the store and got some white, powdered sugar. After bringing the sugar into the kitchen, I went out again, and brought in some beer in a quart measure, and poured it into two glasses. When I came in from the grocery, Mrs. Kobinson was walking back and forth across the floor, with the saucer in her hand. I did not have enough beer to fill both glasses, and Mrs. Kobinson said she should have them full. I went out into the grocery for more, and when I re- turned she was putting the sugar into the tumblers, and I poured in the remainder of the beer. As I sat down at the table to take my glass, the other having been placed before Catherine, I noticed a little foam on the surface of the beer, and thought it was some dust from the sugar. I took a teaspoon in my hand to skim it off, but she took the spoon out of my hand, and said, " Don't you do so ; that is the best of it." At that moment my husband called me, and I went into the grocery, leaving my beer untasted on the ta- ble. My husband then went into the kitchen, say- ing he wanted to go down town as far as Morrison's. I turned round toward the door, and saw he had ta- 88 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. ken mj glass of beer in liis hand, and was just put- ting it to liis lips. Nothing further was said, and Mrs. Eobinson left immediately. I did not see where the other glass of beer was, when my husband stood with his in his hand. I do hot know as to Catherine Lubee's drinking, any further than she told me. Mrs. Eobinson did not drink herself, to my knowledge. When she was eating the egg and potato, I observed a white paper in her hand. As she passed out through the grocery, I had no conversation with her, and she said nothing to me. After she left, and before leaving to go to Morrison & Lord's, my husband stopped to make some charges. While doing so, I stepped into the kitchen, and saw the glasses standing on the table empty. In a few minutes after I had returned into the front room, Catherine came to the door, and asked Mr. Lanagan how he felt after taking that glass of beer, to which he made answer that he did not seem to feel very comfortable. I cannot state the precise time my husband left for Morrison & Lord's, but he came back, as near as I can remember, at three o'clock. After he left, and before he returned, Mrs. Eobinson again came into the grocery. Catherine, at this time, was lying on the bed in the kitchen. She was sick. Mrs. Robin- son went to her bedside, and asked her how she felt. She replied, very poorly ; and repeatedly said that prisoner had put something in the beer that sickened HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 89 her. Mrs. Robinson answered, she had put nothing in it but what would do her good. I do not recollect any more that passed between them. Mrs. Eobin- son then came to the counter, and called for a glass of beer. I told her I thought she did not need any. She then turned round to a man who was there, and asked him if he would have a glass with her, but he refused. At this time my husband came in and laid down on the sofa. He was very bad, hardly able to speak. I asked him if he was sick. He replied, run for the doctor ; I am done for. I turned round to Mrs. Kob- inson, who was standing near, and said, " What have you done ? you have killed the father of my children." She answered, " JSTo — I have done no such thing." She then attempted to go over and sjDeak to him, but I put my hand against her, and told her to go away. Lanagan's mother presently came in, and helped me put her out of doors. As she attempted to approach my husband, while he was lying on the sofa, he put up both his hands, and said, "Go, woman, go," Soon after she left, I received a message from h-er to go over to her house. The old man, Haley, brought it, saying it was from Mrs. Robinson. I told him I should not go. She did not come back after she was put out of doors. I did not see her afterward. The question was then asked, "Do you see her now ? " Shrouded in her long vail, as the prisoner was, the witness was unable to reply- An attempt 90 HHNEIETTA KOBINSON. was liere made to induce her to remove it, but failed. She only drew it the closer round her, and utterly re- fused. It was intimated that this refusal to be seen answered the purpose of identifying the prisoner. Her counsel stated that her vailing was entirely be- yond their control ; that there were reasons, other than a repugnance to be the object of observation during this trial, why she desired to conceal her- self. Those reasons the court knew nothing about, but the counsel understood them. Mr. Hogeboom remarked that he did not intend to be tenacious in the matter, and the witness proceeded. After Mrs. Eobinson left the grocery, ray husband became so ill, that we had to take him in our arms and lay him in the bed. Catherine had left the house, and gone to James Lanagan's, in the mean- time, where she died. He was our first cousin, and lived not far from our house. I was crying, and my husband told me not to grieve ; that I must make the best of it, now that he " was done for." Before the doctors came, he said he thought he could not get well. He died at a quarter to seven o'clock that evening, and Catherine Lubee died at five o'clock the next morning. I saw her dead. She died at the house of James Lanagan, and was attended by Drs. Skilton and Adams. A French clergyman, whose name I forget, and who is not at present living in town, was sent for by Mr. Lanagan's mother, and was with him before his death. HENRIETTA EOBINSON. 91 The offer to prove the dying declarations of Lanagan was now renewed. The court said, " I do not think it will answer." I recollect a disturhance at our house, in which Mrs. Robinson was concerned. It was on the occa- sion of a dance. I told her to go home. This was two months before his death. The witness was here asked what Mrs. Eobinson had done at the dance that made her tell her to 2:0 home. The prisoner's counsel objected to the ques- tion, and argued its impropriety and illegality, at length, apparently anxious to avoid the development of testimony that might disclose a motive for the commission of the crime. Judge Harris thought it was proper to show any unkindness of feeling, even at this time. He held, therefore, that the question might be answered. The witness continued. I told her so, because a young man asked her to dance. She refused, and in- sulted him. This occurred at the door leading from the grocery into the kitchen. I did not hear what was said, but she drew her pistol, saying she had been insulted, and threatened to blow his brains out. My husband came, and said he would not have such a noise, and that she must leave. I went to her and told her to go home, and went along with her to her own door, advising her that if she would keep in her own place nobody would molest her. In the course of the night she came to the outside door of the 92 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. grocery again, but did not come in. She knocked^ and asked of the person who opened it, if Smith was there. Smith went out, and I heard nothing further of them. I cannot say whether it was the next morning or two mornings after the dance, that Mrs. Eobinson came to the grocery and abused me very much. She said I was a mean woman, and kept rowdies in my house to insult her ; that she would have us turned out of the place, and would not let us get any license to sell. I told her I wanted no trouble with her ; to go home ; but she still kept talking, and my husband got out of bed in the back room and told Mrs. Eobin- son he would not have such a noise, and that she must leave the house. She said she would not leave the house for him, and asked if he wanted to turn so good a customer as she was out of doors. He said he did not want her custom, but wanted her to leave. She said she would not leave, and that if he wanted to turn her out, he would have to get a constable to do it. I told him to go inside and I would endeavor to send her away. In a few minutes she left. When I went into the grocery with the saucer after the sugar, I got it out of a small box where it is usu- ally kept. The box, and sugar that remained in it, were taken in charge by the coroner that night. Previous to the 25th of May, and before drinking the beer, my husband was in the enjoyment of good HENEIETfA ROBINSON. 93 health. The beer was of the same kind and quality that Ave were retailing at the store daily. Cross-examined iy Mr. Pier son. — I first saw Mrs. Eobinson at onr grocery, about two months after we moved into the place ; she came to trade. She con- tinued her trade down to my husband's death. We were on good terms with her until the morning she came in to abuse us. I cannot say what month the dance was. It was in the spring, but I do not recol- lect whether it was cold or warm weather. There was no snow on the ground. Dances were not very frequent at our house. "We have had none since that time. The Smith I speak of, was the only strange person there. The rest were my friends. We had music, but I forget whether it was a fiddler or a fifer. Since my acquaintance with Mrs. Robinson, I have occasionally visited her, and so have my children. My eldest boy is thirteen, the next is nine, the other seven, and the girl eight. After the dance I was on good terms with Mrs. Kobinson. She stayed away some time, but came back again. I did not feel un- friendly toward her, when I told her to go home, neither did she manifest any unkindness toward me. She was at our grocery nearly every day until the occurrence at the dance, when she remained away about three weeks. She kept an account with us, but always paid her bills when requested. She owed us fourteen dollars at the time of my husband's decease, 94 HENRIETTA EOBmSON. part of which has since been paid. She was in the habit of borrowing money of us, but always returned it again. I cannot say how much her trade amounted to in a month. On the morning she sent the old man for the loan of two dollars, I had the money in the house, but did not want to let her have it. I am not in the habit of lying, but I told Mrs. Eobinson I did not have the money. What I told her was not much lying after all, for the reason, you see, I did not want to refuse her, neither did I want to let her have it. Besides, the old man, Haley, told me he couldn't imagine what she wanted the money for, because she had every thing in the house that anybody could want. I testified at the coroner's inquest that there was no cause of emnity between my husband and myself and Mrs. Robinson. I said nothing at that time about the difficulty at the ball. At the time of the poisoning, when she called for the beer, and Miss Lubee and myself said we did not wish any, she declared she would not leave the house until she had it. We never had any arsenic in our house, nor had I ever seen any. I was just about to drink the beer when my husband called me. I did not about this time drink a glass of brandy and water, nor did I say, that having become tired of beer I would take some brandy. Miss Lubee had been at our house seven or eight days at the time of this oc- currence. She was twenty-five years of age, unmar- ried, and resided in Albany, when at home. She HENEIETTA BOBINSON. 95 stopped during the day -with me and went to Mr. James Lanagan's at night, as I had no bed for her. Mrs. Robinson knew Miss Lubee ; became acquainted with her at our place, and they conversed together on friendly terms. Once she came for Catherine at our house, and afterward I went to hers and accompa- nied her home. This was about a week before my husband's death. The box from which I got the su- gar, .was open, and stood inside the counter, but within the reach of any one. Mrs. Eobinson was invited to partake of the beer by Miss Lubee, but said she did'nt feel like taking any at present. If Mrs. Robinson drank of the beer, and was afterwards sick and vomited, I did not know it. I do not recollect that Haley, when he brought me the message to go over to her house, said she was sick. The paper which Mrs. Robinson had in her hands was white, and she held it between her fingers. It was clean white paper, and whether it was folded or rolled up I cannot say. I was not with Catherine when she died. The names of the men with whom Mrs. Robinson had the angry talk, in the back room, in the forenoon of the day my husband died, were "William Buckley, Pat Gaven, and others. I do not know what they were doing. Can't say they were playing cards, but they had something to drink. I had known Catherine Lubee about three years. She had before visited us in Troy, remaining with us thir- teen weeks, caring for a sister who was in a dying 96 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. vray. I heard, but cannot tell from wliom, the day tbllowins the murder, that Mrs. Eobinson was sick. 1 knew she was in jail. Having given the foregoing testimony, Mrs. Lana- gan was permitted to retire from the witness' stand, when William H. Osteom was called on the part of the people, and being sworn, gave the following evidence. I am a druggist and reside in Troy. That was my business during the month of May, 1853. My store was on the corner of Eiver and Federal streets, near the bridge, considerably south of the residence of Mrs. Robinson. I knew a Mrs. Eobinson at that time, and should now know whether that was her, if she would raise her vail. Mr. Hogeboom. " I submit, your honor, we shall have to try that Tail experiment once more." At this remark there was much excitement in the court room, and it was some time before the officers could restore order. The court said : "If the prisoner prefers it, she ma;y step forward to where the witness is, and unvail herself to him alone." Mrs. Eobinson arose, walked rapidly toward the vvitness, ascended the platform, and placing her face close to that of the witness, drew aside her vail, but only for an instant. That is the lady, sir, said the witness. She was in my store several times in the month of May, 1853, HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 97 and purchased arsenic there. It was between the 10th and 25th of the month, and the amount she pur- chased, as near as I can recollect, was two ounces. She was also at my store about half an hour previous to her arrest on the evening of the 25th, at which time I had a conversation with her. I foimd her there very much excited when I came in from tea,. She said she was in trouble ; that she had been charged with poisoning a couple of persons, men- tioning Lanagan's name, for one. She said she sup- posed it was out of revenge, because she would not lend them a hundred dollars ; that she did not want to draw that amount of money out of the bank in the absence of Mr. Kobinson. She declared she was very much in fear of the neighborhood, and requested my advice as to what she should do to be protected. I referred her to the chief of police, and informed her that it was his duty to send a posse of officers to protect her, if necessary. She had a revolver with her on that occasion. I probed it with the handle of a pen, and found at least one barrel loaded. There were three or four percussion caps on the hammer of the pistol, but the lock was so rusty that I doubt if it could be fired off. I think the cap was good on the barrels loaded ; at least, the one I probed was in good order. About ten o'clock on the Saturday evening pre- vious to the arrest, she was also at my store, and had her pistol with her. E 7 98 HENRIETTA EOBINSON. On her visit on tlae 25tli, she said she liad gone over to the grocery in search of her gardener, and that while there she was about drinliing beer with Mrs. Lanagan and others ; that there was some con- fusion in handling the tumblers, and that Mr. Lana- gan was taken sick, and they had accused her of put- ting poison into the beer. Cross-examined hy Mr. Beach. I furnished a written statement of the transactions I have related, about the time of the meeting of the first grand jury after the arrest was made. I can state that one of the barrels of the pistol was charged, but cannot state that more than one was. I think the rust on the other caps rendered them useless. I first spoke of her call- ing on the chief of police for protection. She did not voluntarily give me the pistol. I requested it, and she handed it to me promptly. She said she wanted the arsenic to kill rats ; that she was living in the vicinity of Boutwell's mills, where they were abundant. This was voluntary on her part, while I was putting up the article. I think she purchased it within two or three days of the 10th of May. "Within an hour after purchasing the arsenic, she called again, and appeared to be very much excited. I never no- ticed anything peculiar in her appearance except on this occasion, and when she called the evening of her arrest. This last time she seemed fearful and rest- less. She looked around her, apprehensively, and did not appear like the same woman, either in dress or HKNKIE'n'A K0BIH80N. 99 manner. She was very nervous, and was not in one position any length of time, but walking about, all over the store. I had noticed in her former visits that she had the air and appearance of an accom- plished lady. On the evening of the 25th, her dress was in disorder, and her language more bold. Only on one occasion previous had I noticed this change in her appearance, and that was on the Saturday eve- ning when I saw a revolver, or the muzzle of one, in her dress. To Mr. Hogeioom. On this Saturday evening, judging from her flushed countenance and excited manner, I have no doubt she was laboring under the effects of liquor. I cannot say she was in liquor at all on the 25th, because there were other reasons which might have caused her excitement on that oc- casion. I mean the accusation. The arsenic I sold her was rolled up in two white papers, and both were labeled " poison." To Mr. Beach. On the Saturday I speak of, her excitement, mode of dress, flushed countenance, and language, led me to the conclusion that she Avas intoxicated. Her language was not as polislied, not as good, as formerly. Her having a revolver, was an- other reason that led me to that conclusion. She made use, however, of no vulgarity. The excited state of her mind, and the flush in her face, might have been produced by other causes than liquor. They might, undoubtedly have proceeded from a deranged mind, E 7 100 HENRIETTA EODINSON. connected with a diseased state of the person ; but I pretend to have no particular knowledge of the symp- toms occasioned, in mind or body, by mental excite- ment, not superinduced by liquor. To tU Judge. At the time she returned to the store, after purchasing the arsenic, I noticed she was flushed in the face. She was usually of rather florid complexion. Dk. Skilton, recalled l>y the people. I saw Cathe- rine Lubee at James Lanagan's, in North First street, some twenty minutes after I first saw Lanagan. I was with her about ten minutes at this time, and saw her again immediately after Lanagan's death. Her symptoms indicated that she had taken mineral poi- son. They were similar to those of Mr. Lanagan, but differed in degree. I was present at her post mortem examination. That examination exhibited the same thing as the other case— death from mineral poison. No chemical tests were applied. Judging profession- ally, I have no doubt she died from mineral poison, and that the poison was arsenic. It is not the general custom of physicians, in such cases, to analyze the contents of the stomach. It is their custom to do it when ordered to. I have had some familiarity with cases of poisoning. The coroner generally orders the stomach analyzed in cases of murder, and, in fact, I do not remember an instance where it was not so or- dered. Dr. Skilton having concluded his testimony, the HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 101 court ordered an adjournment until the following morning ; and thus closed the second day of the trial of Henrietta Kobinson. Throughout the investiga- tion, the court room was filled with an immense au- dience, a large proportion of which were ladies. The prisoner generally walked from the court house to the jail, accompanied by the sheriff's officers. She expressed much anxiety to have them keep at a long distance in the rear, but in this particular she was not gratified. So intense was the anxiety to obtain a sight of the prisoner, that the street through which she was obliged to pass in going to and returning from the court house, was crowded with spectators. CHAPTER VIII. THIRD DAT OF THE TRIAL TJNSUCCKSSFtTL ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE VAIIi TESTIMONY OF THE POLICEMAN THE COTTAGE SEARCHED DISCOVERY OV THE ARSENIC ARRIVAL AT THE JAIL ^TESTIMONY OF BDRR LORD THE coroner's evidence ANALYSIS OF THE POISON THE VAIL, AGAIN THE coroner's visit to the JAIL THE PRISONER SEARCHED THE QUESTION OF INSANITY PROFESSOR DAIKIN's TESTIMONY THE PROSECUTION CLOSE THE EDITORIAL ARTICLE THE CARD FROM QUEBEC WHO IS THE VAILED PRISONER ! THE MYSTERY INCREASES. At half past eight o'clock the following morning, the officers having called to order, and the jurors an- swered to their names. Justice Harris said : " Before this trial proceeds further, I have a word or two to say. We have thus far proceeded in this case, with the prisoner masked. The singular spectacle is here presented, of a person on trial, charged with a high, capital crime, whose face neither the court nor jury- have ever seen. I admit it is a matter of ceremony ; nevertheless, it is the form prescribed by law, in cases of this character, that the jury shall look upon the prisoner, and the prisoner upon the jury. It is re- pugnant to my feelings to try a person under these circumstances. It does not appear to me to be prop- er ; and, therefore, however much I regret the neces- sity, I feel it to be my duty to require of the prison- er, that during the remainder of this trial she sit un- vailed." HENEIETTA EOBINSt N. 103 Mrs. Robinson rose from her chair, and, raising her vail, said, in a clear, earnest tone of voice, " I am here, your honor, to undergo a most painful trial — not to be gazed at," and immediately replaced the vail, and resumed her seat. " It may be a hardship," continued Judge Harris, " but it is not one for which the court is responsible. I shall use no coercion, Mrs. Robinson, but unless your vail is now removed, so that the jury can see your face, I shall regard you as refusing compliance with a just and reasonable demand of the court. Mr. Beach arose : " "We have advised, your honor, with the prisoner, and earnestly urged and entreated her to comply with the suggestions of the court ; her reply to us is, that rather than sit unvailed, she would choose to incur any hazard, however great, and en- dure all possible consequences. The court, therefore, will perceive, that her counsel are powerless in the matter. The prisoner continued to sit vailed. There was a slight pause — a dead silence for a minute or two — during which time all eyes were turned toward the masked figure, when the judge ordered the counsel to proceed. Chakles Buens was then sworn, and testified : I reside in Troy, and was an officer in May, 1853. I arrested Mrs. Robinson. The arrest was made at a cabinet-shop, next door to Clark's drug store, near the Mansion House, between six and seven o'clock of the 104 HENRIETTA ROBINSON. day the alleged offense was committed. "When I went in, she asked me if I was a police officer, and I told her I was. I arrested her, and conducted her to the jail. On the way, we laughed and joked. She said nothing, whatever, in relation to the murder. I visited her house, afterward, in company with Officer Bowman, Dr. Bontecou, and Nathan Camp. We found no person on the premises. "We entered by the front door, she having given me the key. "We searched the house from the garret to the cellar, and found, under the corner of the carpet, done up in a piece of white paper, a quantity of arsenic. It was found close to the wall, near the head of a bed, in the middle room, and was taken in charge by the cor- oner, Dr. Bontecou. The carpet was tacked down. When I arrested Mrs. Eobinson, I found on her person a couple of revolvers, which were also taken charge of by the coroner. Two barrels of one of them were loaded. She refused to deliver them, and Mr. Price, the sheriff, George Kennedy, and myself, took them away from her. This was at the jail. I found, also, in her pocket, a small piece of white wrapping paper ; but there was nothing in it, and I threw it away. Cross-examined by Mr. Beacli. I did not observe particularly what she was doing in the cabinet-shop, at the time of her arrest. I did not see her do any- thing there. "We walked to the jail. On the way, she excused herself for appearing in the dress she wore, HENEIETTA EOBmSON. 105 by saying it was a muddy, rainy day. She talked somewhat lightly. When I arrested her, she in- quired if I was going to take her to the recorder's office ; and I replied, yes. After taking her into cus- ■ tody, we passed down Albany street to Fifth, and from thence to the jail. This course was nearly op- posite that leading to the recorder's office, but she made no remarks in regard to it. The carpet was nailed down over the paper of ar- senic that we found at her house. There was a pa- per of Spanish flies, a box of jewelry, a watch, and a locket, also found there. The pistols we took from her at the jail looked pretty rough. She carried them in her bosom, and resisted giving them up. At this point, Mrs. Robinson bent forward and whispered to her counsel. Mr. Beach, addressing the witness, said, "The prisoner is anxious to know what has become of that locket." The witness re- plied, " I have not seen it, nor the key to the house, since I delivered them to Dr. Bontecou." On the way to the prison, when we reached the corner of Ferry and Fifth streets, I pointed to the jail, and told her that was the place. I suppose she thought it was the court-house. There was quite a party of boys standing on the corner, and she asked me to let her walk up the hill a little way, while I should stand on the steps. I allowed her to do so. Her object was, as I understood, to avoid being seen entering the jail with ine. She walked on as far as E* 106 HENEIETTA ROBINSON. the first brick house, then immediately returned and passed into the hall of the jail. She seemed quite surprised when she found where she was. Dir^ect examination resumed, hyMr. Van Santvoord. "When I went into the cabinet-shop to arrest the pris- oner, I said " Good day " to her, and that was all I said before she inquired if I was a police ofiicer. The corner opposite the jail, where I said the boys were standing, is known as Murphy's Corner. She passed the jail about half a block, but npt out of my sight. She did not state why she wished to walk past the jail, but I understood her object. Neither was her surprise, on being informed where she was, expressed in words. She looked startled, bxit said nothing. I do not know how long she has resided in the city, and never saw her until that day. BuEK LoED, called by the prosecution, testified : I am one of the firm of Morrison & Lord, grocery and provision dealers, at 399 Kiver street. I knew Timo- thy Lanagan in his life time. The last time I ever saw him was at our store, the 25th of May last. He was there twice on that day ; the first time, about nine o'clock in the morning, and the second time, be- tween one and two o'clock in the afternoon. The last time, he came down to examine some beef, as I sup- posed, but did not purchase any. He remained but a few minutes, saying he was sick, very sick, but did not state the nature of his illness. His face had a deathly appearance. His eyes looked bad, and his HESEIETTA EOBINSON. 107 lips were blue and livid. He left the store and went toward liome. Keed p. BoNTECoir, sworn : I am by profession a physician, and have been in practice about nine years. I reside in Troy, and during the year 1853, was cor- oner of the county of Rensselaer. I held an inquest over the body of Timothy Lana- gan, on the evening of the 25th of May last, the day of his death. A verdict was rendered by the jury. On the following day I made a post mortem exami- nation of the body, at the house of the deceased, in the presence of the jury, Drs. Skilton and Seymour, and quite a number of other persons. I was associa- ted with Professor Daikin, in making an analysis of the stomach. I took it from the body myself, It was analyzed during the latter part of May and first of June, by the application of chemical tests, with the view of ascertaining the substance it contained. We found poison in the stomach, and the result of several diflferent tests proved it to be arsenic. We found forty grains in the intestines, which had passed through the stomach, a sufficient quantity to produce death. Arsenic is poison, and I can state profession- ally, that he died of arsenic. * I took charge of a box of sugar, pointed out to me, by Mrs. Lanagan. It was fine, white sugar, and stood on one of the shelves in the store, behind the counter. I saw no other box of sugar there, and was informed by Mrs. Lanagan that it was all there was in the house. E* 108 HENRIETTA ROBINSON. It contained, perhaps, three or four pounds. I kept it in my possession until the time of the analysis^ ■when Professor Daikin and myself tested it for ar- senic. There was none in it. In this analyzation, we applied the proper tests for discovering the pres- ence of arsenic. The sugar contained no foreign in- gredients whatever. Professor Daikin is a profes- sional chemist ; I am not. I tested the beer at Lanagan's by drinking it. It produced no unpleasant effect. It didn't kill me. There was no poison in the beer. Mrs. Lanagan drew it from the only barrel there, and some of the coroner's jury, and others, drank of it. No injurious effects were produced. I had never seen Mrs. Eobinson previous to this transaction. She resided in a cottage with white pil- lars, nearly opposite Lanagan's. I visited the house, and found a great many things in it, such as are usu- ally to be found in dwellings. We found arsenic there. It was in the back parlor. There was a bed in this room. The arsenic was in the south-east cor- ner, under the carpet, between the bed and the south wall. It was wrapped up in a paper, somewhat soiled, and as near white as may be. It had been fumbled, and was not done up regular, in apothecary style. There was one drachm — about sixty grains — of the arsenic. I took possession of it. It was tested, and found to be arsenic, and was the same package that is now here in court. HENEIETTA EOBmSOlT. 109 On the 25tli of May, I saw a person named Cathe- rine Lubee, alleged, also, to have been poisoned. I saw her at the house of James Lanagan, a relative of the deceased, about nine o'clock in the evening. I took the coroner's jury there, for the purpose of taking her evidence. She was sworn on Lanagan's inquest. I took her evidence in writing. She was lying in bed at the time, and appeared ill — sick at the stomach. She vomited, and called for water, but I do not remember that she complained of a burning sensation in the throat. It was my professional opin- ion at the time, judging from what she told me, and not alone from appearances, that she had been poi- soned. [The last statement was objected to, and ruled out by the court.] I examined the stomach of Miss Lubee, after death, in company with Professor Daikin, and found in it arsenic, of sufficient quantity to produce death. I do not know that, at the time I saw her, she had hopes of recovery. I told her she would recover, and thought so at the time ; but the prevailing impression about the room seemed to be that she would not. I approached the bed, put my hand on her pulse, and spoke a few words to her, in which I said I thought she would recover. She re- plied that she was very sick. I did not change my opinion before I left, and communicated no different opinion to her from the one I first expressed. I held an inquest over her body, at nine o'clock on the morn- ing of the 26th of May. The post mortem examina- 110 HENRIETTA E0BIN80N. tion of Miss Lubee was made before that of Lanagan. The arsenic found in the stomachs of both these indi- viduals -was of the same kind I found under the car- pet, in the house of Mrs. Eobinson. Cross-examined hy Mr. Pierson. The tests spoken of were conducted principally by Professor Daikin. Mrs. Eobinson was not, to my knowledge, in attend- ance at either of the coroner's inquests. I first saw her in prison, after nine o'clock, on the evening of the 25th. I conversed with her in the jail. The question here arose as to the state of the pris- oner's mind at this time, and the admissibility of tes- timony touching it. The court said : " It has been already intimated, in the progress of the trial, that aberration of mind was to be relied upon in the defense. I regret the neces- sity of alluding to the subject again ; but if such is to be a part of the defense, the prisoner must unvail her face, so that it can be seen. The countenance, often- times, indicates more truly than anything else, the state of the mind. If the prisoner now refuses to re- move the vail, it will be my duty, however painful it may be, to order the sheriff to do it by force. I trust that will not become necessary." Some little time elapsed, when she raised her vail, but still concealed her face from observation by her fan. The judge continued : " The position of the pris- oner must be such that her face can be seen by the HENEIETTA EOBINSON. Ill court and jury, and this request shall be complied with." After much hesitation, she finally withdrew her fan, exposing her face to the jury, and appeared in a smiling mood. Her countenance was visible only to those directly in front of her, and to the jury at her side. She remained, however, in this position but a short time, before she again partially di-ew the vail over her face. The witness proceeded : I have seen many individu- als who were insane, and pretend to be capable of j udg- ing of a person's sanity. When I saw her at the jail, on the evening of the 25th, she was much excited. At that time she was not rational. It would be difficult to describe her accurately. There was a strange, wild, unnatural appearance of the eye. She laughed, and her answers to questions were not pertinent. She was attired in a Jenny Lind sort of short gown, a loose dress, the upper part not attached to the skirt below. Her person, however, was not exposed. I took from her, on that occasion, her keys, and went to the house where she had resided. There I found the arsenic as before stated ; and by the side of the arsenic, under the carpet, I also found a box of j ewelry. The j ewelry consisted of a watch and chain, a locket, breast pins, cuff pins, ear rings and many ar- ticles of that description. I next saw and conversed with Mrs. Robinson in the jail, the day following. The state of her mind was 112 HENEIETTA EOBINSOK. mucli the same as the previous evening. She ap- peared strange and unnatural. I did not consider her rational. Her answers to my questions were unsatis- factory, and I was unable to obtain the information I desired. My business was to consult her in rela- tion to her furniture. I remarked at this time, also, a wildness in her eyes. In her gesticulations, I discov- ered nothing peculiar. She was seated when I en- tered, but left her chair and walked to the window before I came away. I saw her frequently during the fortnight subse- quent to the arrest, was in the habit of visiting the jail for that purpose two or three times a week, and was always impressed with the idea she was not sane. I told her once that I heard Lanagan and Miss Lubee were dead. She took no notice of the remark, and as far as 1 could judge, did not know what I meant. On another occasion, during the second or third week of my visits, I charged her with poisoning those per- sons. My expression was : " You know you poisoned those people, and I want you to tell me all about it." She made no answer, but went on chattering away with the same incoherent jumble she usually had over. She did not, as far as I am able to judge, comprehend what I was saying ; and on all the occasions to which I refer, from the beginning to the end, I am satisfied she was not a rational woman. The jewelry belong- ing to her I gave to Dr. Hegeman. Direct examination resumed hy Mr. Hogeboom. HENEIETTA EOEINSOW. 113 My visits to Mrs. Kobinson, at the jail, extended through two or three weeks, and possibly longer. I was not employed to attend her. She may have once requested me to call on her, but I do not now recollect it positively. Ihavenever been paid for my visits. I continued my visits only so long as I had charge of her property. After I had relieved myself of the care of that, they ceased. I never in my life saw her pre- vious to the evening of her arrest. I have been called upon to see insane persons, and those supposed to be insane, and to testify in regard to their sanity, but never have been called upon to treat them medically. I have never had a patient in my charge for the treatment of insanity. Since I have been in practice, my residence has been con- stantly in this city, with the exception of a year, du- ring which time I was in Brazil, South America. I have been called upon to inspect some twenty or thirty cases of persons supposed to be insane. They were not charged with crime, nor were they in hos- pitals, but they were cases occurring in private prac- tice. I have been called upon to testify before a judge, in order to obtain for them admission into the limatic asylum. They were not all, however, cases of this description. Some of them subsequently be- came inmates of the alms house. Some of them I in- spected twice, but most of them received but a single examination. I am thirty years of age. On my first visit to Mrs. Kobinson at the jail, on 8 114: HENRIETTA EOBINSON. the evening she was arrested, the officers of the prison, two or three police officers, and, it may be, some other persons, were present during the interview. I told her I had come to search her person. I forget the re- ply she made, but she was laughing at the time. She made some reply, however, irrelevant to the subject. I did search her person. She offered no resistance, but facilitated the search, by standing passive and raising her arms. When I entered the room, I re- marked I had come to search her. She was on the opposite side of the room, but what I said was audible, and as I approached her, she elevated her hands in the manner I have mentioned. I cannot now recall distinctly any other remark I made to her at that in- terview. She was singularly dressed, but this was not one of the reasons which induced me to believe she was laboring under an aberration of mind. It was the wild and unnatural appearance of her eyes, and the strange, unusual expression of her countenance. When a person is terrified, the eye and countenance will assume such an appearance and expression. It is also more or less the case with persons in liquor, and after the use of liquor, upon the approach of de- lirium tremens. Insanity is, also, sometimes simu- lated. I do not now recollect of ever having seen a person who feigned insanity. I have read periodical publications on the subject of insanity, but not re- cently, and have never made it a particxalar study. I HENEIBTTA EOBINSON. 115 entertain the impression that it is laid down in stan- dard works, as not difficult to distinguish between real and feigned insanity, yet there are cases, I be- lieve, where it requires a close and long examination to discover the difference. During my visits, the longest period I remained with Mrs. Kobinson, at any one time, was twenty minutes ; they were not usually longer than ten or fif- teen minutes, though I will not swear positively on that point. On one or two occasions, I was either in- formed by the jailer, or she told me herself, that she was ill. I cannot, at this moment, recall the jailer's name, nor state the particular interview at which this information was received. I did not prescribe for her at that time, nor did I visit her at all in a profes- sional capacity. Having the keys of her house, and the custody of her property, my visits were solely of a business character, having reference to her affairs. At our first interview, I came to the conclusion she was irrational. Question In/ counsel. " Will you inform us what inducements led you to visit a crazy woman two or three times a week about her property ?" Answer. Iliere were no inducements held out to me, sir. I had the keys of her house. Whether she handed them to me voluntarily, or I took them from her pocket during the search, I do not now remem- ber. On my first visit I did not inquire in relation to her property. When I first spoke of the keys, she 8 116 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. made no reply, but kept on talking and laughing. There was nothing about the transaction of obtaining the keys, particularly, that produced the impression in my mind that she was not rational. The precise remarks she made, in reference to the keys, are for- gotten. She did not request me, at that time, or any other person in my hearing, to bring down her ap- parel from the house, as I can recollect. I have for- gotten entirely the details of our conversation. At the second interview, something was said about her property on my part, but she said nothing in re- gard to it. I cannot state the substance or the sub- ject of her observations on this occasion ; I only re- member she was moving about the room, talking and laughing incessantly. l^Teither can I say who was there. I think, however, either the sheriff, or Dr. Hegeman, his deputy, was in the room, or near it. I was inside. My impression is, that the door was un- locked. She did me no bodily harm. It was at a subsequent interview that I remarked that Lanagan and Miss Lubee were dead. She made some observation in reply, but it had no reference, whatever, to the subject. I cannot say what it did refer to. She did not seem shocked or startled in the least, nor was there the slightest change in her coun- tenance at what I said. One day, subsequently, I told her that Mrs. Lana- agan had called on me, and requested the return of seme articles belonging to her, which were at Mrs. HENRIETTA EOBINSON. 117 Eobinson's house. They were some cooking utensils and a bonnet. I inquired if I should give them up. She looked at me inquiringly, and said, " Why not ? " This was the only allusion she ever made to me in re- gard to Lanagan or his wife. The articles were asked for as belonging to Mrs. Lanagan. So far as that an- swer was concerned, I regarded it as both pertinent and rational. At other interviews, she talked about dresses. I cannot recall distinctly what she said. I do not, by any means, consider a person insane who talks about dress. It is a reasonable topic of discourse. But I regarded her remarks at the time, irrational, because they were wholly disconnected from the subject of conversation. I sent down dresses to Mrs. Kobinson from her house, either in pursuance of her own request, or of some one connected with the prison. It is barely pos- sible that I may have sent them of my own accord. It was not in consequence of the irrational remark about the dresses. She said nothing to me in relation to the jewelry. Dr. Hegeman, the deputy sheriff, was my successor in charge of the property. I deliv- ered him the keys of the house, but it was not at his or her request, or at the request of any other person. It was voluntary. On the occasion I told her she knew she had poi- soned those people, it seemed strange to me that it did not effect her person or manner. A sane person, I 118 HENBIETTA EOEINSON. should imagine, would say sometMng pertinent in re- gard to such a matter. It did not seem strange that she did not admit the charge ; that was not an evi- dence of the absence of reason. On the other hand, I should suppose a sane person would be rather in- clined to evade the question ; nevertheless, it is still singular that she did not say something about it, either one way or the other. To Mr. Beach. In the course of my medical prac- tice, I have often had patients temporarily feverish and delirious. My practice in the city has been tol- erably extensive, so much so, at least, that I have managed to get a living by it. For ten years I was associated with Dr. Brinsmade in business, and, of course, have repeatedly had occasion to consult with him. At my first interview with this lady, the expression of her eye did not strike me as that of drunkenness, nor her face indicate a state of drunkenness. In the course of my several visits, my especial attention was directed to the condition of her mind. Partial aliena- tion of reason is one of the most common forms of in- sanity. I have a clear and distinct recollection, that Mrs. Kobinson's observations were not at all responsive to the questions propounded to her. Uniformly, when I saw her, she appeared in a laughing humor, and was full of levity. This mood, with her failure to reply pertinently to the most simple and direct questions, the wildness of her eyes, the eccentricity of her man- HENRIETTA KOBINSON. 119 ner, and the strange, unnatural expression of her countenance, were among the reasons which drove me to the conclusion that the woman was irrational. I am not aware that she had access to stimulating drinks after her incarceration. PEorEssoE Feancis E. DAiKrcf, of Albany, sworn: I am by profession a chemist, and as such, have been in the habit, for several years, of analyzing various substances. I conducted the analysis of the contents of the stomach of Lanagan and Miss Lubee, in con- nection with Dr. Bonteeou, at his residence. The re- sult of that analysis was the discovery of arsenic. We applied five or six different tests, each termina- ting in the same result. "We discovered a sufficient quantity to produce death. The contents of the stom- ach are in the jar before you. "We also analyzed the sugar, applying the same tests, but found no delete- rious or poisonous matter in it. It was afterward used by Dr. Bontecou's family. The contents of the pa- per found under the carpet at Mrs. Eobinson's resi- dence, was likewise analyzed, and was found to be arsenic. The case was here rested on the part of the prose- cution. Upon this announcement, the Hon. Job Pier- son, senior counsel for the prisoner, requested time for consultation with his associates before proceeding upon the defense. The request was granted by the court, and an adjournment ordered until two o'clock. The extraordinary efforts at concealment adopted 120 HENRIETTA EOBESTSON. by the prisoner, increased the public curiosity. Who she could be, was the wonder of the town. In this stage of uncertainty, at the close of the prosecution, an editorial article appeared in the Troy Whiff, which was perused with great avidity. We select a few extracts. After alluding to the different attempts in court to induce her to disclose her face, describing her as " the vailed prisoner, no less secluded from the gaze of man than was the vailed j)rophet " — it con- cluded with the following statements :" " It is this question that surrounds this trial with such extraordinary interest, and has given rise to much speculation. It may not be improper to say, that the most current belief now is — not to use a stronger term — that Mrs. Robinson, the prisoner, for- merly resided in this city as a pupil at the seminary ; that her family was one of wealth, standing and re- spectability, and resided somewhere near Quebec ; that while here she moved in the best circles in our city, as did three sisters who also attended the semi- nary at different times; that she subsequently mar- ried an army officer in Canada, who died ; that she then married a surgeon in the army, in the Provinces, from whom she separated ; and that she is now here, the vailed prisoner at the bar, charged with the crime of murder. These, we believe, are the outlines of the narrative most generally credited — we may say not doubted from the first by very many. For what reason her identity has been attempted to be die- HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 121 guised, we know not. Shortly after she was arrested, a gentleman from Quebec, or its vicinity, came here, and a statement was put forth to the eflfect that the prisoner was some other person ; but it is now to be presumed that the representation is not sustained in the public belief. " Whoever this prisoner is, she has, from the jSrst, possessed the facilities for securing for herself the ablest counsel, and many comforts not possessed by all who inhabit a cell. * * * * During the ex- amination of witnesses yesterday, notwithstanding Judge Harris insisted upon the vail being withdrawn, the prisoner, either by drawing it down entirely, or by placing a handkerchief or fan before her face, to all intents and purposes successfully resisted the wishes and commands of the court. She, for the first time, evinced emotion, and was frequently in tears ; but whether from an apprehension of being recog- nized by a partial removal of the vail, or from a re- alization of her real position, we cannot, of course, say. " The prisoner is twenty-five or thirty years of age, of genteel appearance, and is represented as pos- sessing personal charms of no ordinary character. Whether it is her peculiar fitness 'to act well her part,' or the extraordinary character in which she chooses to appear, it is difficult to determine ; but true it is, the drama, as cast, excites the deepest interest." F 122 HENEIBTTA EOBINSON. This confident statement of the Whig in relation to her family and history, was, for a time, generally accepted as conclusive. The article, however, soon reached Quebec, and but a few days elapsed, as will be seen as we progress, before a published card, pur- porting to emanate from that city, denounced the whole story as a fabrication, in the most positive and emphatic manner. Rumors and speculations were again afloat, and the question, " Who is the vailed prisoner ? " was involved in ten times greater mys- tery than ever. CHAPTER IX. OPESnjQ ADDEESS OF THE DEFENSE THE HON. JOB PIEESON— THE GEOUNDS OF THE DEFENSE ANXIETY OF THE AUDIENCE ANOTHEE EFFOET TO EE- MOTB THE VAIL THE TESTIMONY OF THE DEPUTY SHEEIFF CONDUCT OF THE FEISONER IN JAIL DESOEIBED DESTRUCTION OF THE CHAIKS THE SILVEE CAKE BASKET EVIDENCES OF INSANITY TESTIMONY OF THE YOUNG DEESSMAKEK FLIGHTS OF FANCY THE STOEY OF THE DAGUEK- KEOTYPE — THE MIRACULOUS CAKE — ADJODKNMENI OF THE COUET. On the reassem'bling of the court, Mr. Pierson arose to open the defense to the jury. The following is a sketch of his remarks. He said : " Gentlemen, the defense of a prisoner indicted for the high crime of murder, imposes a painful and on- erous duty upon counsel. It is not unknown to some of you, gentlemen of the jury, that in years past I was prosecuting attorney for the county of Rensse- laer, and at times was called upon to prosecute offen- ses of this character. In such trials, having adduced all the legal evidence in the case, I felt that I had dis- charged my duty. I never have, and in whatever circumstances I may be placed, I never shall, intro- duce testimony I know to be improper. I have never allowed my professional zeal to overcome my sense of justice, so far as to attempt to introduce, as dying declarations, what were not such. I have never ar- gued captiously with the court, and this I can say, es- 124 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. pecially, I have never, in opening an important cause to the jury, claimed that I would bring forward tes- timony to substantiate alleged facts, and failed to do it. "In capital cases of this kind, the counsel for the prosecution do not have the same responsibility rest- ing upon them as the counsel for the defense. While public prosecutor, there were, indeed, instances, where, through the adroitness of the opposing advo- cate, or from other causes, I believed the prisoner was acquitted against the weight of evidence. But if I did not always succeed, in cases where I deemed that justice demanded a conviction, I consoled my- self with that benign passage of scripture, which de- clares that it is better that ninety and nine guilty per- sons should go unpunished, than that one innocent man should suffer. Let me say farther, that none but those who have defended a prisoner convicted of a capital offense, and who has been so convicted when his counsel believed him innocent, can imagine the pangs of one thus situated. I have, in my life, been so situated, and have felt that I suffered more than the convicted prisoner himself. " We, as counsel, have nothing to expect from this unfortunate woman. In the language of the grand juror's oath, we act neither for reward or the hope of reward. The prisoner I never saw or heard of until the commission of the alleged offense. I was informed why she was in jail — that she was charged HENRIETTA EOBINSOIT. 125 with poisoning two persons. I was told by the offi- cers of the prison that she was insane. I felt it my duty — perhaps it was not — to go and see her. I found her a raving maniac — her mind tottering — her reason dethroned. It was weeks and weeks before I could as- certain from her anything at all satisfactory. I do not ask you to receive what I assert as evidence. I am not going to be a witness ; but what I say shall be sub- stantiated by the oaths of men whose veracious char- acters are far beyond the shadow of reproach. It is my solemn opinion, that she should never have been indicted, and, moreover, that she never would have been, had proper representations been made to the grand jury. "Indeed, gentlemen, her conduct here in court, which you have all yourselves observed, shows con- clusively enough, that she is not 'clothed in her right mind.' I do not say or believe that she is now wholly insane, but her mind has lost its balance in a degree. That she was insane, however, in every sense of the word, both before and after the death of Timothy Lanagan, the evidence will be sufficient to convince you beyond a doubt. " It has been a matter of consultation in this room to-day, between the counsel, whether we should not, at the close of the evidence of Dr. Bontecou and Mr. Ostrom, risk the case with the jury; whether, what they have testified does not take the case out and be- yond the language of the indictment, which charges 126 HENRIETTA EOBICTSON. her with premeditating the act which she is here to answer for, and which implies she Ttnew what she was doing, and intended to effect these deaths. I need not say, that unless she did it with a perfect mind, and with the intention to destroy life, the charge of murder cannot be maintained against her. " We know nothing of the antecedents of this un- happy woman. What her life and character have been, who she is, or from whence she came, she ut- terly refuses to disclose. We know nothing of her friends, family, or connections. All we know of her is, she is a lady of unusual intelligence and highly polished manners. We know, moreover, she is here, charged with the crime of murder, and that is all. "There are two grounds, gentlemen of the jury, upon either of which, we shall confidently demand at your hands, the acquittal of the prisoner at the bar. One of these grounds is insanity ; and I have already said that we did think of submitting the case to you on that ground alone, introducing no other evidence whatever. But then it occurred to us that, in the possible event of her conviction, we should have it to reflect upon through life, that there was evidence we might have introduced, which would have saved our client. " The testimony of Mr. Ostrom exhibits her in a state of great excitement, and not excited by liquor, either, on the Saturday night previous to the alleged mur- der. She was also unnaturally excited at the time HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 127 of the murder, and the frenzy was upon her when she was arrested. Think of her, laughing and joking with the policeman on. the way to jail ! And we shall prove to you, in addition to what has been already testified, that she continued irrational for weeks and weeks after her confinement in prison. Long, long will it be, I trust, before a jury of the county of Rensselaer will convict under circumstances such as these. " It will be shown, in proof of her insanity, that long before the alleged murder, the prisoner became ac- quainted with some young women residing in her neighborhood, one of whom was a dressmaker, and that they were at her house occasionally. One of them will testify that previous to this occurrence, the prisoner brought a black silk dress to her to repair ; that first she said it was too short, then that it was too long ; first that she cut it herself, and then that a dressmaker cut it. She told this young woman that her father was a lord, and that she was turned out of the castle because she married a poor man ; and on saying this she cried, and then she laughed, and then she danced. The witness will tell you, also, that af- ter this she met Mrs. Robinson having a daguerreo- type and a bunch of flowers in her hand. She said it was the picture of her mother, and that the flowers were gathered in the garden of the king of France ; that her mother died when she was a little child, and that a step-mother was the cause of all her sorrows. 128 HENErETTA ROBINSON. At one time, she declared that she was educated at a nunnery ; at another time, that it was at Mrs. Wil- lard's seminary. On a subsequent occasion, she sought the young woman with revolvers in her hand, with the request that she would accompany her into the city. And again, she called on her at an unusual hour, dressed only in her night clothes and cap, and begged the loan of a dress, to go down after a war- rant for some one. She obtained the dress, and left ; but soon returned, arrayed in black satin, thanked the young woman for the favor, sat down, but made no allusion to the warrant. She imagined that she was slandered, and that people were pursuing her ; and you renaember, gentlemen, the wild story of her husband being injured on the cars. " Furthermore, we shall corroborate, by Dr. Hege- man, the deputy sheriff, not only all that Coroner Bontecou has stated, but shall show by him, that for months, after her imprisonment, she was utterly and absolutely insane ; and that this state of mind cannot be attributed to the effects of intoxication, inasmuch as she had no liquor in the jail. " Previous to her arrest, she was going from place to place, palpably and unmistakably an insane wo- man. Tou, gentlemen, may have seen just such per- sons as she was on that evening. I have now in my eye a juror, who must remember having seen a wo- man who was long in the habit of wandering through the streets of Troy, singing as she went, HENEXETTA E0BIN80N. 129 ' When I can read toy title clear To mansions in the skies." That, of itself, was evidence enough to everybody that she was crazed, and no one doubted it. This is a gen- eral outline of what we expect to prove, to establish the fact of her insanity previous to, and on the day, of the alleged murder, and for a long time after she was committed to jail. " We shall endeavor, also, to show you, gentlemen, that she is entitled to acquittal on another ground. There is not a particle of evidence that she put the arsenic in the beer. True, she had arsenic in her house; but there are thousands of houses in Troy where arsenic is kept. Besides, gentlemen — and I appeal to the court to sustain me in what I say — there has never been a case of conviction of murder in this country, where it was not shown that an ade- quate motive existed for destroying the person. What motive was there in this case ? None, whatever, un- der heaven. To be sure, there was the disturbance at the dance, but that was all reconciled, and they had become friends again ; visiting each other, and she trading at Lanagan's up to the very morning of the murder. "In the case of John Hendrickson, after it was abundantly established that he had murdered his wife, his counsel contended that no motive had been shown, and the prosecution were obliged, in order to sustain their case, to go into proof as to the estate of F* 9 130 HENRIETTA E0BIN80N. his wife, and his interest in getting rid of her. But where will you find the motive in this case ? There was none. "I may be permitted to remark, that there is no human being, whose evidence can give color to the suspicion that Mrs. Eobinson put poison in the beer, except Mrs. Lanagan. And what does she say? Why, she saw a white paper in the prisoner's hands. That is all. But the theory the prosecution will ask you to adopt is, that Mrs. Eobinson mixed the poison with the sugar, and put the sugar in the beer. " I desire not to attack the character of any being ; but in this matter of life and death, we must look at things as they really are. Who was Miss Lubee ? An unmarried girl. Who was Mrs. Eobinson ? A beautiful woman, residing in the neighborhood, and spending much of her time at the house of Lanagan, Jealousy, gentlemen, jealousy has committed mur- ders as foul as this. But I cast no aspersions. My duty and my purpose is to defend this truly unfortu- nate lady, and her cause I am not afraid to entrust in the hands of an intelligent jury." This address was pronounced in an earnest and im- pressive manner, and with an air of extreme candor. The character of the advocate added weight to the words he uttered. During its delivery, the audience, anxious to learn the line of the defense, bent eagerly forward, as if desirous to catch every tone and sylla- ble that fell from the speaker's lips. HENEIEITA EOBIIfSON. 131 At its conclusion, Judge Harris said : " Before pro- ceeding further, -^e will make one more effort to go on witli an unmasked face. I trust I feel all the deli- cacy consistent with my position, but I must do my duty, fearlessly and fairly. ISTotwithstanding all my efforts this morning, one vail was withdrawn and an- other substituted. As yet, I have been unable to see the face of the prisoner, and I doubt if any one of the jury could identify her out of doors. I know the sting is severe, but it cannot be helped. The jurors and witnesses must confront the prisoner. If she will not voluntarily remove the mask, it must be taken from her." Mrs. Kobinson, after some hesitation, threw her vail partially over her bonnet, and sobbing, bent for- ward, burying her face entirely in her handkerchief. She was, apparently, much affected throughout the afternoon ; and, notwithstanding the determined or- der of the court, effectually succeeded in concealing her face from view. The court room was crowded almost to suffocation. The iirst witness called by the defense was "Wil- liam H. HEGEiLiif, who was sworn and said. I have been heretofore a practicing physician, but am now deputy sheriff. I have acted in the capacity of sher- iff's clerk and jailer for the past year and a half. (The prisoner here appeared extremely agitated.) I Wi^s at the jail at the time the prisoner was brought there ; had never seen her to my knowledge previous to that j?» 9 132 HENKIETTA EOBENSON. time. Since her imprisonment, I have seen her usu- ally three times a day, except on those days when I have been absent. I lodged at the jail during the night of the 25th of May. I first saw her that eve- ning going up the stairs, and once afterwards in the room in which she was confined. On that evening I had no opportunity of observing her appearance, or rather, I had the opportunity but did not improve it. I saw her the next morning in the presence of the sheriff. Her appearance was strange and singular, and her dress was very much disordered. There was an unnatural appearance in her eyes, and her counte- nance seemed to be expressionless. I had but little conversation with her ; enough, however, to discover that she did not at all appear to realize her condition. Her first night in prison, she remained in the room usually occupied by women. The next morning, the morning of the 26th of May, either myself or the sher- iff asked her, if she would not prefer another room. She was then removed up stairs, in the room she now occupies. Her remarks, when she made any, were disconnected; she seemed irritable and sullen. While seated she was very quiet, but when she rose from the chair, her movements were quick and impulsive. At least, such was her manner while I saw her. I do not know how she passed the night of the 26th, but on the night of the 27th, I watched at her cell door. The reason of my doing so was, she was raving, calling for assistance to protect her, and passing violently from HKNEIBTTA EOBINSOM'. 133 one end of the room to the other. This continued all night. At daylight I went down stairs. Her room was generally locked about eight or nine o'clock in the eve- ning. The first week or two I could draw but little con- versation from her. At the time of the funeral of Lanagan and Miss Lubee, I remarked that the funeral ceremonies were taking place. At this time she looked a little sober, and said : " It is queer, is n't it?" but immediately commenced talking and laughing on some other subject. This was all she said on the sub- ject of the funeral. I endeavored to satisfy myself as to the condition of her intellect. I thought her of unsound mind. She has, however, always exhibited great reluctance to be thought insane. Since she has been in jail she has destroyed a part of her furniture. Of six sofa-bottomed chairs she has destroyed five. She has also destroyed a table, dishes, and a silver cake basket. She has complained of ill health a good deal since she has been there. I can- not say what the state of her health was at the time of her arrest ; I was not her attending physician. She had no intoxicating drinks during the first three or four months of her imprisonment. Since last au- tumn she has had it as a medicine, by my direction. It was during the month of July or August previous, that it was supposed she would die. I was absent at the time, but returned before her recovery. I was not physician to the jail, and did not attend her in that 134 HENRIETTA EOBINSON. capacity. Dr. Adams was her pliysician. I did not know, from an examination of her condition, what was the origin and nature of her illness. Cross-examined ly Mr. Hogeboom, for theproseou- tion. My age is twenty-six; have practiced medicine about one year; graduated at the University Medical College, Broadway, New York, between three and four years ago. I have practiced medicine one year, aside from the time I was physician to the jail. I have been the physician there at two different peri- ods. Three months after the termination of the first period, I was appointed deputy sheriff. It was in January, 1853. In October following, I was again se- lected as jail physician. I cannot say positively what time it was I saw the prisoner on the morning of the 26th of May. It was in the forenoon, perhaps, between nine and ten o'clock. Her dress was disordered and hung loose about her. It was dirty and muddy, and appeared to have been long worn without being washed. It was a slate col- ored morning dress. At that time she had no other there. I procured her other apparel at her house ; her trunks were brought to the jail. After this she dressed better, when she dressed at all. She fre- quently, however, wore her night-clothes all day. There was, at that time, a wild appearance about the woman ; it seemed impossible to catch her eye. This is not now so much the case. I should not re- gard that alone as a sure evidence of insanity ; a good HENEIErrA EOBINSOK. 135 many sane persons have a wild appearance about the eyes, some more than others. I believe the prisoner is now of unsound mind, but not to so great an extent as formerly. I think she has been partially insane ever since she has been in jail. I mean by partially insane, that it was more apparent at one time than another. The appearance of unsoundness to day is not so striking as I have seen it ; not so readily ob- served. I cannot give you the reason of this, unless it is she is more cautious. Her countenance is not now so expressionless as it was when I saw her on the 26th of May. On that day her eye was wild, but I could not gather from the expression of her counte- nance what she wanted. I have said I had no considerable conversation with her at that time. When asked if she would like another room, I am not certain she made any response; if she did, it was neither of assent nor dissent, for I well remember I thought it strange she gave no answer. To the question : Do you possess that degree of medi- cal knowledge and skill that would justify you in pas- sing an authoritative opinion as to a person's sanity ? the witness answered, perhaps not. I never had, in my private medical practice, but one case of insanity. We have had three or four cases in jail ; one, was a man brought in from the country. Those who brought him, said they could not well take care of him, and wished to have us keep him. The question was not raised as to the insanity of these persons, neither were 136 HBNKIETTA K0BIN80N. they very desperate cases. Irritability and sullen- ness are not always characteristics of insanity. I do not think that sitting still on a chair, after a person is seated, is very remarkable. The reason I watched at her door on the night of the 27th, was, that I was apprehensive she might de- stroy herself. I think I was directed to watch. I have said she was raving. She called on the watch and the police, and said she would be killed ; called upon them to protect her. I was outside the door. At this time she had not been supplied with any liquor. She sometimes used snnff. I do not know of any opium being sent to her, nor of her requesting any, nor do I believe she has had any. During her stay in jail she has been supplied with no other stimu- lants than liquor, as a medicine, and some snuff. When I spoke to her about the funeral, I do not think I mentioned the na:Tiesof the deceased persons. My impression is, I said, the funerals of the man and woman who were poisoned is taking place now. The answer she made, was, " It is queer, is n't it ?" ajid commenced talking and laughing about some article of her dress. To the question : How did you arrive at the conclusion that she was very reluctant to be thought insane ? the witness answered, I did not come to that conclusion until recently. Did you communicate to her, that, if on the trial she should be found insane, she would not be discharged, but sent to the asylum ? Answer. No. Only few persons have had access to HENEIETTA EOBINSOIT. 137 her besides myself. I think it was at the last court of oyer and terminer, that I came to the conclusion she did not like to be considered insane. I thought so because she told me so. She did not say she was re- luctant to be considered insane, but insisted she was not insane. She broke up the chairs sometime last winter, pre- vious to the term of the court held by Judge "Watson. The chairs all belonged to her. She had a rocking chair which she did not break. This was after she was indicted, and after she had been arraigned to an- swer the indictment. She broke them in pieces and burned them up. She seemed to be mad at some- thing or somebody, but had had no particular diffi- culty with any person, as I am aware of. She is vio- lent in her temper. In the room she occupied there, were two other tables besides the one she destroyed ; also a looking glass, wash stand and wardrobe, a bed, dishes, trunks, carpets, &c., which she did hot destroy. She endeavored to melt the silver cake basket. I asked her why she destroyed those articles, and she replied they were her own, and she would do with them as she pleased. I did not prescribe ardent spirits for her daily ; when I did, it was sometimes wine, and sometimes brandy. These prescriptions, in all, did not exceed seven or eight in number. It was about six months ago, after I became physician to the jail, that I di- rected her to be thus supplied, and it was because she 138 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. complained of headache and sleepless nights. She never asked for beer. I know nothing of this woman's husband. The liquors that I ordered were the only liquors or wines sent to her room. The sheriff some- times has the key, and the man who assists us, also has access to her apartment. I know of no little in- dulgences she has had in the way of liquor. I have prescribed Dovers powders for her occasionally, but opium in any other form I have not prescribed. Mary J. Dillon, sworn. I reside in the upper part of the city of Troy. I know Mrs. Kobinson. Our residence is but a short distance from where she lived. T3efore she was put in jail, I saw her frequently. My business was dress making. Sometime in the month of March, 1853, she came in and asked me if I did plain sewing. I told her I did. She had a dress she wanted me to repair, and I told her I had so much sewing in the house I didn't see how I could do it right away. She said she wanted it done so bad she would pay me any price. She then told me it was too short in the waist. Shehad the dress with her. I told her I didn't think I could make it any longer in the waist, and then she said let the waist go as it is, and fix the other part. She told me first she cut the dress herself, and immediately after that a dressmaker cut it. She said that a man and his family who lived next door to her had slandered her ; that she was a lord's daughter in Ireland, and that she was turned away from her father's castle for marrying a poor HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 139 man. Tlien slie cried. Suddenly something seemed to pass over her mind, and then slie laughed, and then danced around the room, saying over something I do not recollect. At another interview, a short time after that, she showed me a daguerreotype representing a lady with a bundle of flowers. She said it was the daguerreo- type of her mother, and that the flowers were gath- ered in the garden of the king of France. She said her mother gave her the likeness when her father turned her from the castle. At another time she told me her mother died when she was a small child. Once she said she was educated at a nunnery, and again, that she was educated at Mrs. Willard's sem- inary. Her father, after he had turned her from the castle, she said, had requested her to come back again, and he would forgive her. She told me he had sent her a hundred and flfty dollars to purchase a single dress to appear in court against Oliver Boutwell for slander, and, while standing on the shore one day, said she could jump into the river and swim until she was tired, and then she had a cork she could put between her teeth, and rest in the water and not sink. Her house was right on the bank of the river. We saw a boat coming down. She said that boat couldn't pass, because Oliver Bontwell had stopped the navi- gation. She called to the men in the boat, but they didn't hear her. She had a revolver in her 140 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. hand, and began to climb up the rocks on the shore. She got about half way np, and then turned to me and said, " Mary, wouldn't I make a glorious soldier?" She told me that she was sick at one time, and sent for Dr. Burwell, and that he came and left her a bot- tle of medicine. She suspected the medicine was poison, and so she went to a neighbor and got a dog, and gave the dog some of the medicine, and he died in half an hour. She then corked up the bottle and threw it in the river, and had to pay for that dog, she said, five dollars. She was frequently at our house. I recollect her coming there on one occasion, without any outer dress on. It was between four and five o'clock in the morning, about a month before her arrest. She was dressed only in her night clothes and a white sun-bonnet ; had on no shawl. She wanted me to lend her a dress, saying she wanted to go down street to buy a revolver, and get out a warrant for Dave Smith, for slander. I let her have my clothes, and she went away with them. I recollect, also, on another occasion, of her com- ing to our house, about twelve o'clock at night. It was in the month of March or April, previous to the murder. The family were in bed, but she roused us up. She wanted my sister to go after Dr. Burwell, saying her husband had just come home, and was very sick. She told my sister if she would go, she would furnish her with a revolver, to protect herself, HENRIETTA EOBINSON. 141 and pay herqtiito a large sum of money; the amount, T forget. My sister declined. Mrs. Eobinson then said that her husband was not sick ; that it was not to see him that she wanted the doctor to come ; but that he had been at her house the night before, and insulted her, and she wanted to get a chance to blow his brains out. I once told Mrs. Eobinson to go home ; that I did not want her there. This was about three days be- fore she was sent to jail. She said she would not go, and that she would let me know what authority she had there. I told her again to go ; to go out of the house. I said no more on the subject, and presently she left. A day or two afterward, she came in, and said I had been slandering her, and that she had a warrant for me. I inquired what I had said about her. She made no reply, but came up and kissed me, and asked me to forgive her. Cross-examined iy Mr. Van Sanimoord. I reside on the corner of North First and Rensselaer streets, about four times as far as it is across this court room from where Mrs. Eobinson lived. I was then living with my father, who is a gardener. He is generally about home. I have an older sister, who was absent at that time, and I was the oldest of the family at home. I am seventeen years of age ; my next oldest sister, now present, is fourteen. I was not acquainted with Mrs. Eobinson, until she came to have her dress al- tered, but had seen her before, going into Mrs. Lana- 142 HENEEETTA EOBINSON. gan's. It -was a year ago last March or April that she introduced herself to me. I fixed the dress for her. I thought it singular at the time that she should tell me two different stories ahout who cut the dress. At this same interview, she said she went into Mr. Galvin's one day, and a man there insulted her, and attempted to lay violent hands on her ; but that she drew her revolver, and bid him stand. She took hold of me the same, she said, as she took hold of the man. It frightened me, but she laughed, and looked so pleasant about it, that I thought little of it after- ward. She laughed to see me frightened. I have seen two or three women when they were in liquor, but cannot say that Mrs. Eobinson was in- toxicated at this time. I never knew her to drink anything stronger than peppermint cordial. I can- not say whether she had or had not been drinking, at any of our interviews. It was after she came with the dress, and after she showed me the daguerreo- type, that she informed me that she was the daughter of an Irish lord. At the conclusion of the examination of Miss Dil- lon, whose description of the eccentricities of Mrs. Robinson appeared to be vastly entertaining to the audience, the court ordered an adjournment until the following morning. Thereupon the vailed prisoner was conducted to her cell, the crowd dispersed, and thus closed the third day of this extraordinary trial. CHAPTER X. FOimTH DAY OF THE TKIAL TESTIMONY OF THB BUTCHER KE-EXAMINATION OK MAEY DILLON THE PRIVATE CONSULTATION EVIDENCE OF THE POOE- MASTER APPLICATION TO THE CHIEF OP POLICE THE CANAL C0M.MI3- SIONER MRS. ROBINSON DISGUISED JOHN H. ZNIOKEEBOOKEE A NIGHT SCENE IN SECOND STREET THE JAILER RECALLED ^TESTIMONY OF THE LAWYEE THE LETTERS THE OEDEE PROTESTED CONCLUSION OF THE DEFENSE THE PROSECUTION EESDMED THE REJECTED EVIDENCE PETER COX, THE LIQUOR SELLER THE TESTIMONY CLOSED. At half past eight o'clock the next morning, May 25th, 1854:, precisely one year from the day the al- leged murder was committed, the unknown woman, still vailed, as usual, was placed at the bar of the court, and the prisoner's counsel were ordered to pro- ceed with the defense. They called Anthony Goodspeed, who was sworn, and said : I am a resident of Troy, and stay in Center Market. I think I should know Mrs. Eobinson if I could see her. She came to the market the last day of March, 1853, in the afternoon. She wanted to buy some game, and asked me if we had any. I told her the season of game was over. She said she wanted to get some wild meat. She was there about fifteen minutes, and during that time she asked me for game more than a dozen times. She had a great many questions, turned on her heels, and moved about strangely. 144 HKNKIETTA EOBINSON. She started toward the door, but suddenly wheeled round on her heels, and said that she had been at the justice's court and talien out half a dozen summonses and warrants for her neighbors ; and that she was go- ing to make fools of them all. We had a frame there, which we used for laying meat on the stall. She placed her foot upon it, and asked me to tie the string of her gaiter. I did so, and as soon as I had tied it, round she whirled, and off she went. Officers Wells and Phillips were at the door, and they told me it was Mrs. Robinson. She said people were abusing her at the dam. To Mr. Hogeboom — cross-examined. 1 did not think she was in liquor. Her gaiter was loose. She did not give me the names of any persons who had abused her, nor say anything about getting men discharged at the state dam. I understood her to allude to the state dam. I do not know who had charge of it then. Maet Jane Dillon, recalled and further cross-ex- amined by Mr. Yan Santvoord : The next day after Mrs. Robinson came to have her dress repaired, I had a long conversation with her. I can't recollect what the immediate subject was that led her to say that her father was an Irish lord. It was a new sub- ject she introduced herself. Her manners were very agreeable, and I was pleased with her conversation, but did not exactly believe her stories. At this interview, she said besides, "My father was an Irishman ; I was born in Yermont." Before HENBIEITA EOBINSOIT. 145 this she had told me that her father was an Irish lord, and lived in a castle. The picture of the ladj with the flowers, which she said was the likeness of her mother, appeared to be that of a woman about thirty years old. When she talked about her mother's death, and when she showed me the daguerreotype, she cried violently. Then she commenced laughing, and as soon as her laugh was over, she began to dance. It was not exactly dancing ; it was not a regular step ; she jumped and skipped around. I laughed at the performance. At the same interview, she told me that her father was a French lord. She did not tell me the name of the poor man that she was turned away for marrying. Her age, she said, was twenty- seven. This was the first time I was ever in her house. I re- mained two hours or longer, and was conversing with her all the time. The reason I stayed so long was, that she wished me to remain. I wanted to go sooner, but she detained me ; not by force, but by persua- sion. She entertained me with stories. Her conversation, part of the time, was agreeable and pleasant, as it was at former interviews ; and part of the time it was otherwise. During some of the conversation, she was coarse and profane. When I left, she asked me to call again, and I told her I would. There was no person living in the house with her. G 10 14:6 HENEIEITA EOBINSON. The next day I went to see her again. She came over after me, and I accompanied her home, and re- mained with her all day. I took dinner with her, and hegan to feel on pretty intimate terms with her. This familiarity of intercourse continued ahout two weeks, during which time we saw each other daily, she visiting frequently at our house, and I at hers. The days I passed with her were very pleasant. It was her conversation that rendered it agreeable, al- though there were some things in it unpleasant. It consisted of such language as ladies do not often use. The character of it was profane, and she uttered some obscene words. In some of our conversation, Bhe spoke of the man she mari'ied ; said he was a contractor on the rail- road, and that his name was Kobinson ; and she also told me what her maiden name was, but I do not now remember it. , I said yesterday that I did not think I ever saw Mrs. Eobinson drink anything stronger than pep- permint cordial. I have, however, seen her drink strong beer, frequently. She drank it at her house the day I spent with her. I have seen her when I thought she was a little intoxicated by strong beer or cordial. I had no thought about her beifig under the influence of liquor when she called at our house, at twelve o'clock at night. I only thought it was strange conduct. The dress I loaned her when she came and waked HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 147 US up, was muslin de kine. It was not one of my best nor one of my poorest ; it was one I sometimes used while walking in the streets. It was returned uninjured. When she wanted to shoot Dr. Bur well she was very angry ; but just before, when she said her husband liad come home sieb, she did not appear angry. She did not speak at much length about her husband, and what she said was mild ; but when she spoke of Dr. Burwell, she became profane, and called him bad names. I do not wish to tell what she called him ; it was wicked and obscene. I never saw the doctor at her hovise. I did not associate with Mrs. Eobinson long after that time. Her associates were the Lanagans. Can't say how long prior to her arrest it was that my inter- course with her was broken off entirely. It was af- ter she came to our house in the night that I told her to go home. When she came back and told me she had a warrant for me, her manner, at first, was very angry. We had no great quarrel, only a little dis- pute — made it all up before we parted, but I never went to her house again. I do not recollect who I have seen there during my various visits to Mrs. Robinson's house. I have seen Mrs. Lanagan's sister there, just coming to the door and returning again, and have seen my father there at work in the garden. I saw another man there one day. I do not know who he was ; had but a slight elimpse of his face. He was a middle aged man. ^ G 10 148 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. She told me it was her husband, and tlien again she told me it was the Rev. Dr. Potter, of Albany. At the time when she cried, and laughed, and danced, and said her father was an Irish lord, I can- not say whether she was in liquor or not, and do not recollect what my thoughts were at the time. At this point quite an animated private consulta- tion took place between the prisoner and her counsel, during which she made but slight attempts to hide her face. She was very much agitated, and shed tears, appearing to converse with great rapidity. Tliis con- sultation continued for nearly half an hour, after which she replaced her vail. Her motions and man- ner were violent, exhibiting great excitement. Edwin Bbownell sworn. I was overseer of the poor in this city a year ago. My office was in the basement of this building. I saw Mrs. Robinson there some time in the month of April, 1853. It was on a Sunday evening. First saw her in the hall of the basement, about half past seven o'clock. Two gentlemen came into the office and said a lady desired to see me. I told them to open the door and ask her to come in. They opened the door, and immediately walked away. I waited a considerable length of time, and heard some one in the hall. It was dark. I then went out and lighted the gas. I then saw a lady, whom I suppose to be the prisoner, and invited her to step into the office, which she did, and took a seat. HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 149 The first inquiry she made was, whether she was in the office of the chief of police ? I informed her she was not. She then stated she supposed it was in this building. I told her the office she inquired for was near the jail, in Fifth street, and that she would there probably find the chief of police. She appre- hended it would be difficult for her to find the office alone, and rather intimated that she wished me to ac- company her. I hesitated to go, for the reason that I had some business to close. She told me what she wanted ; said there had been a lot of rowdies about her house ; that they had once broken into it, and were going to attempt it again. She wished me to request the chief to send up a po- liceman to protect her ; told me where she lived ; in a white cottage with pillars, adjoining Boutwell's res- idence, in River street. After she gave me this infor- mation, I went over to the residence of the chief of po- lice, saw him, and returned. I then had considera- ble conversation with her, and advised her to go home. The chief of police promised me, when I saw him at his residence, that he would send some one up to pro- tect her, and it was his request that I should try to get her home. She sat there nearly an hour, during which time it rained quite hard, and was very dark, and she would not consent to go unless I acompanied her. She talked about a great many things; made a great many complaints ; complained of rowdies at- 150 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. tacking her, and said she had not been well atttendod to of late. I asked who had neglected her ? (The witness here paused in the relation of his tes- timony, and addressing the prisoner's counsel, said he was unwilling to mention names, and would not do so, unless directed by the court. Let us have it, said the counsel for the prisoner, and the court so ordered.) She replied, . She said she had not seen him for a long time, and inquired of me if I was ac- quainted with him. I told her I was. She then asked if I had heard he was going to marry Judge G.'s daughter, attending the seminary ? I told her I had not. She said she was his lawful wife ; that she was married to him at his father's house, and he would have to avow it on his return, or she would take his life. She asked me what I thought could be the rea- son of his remaining away so long. I told her he was probably attending to the " breaks " on the ca- nal. She declared herself devoted to him, and said she had not seen him for weeks. During all this conversation, she was laboring un- der great excitement. "When I first saw her, I thought she was slightly intoxicated, and did not think she was entirely sober when she left. I imagined she staggered a little when I first observed her in the hall. I may have been mistaken, however, about that, as it might, possibly, have resulted from her trying HKNEIETTA EOBmSON. 151 to find her way in the dark, but it was my impression all the while thai she had been drinking. I did not know, at this time, where was, but was informed he was in Washington. He re- turned about the first of May. I saw the lady again on the same day he returned, but had no conversa- tion with her. It was about nine o'clock in the eve- ning, on the corner of First and Congress streets. I think she was in disguise. This was about a week after the interview at my office ; my impression is, that it was the Saturday night following. She had on a white sun-bonnet, and was negligently attired in a loose dress. I should not have known who she was, had I not recognized her voice. She was lean- ing on the arm of an old man, Mr. Haley, and in- quiring of a person on the corner where 's boarding-house was. The person directed her to Mrs. Brewster's, on the corner of Ferry and Second streets. She passed on, and I have not seen her since. Gross-examined hy Mr. Rogeloom. I have stated, substantially, all the conversation that took place at my office ; perhaps not all the details. She said no- thing more, of consequence, in relation to , beyond what I have stated. I judge the interview at my office was in the last of April or first of May, because I gave as a reason for . 's absence, that he was attending breaks on the canal. The canal opened about the firat of May that 152 HENKIETTA EOBINSON. year if I remember right. I do not know the gen- tlemen who introduced her to my office. They were strangers to me, and I thought from their appearance that they were strangers in the city. They trans- acted no business whatever, and did not announce to me who the lady was. I went up home with her, to her cottage by the river, as requested by the chief of police. Went into the house, where she showed me a revo v^er, and two single-barreled pistols. I loaded theni for her ; she had powder and ball in the house. She showed me nothing in particular about the room, except she pointed to some shirts she had done np. I am not confident she stated whose they were, but my im- pression is that she said they belonged to ■ . This was in a room connected with the parlor by fold- ing doors. ***-»* * * * * -X- * John H. Knickeebockee, sworn : My boarding place, in the spring of 1853, was at Mrs. Erewster's, 'No. 102 Second street. I recollect seeing the pris- oner on Saturday evening, the 21st of May of that year, between nine and ten o'clock. It was in Con- gress, between First and Second streets. My atten- tion was drawn to her from the fact of her actincr like a very droll woman. She was leaning on the arm of an old man, and walking very slow, indeed. She HENEIETTA ROBINSON. 153 asked me to direct her to Mrs. Brewster's boarding- house. After directing her, I followed them down the street as far as the corner of Ferry, and turned down that street a little way, but not so far but I could see Mrs. Brewster's door. The old man went up and rang the bell ; afterward she went up. She then stepped back and met me, and as she met me, she drew a pistol, and said, " You see I am prepared not to be followed, sir I " I was boarding there at the time. This was the Saturday night previous to the mur- der. I had an opportunity of seeing her countenance by gas light, as there was a lamp on the corner where she made the inquiries of me. She was very much ex- cited and unsettled in appearance. De. Heqeman recalled on the part of the prisoner. Mr. Jennyss came to the jail to see Mrs. Robinson the morning after I had watched at her cell door. It was that morning that she said she had heard people about the jail door grinding knives for the purpose of destroying her, and that she had boiled a kettle of hot water to destroy them. She begged me to assist her. I assured her the adjoining rooms were dark cells, unoccupied, but she declared she knew better, and that there were people all around who were try- ing to slander her ; that they could not reach her in any other way than by being committed to jail, and entreated me to bring her a revolver, and she would protect herself. I could not convince her to the con- G* 154 HENErETTA BOBINSON. trary, and left her laboring under tlie same impreg- Bions. She said her persecutors were the Boutwell people, and that they had managed to get into the jail. On the morning of the 28th, the third morn- ing after her imprisonment, she seized hold of me very violently, and, at the same time laughing im- moderately, begged I would assist in protecting her. I told her there was no occasion for alarm ; that no one should harm her ; but she again earnestly insisted that she knew better ; and in order to disengage my- self, I had to push her forcibly away. Cross-examined. I knew all these things when I testified before. I have only had two or three con- ferences with the prisoner's counsel, and yesterday was the first time I had an interview with any of them. I have never convei'sed with Mr. Storer or Mr. Jenny ss on the subject, except, perhaps, I used to tell them, occasionally, when I met them, of her conduct in the jail. I never told Mr. Jennyss, in par- ticular, any of her singular stories. He was there at an early hour to see her, either on the first or second morning after her arrest. I know not by whose re- quest he came. I did not bring her revolver to her when she requested it, nor did she say what the Boutwell people were saying about her. About the time she burned the chairs, she complained that Tye did not give her sufficient firewood, but did not threaten to burn them if we did not supply her with more. I used to procure for her two or three poimds HENEIETTA EOBmsON. 155 of snuff at a time, generally once in a month or two. I have no positive knowledge what use she made of it, but supposed, from the fact that I occasionally saw in the bottom of her wash-bowl a black fluid that looked like snuff, and from tbe appearance of a tooth brush in her stand by the side of the wash-bowl, that she used it in cleaning her teeth. "We furnished her with the usual amount of fuel ; nevertheless, she fre- quently complained of being chilly. E. C. JENisrYss sworn. I was present at the jail, the day after the arrest, and two or three times subse- quently. I heard the conversation between Dr. Hegeman and the prisoner, which he has just rela- ted. I also made an effort to have a conversation with her, but she appeared unable to converse con- nectedly. She was much excited and conducted her- self strangely. The second morning after her arrest I went again to her cell for the purpose of conversing with her, and she told me she was going to be killed ; that they had tried to kill her the night previous. I asked her who ? She said a mob of two or three hundred per- sons had broken into the jail, and just as they had got to the door, the sheriff" came and stopped them, " but," she said, " I shall be killed, for a man and woman up town have caused a complaint to be entered against themselves in order to get in the jail next to me, and during the night, they heated a cauldron of boiling water, came to my cell, broke it open, began to abuse 156 HENRIETTA EOBINSON. me, and gave me a choice, either to get in myself, or they would put me in." She said she told them she knew she had to die, and if they wouldn't abuse her she would get in, but just then a noise was heard at the door, and they ran away. Immediately placing her hands on her dress she said, " Don't I look shab- bily ?" and began to laugh. During the relation of this story her eyes were distended, the pupils very much dilated, and she had a wild and frightful look. During an interview the following day she told me she should escape from the people who were persecu- ting her, as the sheriff had agreed to let her out that night, and she felt relieved. I recollect seeing Mrs. Robinson, some three or four weeks before her arrest, sitting in the recorder's of- fice. At that time her appearance was wild, and her conversation incoherent — so much so, that I expressed an opinion to the recorder, after she left, that the woman was deranged. Cross-examined hy Mr. Hogeboom. I am an attor- ney and counselor at law in this city, thirty-two years of age, and a partner of Mr. Storer, one of the counsel for the prisoner. I have never been her coun- sel, and in this case our business is necessarily dis- tinct. I have no pecuniary interest in it, whatever. "When I went to the jail, at the early day I did, it was neither as a friend of Mrs. Robinson, nor as her coun- sel, but as a friend of another party — I mean to say I went purely from motives of friendship, not at his HENEnCTTA EOBINSOJr. 157 request or employment. I continued my visits two or three weeks, perhaps a month. The motives that actuated me on my first visit, ceased at the expiration of a week or ten days ; when I went afterwards, it was from motives of curiosity. I can only say in an- swer to your question, whether my visits were accep- table to the prisoner, that I could get no intelligegt response from her. I heard of the arrest early the next morning, and immediately repaired to the jail, announcing to her that I came as the friend of . I had never seen her in company with him, but will explain why I went to see her as his friend. I had heard his name men- tioned in connection with hers, prior to the arrest. I had also heard she had letters of his, and to avoid the scandal that might arise from an exposure of them, went to her for the purpose of obtaining them. I did not Tcnow the fact that they were acquainted, but had only heard of it. She finally consented to give them up, but did not have them with her in the jail. I asked her to write an order on the coroner. She pre- tended she could not write her name, but authorized me to sign it, in the presence of Dr. Hegeman. It was written to the bearer, and signed, Henrietta Rob- inson. I made application for them to the coroner, but the order was protested, and I never received them. Mr. Beach, here inquired of the court, how it would rule in regard to medical works, touching the ques- 158 HENKIETTA EOBINSON. tion of insanity ? — whether citations from those works, might form a part of the argument? The court replied, such was the usual practice. " Then," said, Mr. Beach, " the evidence for the defense is closed." ITie prosecution was here resumed, when John Up- ton, testified. I have lived in Albany for twenty years, and know the prisoner, but not by the name of Mrs Eobinson. I have seen her without the vail. In March, 1851, she resided in Albany. I know . Question. Did yon see the prisoner at the bar in company with him in Albany, in the month of March, 1851 ? This question was objected to by the defense. Mr. Hogeboom arose. " Your Honor will readily recall to mind," he said, " that Mr. Brownell's testi- mony shows that the prisoner spoke to him repeat- edly of . "We did not draw that gentleman's name into this trial — it was the other side. ITow, I suppose they intend to make this use of Brownell's testimony : they will say, at the time he saw her, she talked strangely about many things, the same as she had done to other witnesses, and among these strange things, was her assertion that an intimacy existed between herself and . I can imagine no other use they can possibly make of it. Unless we prove her in his company, which we propose to do by this wit- ness, the jury will be told, that while this woman claimed to be intimately acquainted with him, there was not a particle of evidence she ever saw him. Now, if your honor pleases, we offer to show she was HENRIETTA EOBINSOIT. 159 acquainted with him, and, therefore, her speaking of him did not indicate insanity, but quite tlie contrary. She knew him, and was laboring under no delusion in regard to him. We propose to prove by Mr. Upton, the witness on the stand, that he saw at this wo- man's house, in Albany, in March, 1851, sitting with her at her table. We wish by this means to dispel at once the idea, that in speaking to Mr. Brownell as she did, the prisoner gave any evidence of a deluded and insane state of mind." The objection was sustained by the court, and the evidence excluded. Judge Harris intimating that it seemed unnecessary to establish the point contended for by the prosecution, and moreover, that it was not likely it would be controverted. Mr. Hogeboom then offered to prove similar intima- cies between the same parties in Troy, at a later pe- riod, but they were rejected. Olivke Botjtwell was then sworn on the part of the people. I live in the premises adjoining those occupied by Mrs. Eobiuson. I have seen her often in the streets previous to her arrest, when I thought she was the worse of liquor. I am the proprietor of a mill in that neighborhood. It is about three hundred yards from my house, on the east side of the river, below the state dam. There is a lock there through which boats pass. Boatmen have complained that the water from my mill made the passage difacult, by driving their boats over on to 160 HENHIETTA EOBINSON. a rock in the vicinity. These complaints were made in the spring of 1853, by the Lansingburgh and Wa- terford boatmen generally, and continued up to the spring of 1853. Petee Cox, sworn for the people. Last year I kept a grocery in!N"orth Second street. I knew the prisoner. During the spring of 1853, she lived in our neighbor- hood. She was in the occasional habit of getting ■ liquor at my grocery. Sometimes she drank it there, and sometimes she took it home with her. She gen- erally purchased the very best liquor I had, and I ex- pect sometimes got a little intoxicated; She usually bought half a pint of brandy or a quart of beer at a time. She was nearer Lanagan's grocery than mine. I was engaged on the canal between "West Troy and Albany. She never made threats she would have me discharged. Feam-klin Bowman, sworn. I am one of the con- stables of this city ; saw Mrs. Eobinson at the jail the evening of her arrest, and witnessed her interview with Coroner Bontecou. She requested us to bring from her house a dress, and some other articles of clothing, and her gold watch. There was nothing strange in her manner of asking for them, as I discov- ered. Officer Burns asked her for the key of her house and she gave it to them. Her appearance and manner were somewhat excited, to be sure. Here, the prosecution rested, and both parties de- clared the testimony closed. It was then arranged HENKIETTA EOBmsON. 161 that two counsel should speak on each side, alternately. All the jurymen in attendance, except those empan- neled, were discharged by the judge, and the court was adjourned until the following Monday. The evening papers announced as follows : " The trial is drawing to a close. The testimony is all in. The counsel will commence the summing iip to-mor- row morning. The case possesses a most romantic in- terest, exhibiting the course of the strange woman in all her wild eccentricities and various associations for a year or more, and up to, and including the tragic deed for which she is now on trial. ITotwithstandinff the explicit orders of the judge, the prisoner has suc- ceeded in keeping her face concealed, almost entirely, throughout the examination. When compelled to withdraw the vail, she has resorted to her handker- chief and mantilla. She converses much with her counsel, exhibiting great interest in the trial, and at times appears considerably excited. There is strong circumstantial evidence constantly developing, going to show that the mysterious woman was formerly from Canada. The summing up of counsel, and the charge of the judge, will probably occupy the whole of to-morrow." Thousands in the city and the surrounding country, on reading the above announcement, resolved to be present at the scone next day. From the commence- ment of the trial, full reports of the proceedings had been published in the morning and evening papers, 11 162 HENRIETTA EOBIKSOM. and scattered profusely among the people. Throngs gathered in all the places of public resort, crowds as- sembled on the corners of the streets, to read or listen to the testimony which had been given in the case, especially to learn the minutest incident connected ■with the manner or conduct of the prisoner. And, now, when the evidence was closed, and the hour which was to decide her fate was drawing near, it seemed that the whole city, men and women, had de- termined to be present at the encounter of the legal gladiators, who, on the morrow, M^ere to contend, on one side for the life, and on the other for the death, of the woman. CHAPTEE XI. FIFTH DAT OF THE TKIAL THE CEOWD ME. TOWNSEND's ADDRESS — niS DENIAL OF THE PRISONEE's GUILT THE QUESTION OF INSANITY REFERENCES TO AOTHORrTY THE ABSENCE OF MOTIVE THE MONOMANIA OF THE PRISONER THE MADNESS OF LOVE THE QUESTION OF INTOXI- CATION ME. TOWNSEND CONCLUDES THE PRISONER'S OPINION OF THE SPEECH MR, VAN SANTVOORD FOR THE PEOPLE THE INSANE INFLUENCE THE ARGUMENT AGAINST INSANITY PISTOLS AND BRANDY THE MANIA FOR LYING ^HONEST TEARS CONCLUSION OF ME. VAN SANTVOOED'S SPEECH THE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN. At an early hour next morning, tlie streets leading to the court house square were filled with people pressing eagerly forward to the great center of at- traction. As soon as the doors were thrown open, every corner of the large room was occupied. The judges having taken their seats upon the bench, the sheriff entered with the vailed prisoner, when the court announced its readiness to proceed. The argument of counsel occupied nearly two days, and it is, therefore, impossible for us, without swelling this volume to unreasonable dimensions, to transcribe their speeches at length. "We can only advert, briefly, to some of the points raised on both sides, but suffi- ciently, we trust, to give the reader an idea of the line of argument. As soon as quiet was restored, Mr. Martin I. Town- 164 HENRIETFA ROBINSON. send, junior counsel for the prisoner, arose, and be- gan by saying, that physical debility would prevent him from making such an argument as the impor- tance of the case demanded. His associates, how- ever, had imposed upon him the duty of presenting one branch of the case to the jury, more from the fact of his standing in a different position from "them, than from any ability he possessed of doing justice to the subject. Thus pressed into the position in which he found himself, the only course which duty compelled him to pursue, was to remark honestly and fearlessly upon the testimony in the cause, let the consequences be what they might. He paid a passing compliment to the opposing counsel, characterizing them as among the ablest gen- tlemen in the state, educated in the same school, and born and nurtured in the same county with Jordan, "Williams, and Yan Buren ; " and these are the men," he said, " with whom I find myself in conflict, and with whom, in this battle for the life of my unhappy client, I am called upon to contend." ]S"ot only on this account, but from the fact that the defense of insanity had come to be looked upon with unreasonable suspicion, he felt himself embar- rassed. That suspicion, however, he declared to be unjust, because in the whole of his practice of twenty years, during a part of which time, like his associate who had opened the defense, he had been the public prosecutor, — the plea of insanity, in capital offenses, HENEIETTA EOBmSON. 165 had nerer been resorted to but once. That excep- tion was the case of one Patrick Conway, who inter- posed the plea of insanity, but whose infirmity, while he was yet in jail, became so palpable and apparent, that he was finally discharged by common consent. He referred to the case of Freeman, who murdered a whole family, near Auburn. In that case, Gov- ernor Seward, against unanimous public opinion, and the furious clamor of the populace, contended that he was a lunatic. The trial occupied a month, and he was convicted. It was a most horrid murder, and the perpetrator was a poor, ignorant negro. Governor Seward was dissatisfied with the conviction, and ap- pealed from the prejudiced verdict of the jury; but before the case could be brought to argument in a higher tribunal, the negro died in jail, an evident and universally acknowledged idiot. Mr. Townsend here referred to a great number of cases, where prisoners had been acquitted on far stronger evidence than had been brought against the woman at the bar ; among others, to the Phelps case, where the jury rendered a verdict of acquittal, though morally convinced of the prisoner's guilt, on the ground that there was a possibility of his innocence, and the doubt suggested by that possibility was prop- erly thrown in favor of the prisoner. He also re- ferred to the case of Mat. Ward, recently tried for the murder of a schoolmaster, in Louisville, Kentucky, who escaped on the same grounds that acquitted 166 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. Phelps ; and also to the affair of the steamboat Caro- line, destroyed on the Niagara river, in 1837. " In that case," said Mr. Townsend, " a British subject, named Alexander McLeod, was charged with the murder of an American citizen, while reposing in fancied security beneath the American flag. On that trial it was proved that he had boasted of the deed, yet evidence was adduced showing that his brags of having fired the vessel, and sent it in flames over Ni- agara Falls, was all a lie. To the honor of the jury, faithful to the spirit of the law, the prisoner was ac- q^uitted." The counsel then alluded to the newspapers of the neighboring city of Albany, which, he alleged, had teemed, during the week, with charges against the prisoner, by connecting her with the political for- tunes and private history of a celebrated individual, whose name had been reluctantly mentioned during the progress of the trial. This he condemned, in scathing and bitter language, as unmerciful and unfair. You have perceived, of course, he said, that the main facts, relied upon by the prosecution, had been abandoned. Not a man have they found who dare come forward and declare the prisoner sane — not one. How, then, can they ask you to do it ? They have not even attempted to produce a particle of evidence that she is sane ; and you, gentlemen, it is unneces- HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 167 sary for me to remind you, are sworn to decide ac- cording to the evidence. He dwelt upon the wonderful excitement that pre- vailed ; and in the midst of it all the prisoner was alone, a woman whom no one knew, and no one be- friended. She calls herself Mrs. Kobinson ; yet it has appeared that previous to her arrest she was liv- ing with a man of another name, though it has not appeared that she was his lawful wife. He com- mented on the evidence relative to her association with , and the probable use the prosecution would be likely to make of that evidence ; but argued at length to prove that it was preposterous to suppose that disappointment, growing out of an illicit love for him, could excite in her bosom any revengeful feel- ing toward Lanagan and the girl. The manner of the prisoner during the progress of the examination had certainly been strange, mysteri- ous, and unaccountable ; but her counsel were not responsible for her acts in court. It was true, she had manifested singular caprices, and evidently pos- sessed something of the will that belongs to the daugh- ters of Eve. He, and his associates, had exhausted their powers of persuasion to induce her to appear unvailed, but in vain. These eccentricities, however, — and they were but innocent eccentricities — would not have the effect, he was sure, of prejudicing her case in the minds of an intelligent jury. And now, said Mr. Townsend, let us look a mo- 168 HENEIETTA EOBINSOIT. ment at the evidence. A year ago yesterday, a mur- der was committed in the upper part of this city, at noonday, and without a motive. The woman charged with the crime, walks openly about the streets, ma- king no attempt whatever at concealment or escape. I heard the details next morning, and from a mere relation of the circumstances, declared my belief that the woman, whoever she might be, was a lunatic. The absence of all motive, the time, and place the crime was alleged to have been committed, the man- ner of the prisoner at the arrest, and on her way to jail, were all such, that it was impossible for a rea- sonable mind to account for the act, on any other hy- pothesis than the insanity of the murderess. Until the 8th day of December last, I knew noth- ing particulaily in regard to the case, further than I learned from newspaper reports and public rumor. On that day I had occasion to peruse the record of the coroner's jury, and to examine with attention the testimony taken before it. I found that Mrs. Lana- gan had testified that there was no cause of enmity existing between her husband and the prisoner, and that Miss Lubee sat at the table looking at Mrs. Rob- inson during the whole time she was holding the sau- cer of sugar in her hand, and putting it in the beer. Then, I was driven to the irresistible conclusion, that this woman did not commit the act at all. The whole story was absurd. The idea that she could put arse- nic in the beer, directly before the eyes of the girl, HENRIETTA EOBINSON. 1G9 and she drink it, was incredible. If that story be true, all these women must have been crazy together. No, gentlemen, I have stated that I should express fearlessly what I had to say, and now I have no hes- itation in declaring it to be my deliberate judgment, founded upon her own evidence, that it is far more probable that Mrs. Lanagan herself poisoned that beer, than the prisoner at the bar. There is no imaginable motive that could have prompted Mrs. Eobinson ; it is easy to conceive one that might have prompted Mrs. Lanagan. Her hus- band was her junior in years. The murdered girl, from morning till night each day, passed her time at the grocery. This woman, beautiful and fascinating, even after she had sunk to the very depths of misfor- tune, was in the habit of visiting, conversing, associ- ating with him almost continually. Under such cir- cumstances, is it improbable, on the other hand, is it not most likely and natural, that emotions of jealousy and suspicion should have been aroused in the bosom of his wife. It could not have been otherwise than unpleasant and provoking to her, to see these young and handsome women constantly in the society of her husband. She would naturally desire to be rid of their presence. In her heart, we can readily and rea- sonably fancy, there was a motive for putting them away. If her account is to be credited, she and the girl, while seated around the table, had consented to take a friendly glass with Mrs. Eobinson. Her hus- H 170 HENEIETTA KOBINSON. band had just retired, and there was an opportunity of committing the deed, if such was her design. She goes out into the grocery for beer. Why, on her re- turn, did she fill but two tumblers, if all three had consented to drink together, as she asserts ? She has not answered that. It was merely by accident that Lanagan drank the beer instead of Mrs. Eobinson. If this theory is correct, what must hare been her sur- prise when, turning her head and peeping back through the door into the kitchen, she saw the poisoned chal- ice, prepared for another, pressed to the lips of her own husband ! Understand me, gentlemen. I do not charge Mrs. Lanagan with the commission of the murder. She may be innocent — entirely innocent. But this I do declare : it is necessary to prove Mrs. Eobinson in- sane, in order to acquit her of all suspicion. He again returned to the point, upon which he laid great stress, that there was no motive on the part of Mrs. Eobinson. He alluded to the difficulty at the dance long previous to the 25th of May — of her being ejected from the house — of her subsequent abuse of Mrs. Lanagan, but contended that her evidence showed conclusively that all that diffi- culty had become reconciled and forgotten, and that it was fanciful to suppose that any secret anger, on that account, was rankling in her bosom against any member of the family. That matter, therefore, ef- fectually disposed of, left the prosecution utterly des- HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 171 titute of the least pretension that there was any mo- tive to induce the prisoner to commit the crime. He then reverted to the qiiestion of insanity. Per- haps, he said, it would be argued she wag not de- ranged, because she could hold rational conversation. To be insane, however, is not to be entirely deprived of sense. On the other hand, the victim of monoma- nia, the form of insanity under which she labored, was frequently very shrewd and cunning on many subjects. It was once held that to be insane, one must be entirely destitute of sense ; but under this absurd and exploded doctrine an insane person could not be found — none in the asylum — ^none anywhere. It is rare that you cannot converse rationally, on many topics, with persons who are deranged. It is only on particular subjects, most frequently, that they reason falsely ; put wrong constructions upon facts ; draw wrong conclusions, and view things in a distorted light. The idea that the counsel labored, in this con- nection, to impress upon the jury, was, that the pris- oner was a monomaniac ; that is, sane on some sub- jects, but completely irresponsible and infatuated upon others. Mr. Townsend then took iip the question of real and feigned insanity, discussing at great length the testimony of Dr. Bontecou in illustration of this point, paying that gentleman a glowing compliment, by characterizing his opinions in surgical and medical matters, as entitled to as much weight and respect as 'H 172 HENEIETTA KOBINSON. tliat of any other man in the state. He here read from Dean's Medical Jurisprudence, pages 460-605, to show the difficulty and impossibility of feigning insanity successfully, reading passages from the au- thority before him, and applying them to the testi- mony taken in the case. Upon this point he spoke long and ably. I pause here, said Mr. Townsend, to explain why we thought it necessary to introduce the testimony of Edwin Brownell. It was to show at least one cause of her insanity. That witness hesitated to men- tion the name of a well known individual, until com- pelled to do so by the order of the court. It was with reluctance that we called it forth ; but I hold the life of a human being of too much consequence, to hazard it by the suppression of a fact, however much it may reflect discredit upon any person. There was no cause, he said, so productive of mono- mania, as disappointed love, and he believed the more clandestine it was, the more ardent and absorbing it became. "When the mind and the affections of a wo- man are wholly concentrated upon one person, and when suddenly, from some cause, she is deserted and abandoned by the object of her devotion, it is not un- frequent, that wretchedness and despair is followed by a dethronement of the reason. A woman views her husband, or one she looks upon as such, as her all; as everything, in short, that renders life desira- ble. Not so with man. He becomes absorbed in HENEIEII'A KOBINSOIJ. 173 business, makes money his idol, and soon forgets the gnawings of a lacerated heart amidst the noisy tur- moils of the world. It is true, the woman who has maintained proper care of herself, although deserted by her husband, may remain respectable. But hope dies within her, if she has offended society so as not to be respected by it, and is then deserted by her protector. Where on earth can such an one look for comfort and conso- lation ? She has trusted all, and finds herself, at last, betrayed. Such was the unhappy fortune of the pris- oner at the bar, and, doubtless, it was one of the chief causes that drove her into madness. I will not say that the evidence furnished here is sufficient to show the connection between the prisoner and was all it is represented to be, out of doors. But it shows this — that she was devoted to him, and that he absented himself so long, that she believed he had abandoned her. Either through busi- ness, or other pressing engagements, he had remained for weeks away from her. She felt that she was not only deserted, but was actually so utterly neglected, as to be driven to the necessity of attempting, but in vain, to borrow two dollars, to obtain the sustenance of life. In this extremity, she hears he is about to marry a judge's daughter, at the seminary. This she believes, and the belief, we can readily suppose, was not wholly founded on the fact of his continued ab- sence ; for there is nothing truer than that a woman, 174: HENRIETTA EOBINSOir. who does not rely upon a union sanctioned by law and religion, cannot long enjoy that union, without, at times, realizing her degradation, and having fears of ultimate desertion. In the case of this prisoner, all her poor hopes in life were centered on . She had sacrificed, for him, all claim upon society — her virtue, her honor, her all. Now, she was to be cast aside as a dishon- ored and worthless weed, without a ray of hope, or comfort, or encouragement, to illumine the impene- trable darkness of the future. There never was a more powerful, a more irresistible cause of insanity. There is not a woman on God's footstool who, under similar circumstances — with these apprehensions star- ing her in the face, these rumors confirming her most agonizing suspicions — but, like this woman, would have yielded up her reason. This feature of the case was argued long and eloquently by the counsel. He then referred to the fact of the prisoner ridi- culing the idea of her own insanity, and, in this con- nection, read a case reported in the Law H&porter of the current month. It was the case of Adaline Phelps, indicted for the murder of Elisha Phelps, her father, at Greenfield, Franklin county, Massachusetts. She entertained the same idea as Mrs. Eobinson, in re- gard to her insanity, and approved " the gentlemanly course of the government in abstaining," she said, " from trying to make her out insane." She addressed the jury, in a speech of some forty minutes, in a HENEIETTA EOBmSON. 175 clear, logical manner, and in quite an oratorical style, claiming an acquittal on the ground of the insuffi- ciency of evidence. The jury, however, decided her insane, and she was sent to the lunatic asylum. He again quoted from Dean's Medical Jurispru- dence, to show the difference in cases of insanity, re- ferring particularly to the case of Kay, going to es- tablish the fact that the maniac, in committing mur- der, is not generally anxious to shed more blood than is necessary to do the deed, while the monomaniac exhibits no method, makes no discrimination, but strikes down any and all, one as well as another. The question of her intoxication on the 25th of May, was next discussed. Drunkenness he denounced as a disgusting vice. The excessive use of inebriating beverages was abhorrent to him, yet he did not feel that a person should be hung for it. It was a weak- ness of human nature, and, unfortunately, many of both sexes were its victims. There were certain in- stances, he said, where drunkenness did not excuse crime. If the offense alleged to have been committed by this woman, was done in a mere fit of intoxica- tion, he would not contend for her acquittal. But I have seen no evidence of her being intemperate, un- til the time when she had become crazed with tlie opinion that she was deserted by one on whom her affections were concentrated. It is my belief, not- withstanding the opinions of witnesses to the contra- ry, that she was not intoxicated at the various times 176 HENRIETTA EOBINSON. they have particularized, but that her excitement, produced by the apprehension of abandonment, gave her the appearance of one inebriated. But if we have proved, and no witness has been called to dis- prove it, that the prisoner was insane when the crime was perpetrated, she must be acquitted, notwithstan- ding she was, also, under the influence of liquor. And, in support of this position, he quoted, from Cur- tis' Reports, the case of the United States versus McCane, and also referred to the trial of Murphy, before Judge Eoosevelt, and read from Dean, page 548. If, however, at the time of the commission of the crime, she was so far under the influence of liquor as to be sufi'ering under delirium tremens, then she is as excusable as if it was any other description of in- sanity. But it will not be contended that the deed was perpetrated under the influence of any such dis- ease. The fact that her mind was deranged a long time after, at once stamps any such assumption as en- tirely fallacious. Having commented, lengthily, upon the evidence of young Knickerbocker and the Dillon girl, and ex- pressed the confidence he entertained that the jury would not demand the shedding of his client's blood, on such evidence as had been laid before them, Mr. Townsend concluded, having occupied five hours in the delivery of his speech. During the whole time, the prisoner remained en- HENEIETIA E0BIN80K. 177 tirely motionless, scarcely moving her body, and not once changing her position. As the advocate sat down, the vailed figure bent forward, and whispered in his ear this equivocal compliment: "A very able speech, Mr. Townsend, but you might have said all that was necessary in fifteen minutes. The idea of my insanity is absurd." Mr. Townsend had occupied the time from the opening of the court in the morning until the recess for dinner, in presenting his remarks. On the reassembling of the court, in the afternoon, the Hon. George Van Santvoord addressed the jury, on the part of the prosecution. He began by advert- ing to the importance of the case — the intense inter- est it had aroused — the fact that the prisoner was a female, and the awful responsibility devolving on a jury who were called to decide the question of life or death. In entering upon the painful duty he was called upon to perform, he felt most forcibly how vain it was in a case like this, where sympathy for the accused was likely to be shared by the judge on the bench, by the people, and by the jury, to expect that full justice to be done which is due to violated law. He comprehended how singularly the circum- stances in this case were calculated to excite these " sympathies ; nevertheless, the impartial administra- tion of public justice must be sustained, or there would be no security for life or property. The defense, he said, had alluded to the case of H* 12 178 HEKEEETTA EOBINSON. William Freeman, the murderer of the Yan ITest family, near Auburn. That case was not parallel to this. Freeman was tried, convicted, and sentenced to be executed. He was here interrupted by Mr. Pierson, who said that Freeman was first tried by an inquest of lunacy ; that the jury decided that he was not of sound mind, but of mind sufficient to be placed upon his defense ; that he was then tried, and convicted ; but, on a second trial granted by the supreme court, he was acquitted. Mr. Van Santvoord respectfully denied the state- ment of the prisoner's counsel, that Freeman was ever acquitted by a jury. A new trial was granted, it was true, but before being placed a second time upon his defense, he died in the coimty jail, at Auburn. It was unfortunate, he considered, that the gentleman had referred to that celebrated precedent, because the fact was, that both the jury who sat upon the in- quest of lunacy, and the jury who passed upon the offense alleged in the indictment, rejected the plea of insanity, notwithstanding the evidence in proof of it, was a thousand fold stronger than any "which he has introduced here, to substantiate the idea of mo- nomania in the prisoner at the bar. He then alluded to the case of Mat. Ward, and of Richard P. Robinson, the murderer of Ellen Jewett, and remarked that the jurors in both cases had been branded throughout the country, and, he believed, HENEIETrA EOBrNSOH. 179 justly, as setting themselyes above evidence, and as not having discharged their duty as ministers of the law. It was a little singular, he thought, that the de- fense should have thus linked the names of Eichard P. and Henrietta Kobinson. He had, of course, supposed that insanity was to be the only ground of defense. The facts proved, were so positive and conclusive, that he had not for a moment imagined any other would or could be at- tempted. In that conclusion, however, he found him- self mistaken. Even the commission of the crime, as charged in the indictment, is denied, and a remote suspicion thrown oiit that the act was committed by another. This suspicion, however, was founded, as the jury were aware, not on any evidence in the case, but was merely a chimerical and insane inference of the counsel. The irresistible evidence was, he said, that Timo- thy Lanagan and Catherine Lubee, were murdered by Henrietta Robinson, at the time and in the man- ner set forth in the indictment. But the counsel who preceded me, has endeavored to show the absence of any motive ; and, having established that fact to his own satisfaction, deduces the inference that she is in- nocent. Admitting, for the sake of the argument, the logical correctness of his inference, the difficulty in the gentleman's way is this : the fact from which he draws it has not been proved ; his premiss is as- sumed and false. Now, the truth was, the evidence H* 12 180 HENRIETTA KOBINSON. had disclosed a motive for the commission of tlie crime. In support of this proposition, he referred to the dance at Lanagan's, her quarrel there, and forcible expulsion from the grocery, her violent resentment of it as exhibited in her abuse of Mrs. Lanagan after- ward, and contended that this treatment was sufH- cient and likely to arouse in the bosom of such a wo- man the desire of vengeance. Again, she was de- nied the loan of two dollars, and it is easy to ima- gine her indignation on being refused so insignificant a favor, especially when she had been " so good a cus- tomer," as she seemed to regard herself The idea of money was in her mind immediately after the com- mission of the offense. You remember, when she came into Ostrom's drug store, under great excite- ment, half an hour previous to her arrest, she stated that she had been charged with poisoning two per- sons, because she would not lend them a hundred dol- lars. If she had said she poisoned them, because they refused to lend her two dollars, would it not have been more correct ? She seems to have been remark- ably susceptible to insult, and would be very likely to regard the refusal of the loan in that light. This woman is of a reckless and depraved nature, of violent temper, and quarrelsome disposition, and it is unne- cessary to show a further motive that actuated her in the perpetration of the crime, than what has been de- veloped by the testimony. HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 181 But I differ, continued Mr. Yan Santvoord, from the opposing counsel, in the position he has taken, that a conviction for murder cannot be had, without proving a motive for its commission. On the trial of the negro Freeman, nothing of the kind was proven. The same was true in the case of Green ; in fact, there never was an adequate motive for murder in any case. After Green's conviction, he confessed that the motive was to marry a woman of less charms but more prop- erty than his murdered wife possessed. In fiendish cases of this character, it is hardly necessary to look for a motive beyond that evidenced by the commis- sion of the crime. There was not one case in a hun- dred, where convictions for murder have resulted, in which the testimony approached the fullness of that adduced against the prisoner. We have shown, in the first place, that she purchased the arsenic ; that a part of it was found concealed under the carpet ; that the contents of the stomachs of the victims were analyzed, and the presence of the same poison was there found. There is such a thing as moral certain- ty, as well ^s mathematical calculation. It seems, indeed, unnecessary to discuss this branch of the case any farther. The blood of the murdered victims is on the hand of the prisoner ; and, like the conscience- smitten Lady Macbeth, she may exclaim, — "Out, damned spot," in vain. The " smell of the blood " is there still ; " all the perfumes of Arabia cannot sweeten " it ; it never can be washed out. 182 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. There is an impenetrable mystery, he said, sur- rounding the history and character of this woman. If the defense had seriously intended to sustain their plea of insanity, they should have dispelled this mys- tery, and given the court and jury some clue to her antecedents. They have not intimated she belonged to a family in which the misfortune of insanity was hereditary ; nor have they given in evidence any cause that would be likely to produce it. Her past career, her character, her face, have been assiduously concealed from observation. In no sense has the vail been raised. Those who have caught a glimpse of her countenance have alleged that it exhibits evi- dences of beauty. But, relying on the testimony of Mrs. Lanagan, and the girl, Dillon, I feel justified in venturing the conjecture, that if that contenance was examined closely, there would also be found lurking there, the features of violence, profanity, and murder. "While speaking upon this point, the determination of the prisoner to hide her face, Mr. Van Santvoord quoted, very happily, a line from Moore's poetical description of the " Vailed Prophet of Khorassan." The prisoner, turning quickly to her counsel, inquired, in a low tone, but quite eagerly, " What is that ? " It was repeated to her. " O yes," she said, " now I remember ; Lalla Kookh ; that's admirable ; that's apropos." Counsel here cited Ray's Medical Jurisprudence, page 136, to show that insanity was not indicated so HENBnSTTA ROBINSON. 183 much by a change of feeling as a change of previous character. The natural character of the prisoner should have been shown, and she should have been judged sane unless there has been a departure from her usual manifestations. It was essential on the part of the defense, to show what her habits were, and that when the crime was committed she exhibited opposite and unnatural manifestations. A man may suppose his leg is of glass, and on all other subjects be of perfectly sound mind. There is one such case reported. This is monomania ; but monomania is no excuse for crime, unless it is proved that the subject of it was laboring under the particu- lar delusion with which he may be afflicted, at the very moment of the commission of the act. Almost every one has his delusions on particular subjects, so that if you sift the thing down to its very elements, there is hardly a person to be found who is not, to some degree, insane. The defense had introduced two or three witnesses to show eccentricities, without proving they were different from usual manifestations, and without tra- cing them to any peculiarly exciting causes. Sena- tor Verplanck said, truly, that it will not do to at- tribute mere eccentricities to insanity, for under such a rule, even Paschal and Newton would have been deemed insane. Dr. Bontecou has sworn that the prisoner was irra- tional, and Dr. Hegeman does not believe she pos- 184 HENEIETTA EOBmSON. sesscs a soimd mind. It was not necessary, he con- tended, to prove the woman of perfectly sound mind ; "all men are insane sometime in their lives ; " but the question for the jury to determine, was — ^had this prisoner, at the time she committed the murder, suf- ficient rationality to distinguish between right and wrong ? He would not, he said, reflect; in the slightest man- ner upon Dr. Bontecou ; he acknowledged the pro- priety of the compliments which have been paid to him by Mr. Townsend; nevertheless, his testimony was but a bundle of opinions and conjectures, and such opinions and conjectures are not evidence. You cannot convict this woman without evidence; neither can you acquit her on mere opinion. True knowledge and skill, he remarked, are pro- verbially modest. Sir Isaac Newton regarded him- self as a mere child on the sea shore, but Dr. Hege- man, fresh from a university, with a year's practice, and a single insane patient, without any knowledge of the previous life, habits, or character of the pris- oner, is relied upon as the chief witness to establish her insanity. Mr. y. here read authorities to show that a medical man of crude opinions and little experience is not competent to detect insanity — that Doctors Bontecou and Hegeman, under this rule, were not qualified to decide the question, inasmuch as they themselves ac- knowledge their almost entire want of experience in HENEIETTA EOBINSOIf. 185 cases of this character. He again read from Eay's Medical Jurisprudence, page 349, to the effect that a physician may be well qualified in other practice, but no judge of insanity. Applying the rules of law which he had read, he-inquired what the opinions of Dr. Bontecou and Dr. Hegeman, on that subject, were worth. He again read from a work on medical jurispru- dence, to the effect that it required the most careful examination, by one of large experience in such ca- ses, to detect insanity ; and in this connection, re- viewed at considerable length the positions assumed by Mr. Townsend. He pointed out the inconsistency of the defense. At one time they read authorities, he said, proving that the monomaniac is reckless of time and circumstance in the commission of the crime ; that the indiscriminate slaughter at Lanagan's proved her laboring under that form of disease. Again they re- fer you to her caution in secreting the poison under the carpet ; the adroitness she displayed in mingling the arsenic with the sugar ; and these exhibitions of cunning they also allege are evidences of insanity. If she is taciturn, they contend it indicates a mind de- ranged — if she is garrulous, it indicates the same ; no matter whether she laughs, or cries, or dances, they have but one invariable conclusion. The same in- ference is drawn from every fact, though they be precisely the reverse of each other. The counsel next touched upon the question of 186 HENKIETTA EOBUSTSON. moral insanity ; referring to the case of Cline, tried before Judge Edmonds, wherein the judge laid down the novel doctrine that a person, insane on one topic, should be relieved from responsibility, characterizing it as moral insanity. This theory was from the French school, and was not recognized, in this country, as of itself sufficient to shield the murderer from punish- ment. It was the first and only annunciation of that doctrine in an American court, and was made by a judge who has since become an advocate of spiritual- ism, and who wanders about the country discussing that absurd delusion. The legal rule is, " partial in- sanity is not a defense of crime," and in support of this proposition he cited the case of Lord Ferris, also that of Arnold, tried by Justice Tracy, and read from a charge of Chief Justice Gilson. The old rule of common law in England, he said, was, that a man to be insane, must have no more rea- son than a brute. This doctrine was somewhat modi- fied by Judge Hale, two hundred years ago ; still at the time of the committing of the act, the mind must be so entirely insane that the person is uncon- scious of right or wrong. Partial insanity does not excuse crime. That is substantially the rule to this day. Lord Onslow, he mentioned, was partially in- sane, and yet he was found guilty, as he had sufficient mind to form designs. Many other cases were cited to establish the position, that if the person is possessed of knowledge to enable him to deliberate upon a plan HKNEIErrA KOBINSON. 187 witli a view to commit crime, then he is responsible for such crime. Having fortified his legal proposition with these numerous references, he then entered into a lengthy examination of the testimony, and argued very skillfully and powerfully, that Mrs. Eobinson, when she mingled the arsenic with the sugar, was .not so far the subject of mental hallucination, but that she was able to distinguish between right and wrong. He then referred to the alleged causes of her in- sanity. It is claimed, said he, that the woman waa laboring under a delusion arising from the interrup- tion of an illegitimate intercourse with . He was sorry this gentleman's name had been brought into the case, contrary, as he understood, to the earn- est wishes of the prisoner. The introduction of it in no way strengthens the defense, and he sincerely re- gretted it, because with him he had maintained friendly relations. ]S"ow, suppose it is admitted that the woman was suffering under the hallucination that this gentleman would marry her ! Admit she was running about the streets inquiring for him. The counsel, referred to a number of instances and authorities to show that de- lirium of that nature was no excuse for crime. He ridiculed the idea of insanity from such cause. She is represented, he said, as the crazed Ophelia, but I tell you, gentleman, that this woman who carries pis- tols in her bosom and drinks bad brandy, who indul- ges in profane and obscene language, as she did in the 188 HENKIEITA BOBINSON. presence of Mary Dillon, would not be likely to go mad throngli love for , or any man. Up to the first of April, at least, slie must have been sane, he- cause it is demanding too much of our credulity to suppose that he would have lived with a crazy woman. He next took the ground that the various freaks and eccentricities of the prisoner indicated intoxica- tion rather than insanity. She staggered when Brown- ell first discovered her groping through the hall of the court house, and was not sober at the conclusion of their interview. She was in the daily habit of drinking beer and brandy, and the fact that she drank publicly in the grocery of Peter Cox, is abundant evi- dence that she used it to excess. She asked Anthony Goodspeed for game out of season. Is that proof of insanity ? If it is, then I am insane, for I do not know the season of game. But she asked for it several times in the course of a few minutes. That can be regarded in no other light than the natural result of mental stupidity induced by intoxication. In this connection he examined in detail the testimony of Mary Dillon, contending that it proved the woman inebriated rather than insane. There is one mania, said Mr. Van Santvoord, with which the woman is evidently possessed, and that is a mania for lying. She is not a person of veracity. At one moment she cut the dress herself, the next it was cut by a dressmaker. Sometimes she was edu- HENRIETTA ROBINSON. 189 cated in a nunnery, sometimes at Mrs. "Willard's sem- inary. Now, she is the daughter of a lord and born in an Irish castle, and presently she is the offspring of a poor Irishman, and a native of Vermont. At one time the origin of her troubles was her marriage with a poor man, at another they are all attributed to the nnkindness of a step-mother. During the day which Mary Dillon spent with her, her conversation gener- ally was rational and agreeable, and these stories, in- stead of indicating insanity, I regard as the occasional breaking out of her natural propensity to lie. But there might have been some truth, he said, in the story of her mother's death. The tears she shed over the picture, let us trust, gentlemen, were honest tears. I do not believe there ever was a nature so entirely depraved but it stiU retained some hallowed recollec- tions — some lingering affection for home and kindred. But then she laughed and danced, and for this rea- son you are told the prisoner was insane. On the contrary, how natural, how like womanhood it was. The picture of her dead mother resalled the scenes of her childhood — the happy days of her innocence. !N"o wonder the woman wept. The recollections of the past brought with them nothing but a sense of misery. And the frantic dancing and laughter, what were they, but the strivings of a wicked heart to throw off" the painful memories that oppressed it ? The counsel next proceeded to discuss the eviden- ces of her insanity as exhibited subsequent to the ar- 190 HENEIETTA ROBINSON. rest. She did, indeed, he was ready to admit, ex- hibit some remarkable symptoms of nervous agita- tion, whether feigned or real it was unnecessary to inquire. In this there was nothing strange or singu- lar; on the other hand, it was very natural. He could not conceive it possible for a woman of strong passions and ardent impulses, like the prisoner, to ap- pear otherwise than wild and excited under such cir- cumstances. Her desire not to be seen entering the jail with the police officers, was commented upon as in- dicating a natural and rational pride, and a sensible ap- preciation of her condition. He did not at all wonder that she became somewhat delirious after her incar- ceration, and attributed it to sudden abstinence from intoxicating drinks. This, together with the gnaw- ings of a guilty conscience, were sufficient to account for all the delirious imaginations which the evidence had disclosed. The question for the jury to determine, was not her condition subsequent to the arrest, but whether she possessed that knowledge which enabled her to dis- tinguish between right and wrong at the time she ad- ministered the fatal poison to her victims. If you, gentlemen, are satisfied, he concluded, that this wo- man was a responsible and accountable being, when she murdered Timothy Lanagan and Catherine Lubee, it is your duty, however painful it may be, to pro- nounce her guilty. Poor and rich, great and small, male and female, are alike amenable to the law. You HENIilETTA EOBINSON. 191 are only to take into account the evidence, without regai'd to the sex of the prisoner, or the lowly condi- tion of those she murdered. They were poor and unpretending, it is true, but laws are made for the protection of the weak. The idea sought to be im- pressed upon your minds, that because the prisoner at the bar is a woman, she cannot therefore be guilty, is fallacious. You recollect the trials of Mrs. Whip- ple and Polly Bodine, and numerous other instances where females have been guilty of the horrid crime of murder. It sometimes happens, however, that the jury bring in, with their verdict of guilty, a recom- mendation to mercy. I have no objections to your pursuing a like course in this case, if you think proper. The court, likewise, may possibly join in a request to the governor for a commutation of punishment. If she receives this favor, which is probable, she may deem herself most fortunate. If she does not, then, like others similarly circumstanced, she can only di- rect her prayers on high, and seek for mercy at the tribunal of Omnipotence. This speech, which we regret is so feebly and inad- equately reported, occupied four and a half hours, and was marked by that legal and literary ability for which the author of the " Lives of the Chief Justi- ces " is distinguished. During the progress of its de- livery, occurred the eclipse of the sun of the 26th of May. At the point of its greatest obscuration, the speaker resumed his seat, the darkness being such as 192 HENEIETTA KOBINSON. to render it difficult to distinguish the faces of the jurors. For some minutes there was perfect silence throughout the large and densely crowded room, and the thought suggested itself to more than one, that it was typical of the darkness that was gathering around the prospects of the prisoner. Thus closed the fifth day of the trial. CHAPTEE Xn. THE SIXTH BAT OF THE TRIAL ENTRANCE OF THE PRISONER ME. PIERSON'S ARGUMENT GROUNDS TAKEN MRS. LANAGAN ^THE CASE OF GREEN THE CASE OF PHELPS ^JTJDGE EDMONDS THE LISPENARD CASE THE CASE OF DREW " THE VILLAIN KILLED ME " ^MR. PIERSON CONCLUDES THE TROT WHIG MR. HOGEBOOm'S SPEECH GROUNDS TAKEN THE AUTHOR OF THE CRIME ^THE QUESTION OF MOTIVE THE RULE OF LAW THE IRISH DANCE THE PALTRT LOAN DR. BONTECOU "THE LOOSE HABIT'' REFERENCES TO AUTHORITT IRRATIONALITY DR. HEGEMAN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CHAIRS THE STORIES EXPLAINED SBAKSPEAEE CONSLUSION OF ME. H0GEB00m"s ARGUMENT. OiT Saturday morning, the 27th of May, and the sixth day of the trial, Mrs. Robinson came into court, vailed, as usual, apparently calm and collected, and conversing freely with her counsel. The Hon. Job Pierson continued the argument in favor of the prisoner, and commenced by saying that the cause had been so well discussed by his associate, Mr. Townsend, that there was little left for him to say; the subject was exhausted. As for himself, the imaginative fervor of his youth, if, indeed, he had ever had much, had disaj^peared with his advan- cing years. "What little reputation he might possess as a lawyer, had been obtained, not by sophistical ar- gument or oratorical display, but by an honest en- I 13 194 HENRIETTA EOBmSON. deavor to present the claims of his clients in a plain, frank and truthful manner. He complained of the injustice, he might add, the cruelty, of the prosecution, who, in their professional zeal, had evidently labored, throughout the whole ex- amination, to secure for themselves a triumph, by ob- taining the conviction of the prisoner, whether right or wrong. Such a victory might be flattering to pro- fessional pride, but it was outrageous to seek it at the expense of justice and the sacrifice of life. There were two grounds upon which he should contend for the acquittal of the prisoner : First. There is -not sufiicient evidence to establish the fact that she committed the murder. Second. If you find that she did commit the mur- der, then I contend that it has been clearly shown that she was insane at the time, and is therefore not responsible for the act. In support of the first proposition, he called the at- tention of the jury to the fact that there was no proof whatever fastening the commission of the crime upon the prisoner, except what was found in the tes- timony of Mrs. Lanagan. It was true, she had pre- viously purchased arsenic at Ostrom's drug store, but that was nothing more than is done by hundreds of others every day. Because a person buys arsenic, and has it in his house, we must not infer it is his in- tention to commit murder. Arsenic is an article used generally, and for a great variety of commendable HENEIETTA EOBmSON. 195 and innocent purposes. The presumption is, that Mrs. Robinson stated the truth, when she said she wanted it to destroy rats, and this presumption is enhanced by the fact that the locality of her dwelling by the river was such, as to render it very certain that she was much annoyed by them. The mere fact, then, that she purchased arsenic, and had it in her house, was without any weight whatever. To carry the conviction to your minds that she is guilty of the crime, it will be necessary for the prosecution to produce some evidence, either positive or circumstantial, that she had poison in her possession at the time she entered the grocery of Lan- agan. This, however, does not appear. Mrs. Lana- gan does not testify to anything of the kind. She saw a white paper in her hand, but whether it con- tained anything, and if so, what it was, no one pre- tends to be informed. If Mrs. Lanagan had been on trial instead of Mrs. Kobinson, could not the prosecution, by pressing the fact that she procured the sugar, drew the beer, poured it into the tumblers, and finally refused to drink it when prepared, have made out a clearer and a stronger case against her than they have against this prisoner ? They could also have urged the fact that Mrs. Eobinson's repeated and unwelcome visits had become annoying, so much so, indeed, that she had been forcibly expelled from the house, and fre- quently ordered to remain away from the premises, I, 13 196 HENEIETTA KOBTNSON. as a motive on her part to rid herself effectually of her presence, far more plausible than any theory they have advanced in the course of this trial. As to Mrs. Kobinson, there stands the fact, still Tinrefuted hy evidence or argument, that there was no motive that could have actuated her in the per- petration of the offense. He combated the position of the counsel who had preceded him, that it was un- necessary to prove a motive, and contended that all precedent and authority established the doctrine that in order to secure the conviction of a sane criminal, such proof was essential. Allusion had been made to the case of Green, con- victed of murder in that same court house, a few years previously. Green certainly had a motive. He had seen an actress dressed upon the stage in a very attractive manner — conceived a sudden passion for her, and married her. She was beautiful, indeed, but he soon found that all that glitters is not gold, and that she was not such a wife as he desired. He had previously paid attentions to another lady, pos- sessed of property. This would aid him in business, and, actuated by this motive, he murdered his wife in order to marry her. These were the real facts of the case, with the addition that the evidence of his hav- ing poisoned his wife, was overwhelming. He also reviewed the ease of Phelps, who was tried in that court house. Phelps was acquitted, and ac- quitted, moreover, on the very ground upon which HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 197 ■we demand the acquittal of the prisoner at the bar. No adequate motive was shown — but as much as has been shown in this case — and consequently he was discharged. He contended that it was incumbent on the people to prove one of two facts, in order to secure convic- tion — either a motive for the deed, or that she was intoxicated at the time it was committed — and insisted that neither had been shown. He then referred to the case of The People vs. Pine, in the second of Barbour's Reports, page 566, wherein five different stages of insanity are recog- nized, and also to the decision of Judge Edmonds, which had been so severely criticised by Mr. Yan Santvoord. Dean, he said, in his valuable work on medical jurisprudence, had characterized that decis- ion as "judicious." But we are told, said Mr. Pier- son, that Jildge Edmonds is a spiritualist. Great minds, however, sometimes embrace the humbugs of the day. Notwithstanding Judge Edmonds' peculiar sentiments in regard to invisible spirits, his legal opin- ions had been highly respected for years. They were sound opinions, and all the ingenuity of the gentle- man could not discredit them. He also commented on the Lispenard case, reported in the twenty-sixth of Wendell, which had been relied upon by the pros- ecution. The court for the correction of errors, it was true, had reversed the decision of the inferior court, pronouncing the party sane who made the will. 198 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. It was well understood, however, that the decision was lobbied through the court, and he declared that he never could hear an allusion to that case, without emotions of indignation. It was there decided that a person gross in habit, who drank to excess, who could neither read nor write, and who was, in fact, a perfect and absolute idiot, was, nevertheless, capable of making a will. In an ejectment suit, however, brought afterward, the will was virtually invalidated. So much for that case, and the remark thereon by Senator Verplanck, as quoted by opposing counsel. He then read from Kay, page 460, the case of Drew, decided in the United States circuit court, be- fore Justice Story, wherein it is held, that if a per- son's mind becomes permanently impaired by a long course of intoxication, he is not responsible. Drew was arrested and tried for the murder of one Clark. After sudden absence from drink he had exhibited evidences of mania ; had no appetite, and raved and swore. For weeks after his arrest, these exhibitions continued. The coincidence between that case and this, he dwelt upon as most striking and remarkable. They presented the same evidences of insanity in ev- ery respect, yet Drew was acquitted. Justice Story deciding that if the insanity was produced remotely by the influence of liquor, it furnished sufficient ground for releasing him from responsibility. Mr. Pierson then read some passages from the in- dictment, charging Mrs. Kobinson with willfully, ma- HENRIETTA EOBmSON. 199 liciously, not having the fear of God before her eyes, and instigated by the devil, poisoning Timothy Lan- agan, &c. The indictment, he said, was founded on the assumption that tlie crime was committed in the manner alleged ; that it was the result of a willful, malicious, premeditated design. The prosecution, therefore, in order to sustain it, were obliged to show that she planned the murder deliberately. There was no evidence to that eifect. If she did niinsle the poison with the sugar, would any unprejudiced person believe that it was a preconceived act ; that she comprehended what she was doing at the time ? He criticised the testimony of Drs. Adams and Skilton, alleging that a great deal of it amounted to nothing. If either of them analyzed the contents found in the stomachs of the deceased, and all au- thority, as well as common sense, demanded the test of an intelligent analysis, before the expression of an opinion, as to the cause of death, was deserving a particle of credit or attention. Dr. Skilton, forsooth, was gifted with that extraordinary and miraculous intuitive perception, that, judging from symptoms, only, he felt he could not be mistaken, while men of the highest scientific and medical attainments could only arrive at a satisfactory conclusion after skillful chemical tests. He then referred to the expressions of Lanagan on his death-bed, and said there was something incom- prehensible and mysterious about them ; something 200 HENKIETTA KOBINSON. that seemed to indicate that he was aware of the agency of another and an unknown person in the ac- complishment of the murder. You remember, gen- tlemen, how he exclaimed, " The villain has killed me!" Who ever heard such an epithet applied to a woman ? If he supposed Mrs. Eobinson had done it, would he not have said, " The woman has killed me ? " Writhing in the bitter agonies of death, he was unable to explain the enigmatical expression. The lips of the murdered man are stamped with the seal of eternal silence, and who shall say that the true secret of this whole affair is not buried with him in the grave ! But there was another point, utterly irreconcilable with the idea of sanity, provided it was found that she committed the act. What would a criminal be likely to do, he inquired, after the commission of such a crime ? All precedent, all criminal history teaches us, that she would have fled — ^have hastened from the dreadful scene, and sought to have concealed her- self from the eyes of men. On the contrary, she re- turned to Lanagan's, within two hours after the beer was drank, perfectly indifferent, and evidently uncon- scious of having committed wrong. This conduct can only be accounted for upon the hypothesis that she was insane or innocent. " Tlie wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a lion." In further exposition of his views upon the ques- HENBIE-rrA ROBINSON. 201 tiou of insanity, he read from Guy, page 343, apply- ing to the autliority quoted the testimony of the drlig- gist, Ostrom, and tlie policeman, Burns. He also ex- pressed his surprise that the prosecution had not called a single person to rebut the evidence of insan- ity ; had not even examined Dr. Adams upon the point, who was physician to the jail six months after her arrest, and who could have established her san- ity, if such was the fact. JSTo such evidence was of- fered, for the simple reason that there was none to ofl'er ; but, on the contrary, the eloquent counsel who had preceded him, was driven to admit, that her con- duct in jail was truly unaccountable. For weeks she was irrational and raving. Dr. liegeman tells you that, even now, though much improved, he does not regard her of sound mind. During this time she was deprived of stimulating drinks, and, of course, could not be under their influence. How, then, is this un- accountable conduct to be explained, unless we at- tribute it to the true cause ; which, I am confident, you will concur with me in the conclusion, was nei- ther more nor less than the eccentric actions and dis- tempered fancies of a maniac. The learned gentleman then entered upon a gen- eral description of her conduct, pointing out numer- ous evidences of a deranged intellect, such as the story of her husband being injured by the cars — the fact that she denounced the attempt to prove her in- sane — her demeanor at Center Market — the strange 202 HENRIECTA EOBINSON. idea that her house was surrounded by a mob — the carrying of pistols to defend herself against attack — the crazy fancy of the wonderful cork, and the still more crazy fancy of the cauldron of boiling water — all these, and other facts of similar character, were discussed at length, and eloquently. And now, said Mr. Pierson, my lips are about to close. I shall be followed by a gentleman distin- guished for his ability as a lawyer, and who is skillful and ingenious in argument. He feels that his repu- tation is at stake, and will spare no effort to wring from you the verdict of conviction. But, relying upon the strength and justice of our defense, and feeling that "truth is mighty and must prevail," I submit, with all confidence, into your hands, gentle- men, the life of this truly to be pitied and most un- fortunate lunatic. At the conclusion of these remarks, Mr. Townsend directed the attention of the court to an article in the Troy Daily Whig, alleging that the defense had changed its tactics at the time Mr. Brownell was called, which had resulted in bringing out promi- nently the name of a person as having had relations with the prisoner prior to the commission of the crime. He said there had been no change of tactics. On the contrary, the counsel for the prisoner would have been recreant to duty, had they failed to have elicited this testimony, which they considered of great importance to their client. It had been sug- HENKIETIA EOBINSOIt. ! Sotne of the jury are corru].)t ! I demand another judge ! Mr. Pierson, turning to her, said, in a voice snffi- ciently audible to be heard at the reporter's deslc, — "Madam, if you do not remain quiet, I will leave you ! " She rei)lied, still more than ever excited, " I lo'dl speak! l)7(y should I not?" but, at tlie direction of the sheriff, she resumed her seat, and said nothing more. Mr. Townsend then informed the court that he most firmly believed that the verdict of conviction had been rendered against the veriest lunatic that ever lived. He appealed to the court to grant the suspen- sion asked for by his associate counsel — that they did not then know precisely how they should proceed, and desired time to consult. Judge Harris replied that he was expected to open a circuit in another county on Monday, and that the delay would be inconvenient. The case would not, probably, be at all prejudiced by pronouncing sen- tence at once, and he would therefore suggest to the defense, that they could present their points as well after the entering of judgment as before. However he was ready to subject himself to any personal incoL.- HENKIETTA EOBINSON. 24:3 venience, if a suspension of sentence should bo con- sidered necessary. Mr. Ilogeboom, speaking in behalf of the district attorney, said that the prosecution would not insist on the sentence being pronounced immediately, against the expressed desire of the defense for an op- portunity of consultation ; yet he could not perceive the necessity of a postponement, especially after the suggestion of the court ; besides, they were ready to waive all objections to the defense proceeding in the matter after sentence passed. " I feel it to be my duty to conform to the wishes of the prisoner's counsel," returned Judge Harris, and or- dered an adjournment of the court until half past eight o'clock the following Monday morning. The vast crowd of men and women then slowly dis- persed, many of tlieni lingering behind, anxious to obtain a closer view of the prisoner, until she had passed out with the sheriff and his family, entered the carnage, and was driven away to jail. It was rumored, at the time, that on her way thither, Mrs. Robinson laughed and joked about the scene through wliieh she had passed, and that, on reaching her cull, she remarked to the jailer, Hegeman, in great glee, " Toiill Jiave a nice time putting the rojpe around my nech, old hoy ! " The following statement, however, which we extract from an edito- rial article in the Troy Budget, of Monday, May 29th, is more correct. K 16 244 HENKIETTA EOBINSON. " The conduct of the prisoner, subsequent to the ren- dition of the verdict, having been aUuded to by a morning paper, in a way calculated to create a pre- judice against her, we may state, that after being ta- ken from the court house on Saturday evening last, she appeared to realize, partially, at least, her condi- tion. Instead of indulging in frivolity, as represented, she had to be supported on her way back to prison. After her return, her exclamations and entreaties were pitiful, so much so that the slieriff felt it his duty to prevail on the female members of liis family to remain with her until late at night, when she had become more composed." The next day, on entering her cell, she was found dressed, with scrupxilous care and neatness, in a cos- tume of spotless white. In token of her innocence, she had arrayed herself in this apparel. Nearly the entire day, she walked from one side to the otiier of her room, uneasy as the captive bird that beats in vain against the bars of its prison cage. Though not directing her remarks to any person, and unconscious that she was heard, she repeatedly exclaimed, with great energy and determination, " He shall never jpronounoe sentence against me ! JVo / never, never, never ! " At a very early hour on Monday morning, the streets in the neighborhood of the court house were alive with people, all anxious to witness the closing scene of this " strange, eventful " trial. The en- HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 246 trances to the buijding, botli in front and rear, were 80 choked with the great multitude, a large part of whom were ladies, that it was with the utmost diffi- culty the constables in attendance could clear a pas- sage for the judge and officers of the court. The number in and about the court house was far greater than on any day during the trial. In disposing of the people, many amusing scenes occurred, illustrative of the obstinacy, the perseve- rance, the peculiarities, and the marvelous deafness and obtuseness of " some folks." All wanted the best seat — all wanted to get in front — and all asserted " certain inalienable rights," among which was, to sit or stand in such a position as to get a glimpse of the vailed murderess. More than one-half the crowd were females, and in gaining entrance to the room at all hazards, they ex- hibited as much strength of purpose, indomitable de- termination, perseverance, activity, and tact, as did any of the " lords of creation." At twenty minutes past eight o'clock, the prisoner entered, by the rear passage, with the sheriff and his deputies, and the ladies who had previously accom- panied her, between the latter of whom she took her usual seat within the bar. The sensation at this mo- ment was very great. Every eye was turned upon the mysterious figure enveloped in the blue vail. She walked to her seat with a faltering and uncer- tain step, and was evidently much excited and ner- 246 HENRIETTA EOBINSON. Tous. This, howeyer, she soon mastered, and presently entered into actiye conversation with the sherift", her counsel, and the ladies who accompanied her. The morbid cm-iosity to see her was unabated and intense. It was almost impossible to induce the fe- males to sit down. They persisted in standing upon the benches ; and women who had little children with them, held them up in their arms to enable them to catch a glimpse of the culprit. As soon as Judge Harris had arrived, observing the great excitement among the audience, he rose and said: " I hope that every person in this crowded assem- bly will feel it incumbent upon him or herself to pre- serve perfect quiet and order. Let none move — let none speak, even in a whisper, so that everything may be done with decorum — so that all may see— so that all may hear — so that nothing may occur to dis- turb the court, interfere with the proceedings, or vi- olate the strictest rules of propriety." The audience at once became silent. Yery soon, however, there were loud and repeated knocldngs at the front door, and presently two ladies fainted, and were borne out of the room. The court again called for the preservation of order, and dispatched ofHcers to the front door to prevent further disturbance, when Mr. Beach arose and moved a suspension of the sen- tence, in order to afford time for the defense to pre- pare a bill of exceptions, or to take such action as was HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 247 necessary, with reference to a question of irregular- ity in the organization of the grand jury that found the indictment against the prisoner. He said that the district attorney had issued no precept to the sheriff for the meeting of the court and jurors at the February term, when the indictment was found, as required by statute. He then read the affidavit of the sheriff and certificate of the clerk, substantiating his statement. Mr. Beach then read from the Revised Statutes in support of his position, and contended that the re- quirement remained in force, notwithstanding subse- quent legislation. He referred to a case in Johnson's Reports, analagous to this, which was tried in 1814, and in which a new trial was granted. He also re- ferred to the Statutes to show that the requirement in question is expressly applied to courts of oyer and terminer, and argued at considerable length that this informality invalidated the proceedings by which the prisoner had been convicted. Mr. Beach further remarked, that the defense had been informed, since the rendition of the verdict, that one of the jurors had expressed an opinion previous to the trial, that Mrs. Robinson was guilty, and ought to be convicted. Now, that jury, when it was em- panneled, stated, each for himself, that he had formed no opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the prisoner that would render him incompetent to try the cause. For want of time, no affidavit upon this point had been 248 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. obtained, but bis information was sufficiently relia- ble to justify liirn in urging it as anotber reason for suspending sentence. Tbey, at least, required time to look into tbe matter, as otberwise tbe defense might be cut off from remedy. Tbe district attorney, in reply, contended tbat the provisions of the statute referred to were not applica- ble to this case, and read from subsequent enact- ments to show that they referred only to special terms, ordered by the governor or circuit judge. Mr. Hogeboom would add, that the counsel on the part of the prosecution had but a limited time for the consideration of the motion, and consequently were not prepared to argue the question at length. The prosecution might, however, offer an affidavit show- ing that the defense were aware, before the trial, of the objection now urged ; the objection should have been made preliminary to the trial, not afterward ; for it applies as well to the indictment, as the trial itself. It might, therefore, be properly urged that the objection had been waived, for the reason that it had not been presented at the jDroper time — prior in- stead of subsequent to the conviction. Besides, he added, there is no real necessity for a suspension of sentence in order to obtain a, decision on the point in a higher tribunal. A similar motion was made in the case of Hendrickson, when Judge Marvin decided that the passing of sentence would not interfere with a review of the case by a full HENEIETTA ROBINSON. 249 bench, and he pronounced sentence immediately on conviction. The execution of Hendrickson's sen- tence was postponed from month to month, until every means of averting it was exhausted. This case may be reviewed long before the day fixed for ex- ecution. He would not argue the question upon its merits now, because an opportunity would be given for do- ing that afterward ; but he would assume that the requirement referred to was directory rather than mandatory, and that the direction does not apply to ordinary courts of oyer and terminer, held at stated times, but to jail deliveries ordered by the governor. The court did not owe its jurisdiction to the precept; that came from the statute. It is contended that the jury was not properly drawn and summoned. The question is, is this court legally constituted? And the question is brought up after the court has been in session many weeks, disposed of a large number of cases, and sentenced many persons to state prisons. Alluding to the other objection, the expression of a juror that the prisoner ought to be convicted, Mr. Ilogeboom thought the present not the proper time to urge it. The defense had made its own jury; it was the prisoner's jury ; they had the right of per- emptory challenge, but were relieved of the necesi- ty of exercising it by the action of the court. Judge Harris here inquired whether it was the in- tention of the defense to submit the questions raised, 250 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. in the court of oyer and terminer or in the supreme court ? , , Mr Beach replied that the prisoner's counsel were not entirely agreed as to the steps proper to be taken. They, therefore, desired time to consult and agree on a plan of action, in order that their cause might not be prejudiced by any misapprehension. Judge Harris said the court was inclined to yield to the request of the defense, without intimating an opinion as to the points raised, though it had an opin- ion. It was the spirit of the law, that while it marches on with steady step to the fulfillment of its mission, it aifords, at the same time, every opportu- nity of defense, substantial and technical, to those against whom it proceeds. It says to its ministers, forbear, until every such opportunity has been thus extended. He should, therefore, suspend sentence, and directed that the prisoner should remain in the custody of the sheriff until the further order of the court. Thus closed, for the present, the trial of Henrietta Eobinson for the murder of Timothy Lanagan. The Times, of that day, made the following comments in regard to it : " We have neither time nor space to comment on this exciting trial, the conviction of the prisoner, and the present aspect of the case. We may remark, however, that no similar trial, ever held in this country, has created so deep an interest. " It is now fully confirmed, we believe, that Mrs. HENEIETTA EOBINSOIT. 251 Eobinson was formerly a pupil at the Troy Female Seminary. She was recognized to-day by one of her former schoolmates, who had some conversation with her. " Upon the decision of Judge Harris, to-day, sus- pending sentence, she appeared highly elated, and conversed in a lively spirit with her counsel and at- tendants. She evidently anticipates a better fate than either hanging or confinement for life in the state prison. "The whole affair of tlie murder, with the scenes in court, the vailed prisoner, and her mysterious con- duct, all appear more like romance than reality." K* CHAPTER XIY. THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY THE GENERAL IMPRESSION MR. 'WILLARD, OF TUE SEMINARY THE WHIJISICAL NOTION MORBID CURIOSITY THE THREE DIFFERENT FAMILIES IS MRS. ROBINSON MISS WOOD? MR. WILLARd's LET- TER TO THE WIIIO MR. WOOd's LETTER TO THE SAME MRS. CAMPBELL AND THE CAB DRIVER THE SUPPOSITION "WHO SHE IS THE REMARK OF HER COUN- SEL MR. JEFFREYS, THE GENTLEMAN FROM QUEBEC MR. HE.\RT, THE BANK- TELLER AN ACCOUNT OF THE SISTERS A VISIT TO THE JAIL TUE PRIS- ONER'S HAND THE ARGUMENT UPON IT TUE LETTER CRITICISED THE KECOONITION IN THE COURT HOUSE DISAGREEMENT ABOUT FACTS IS MRS. ROBINSON ACCOMPLISHED ! MR. JEFFRIES' TESTIMONY MR. HEABT's OPINION THE CROWNING REASON SUPPOSITIONS AND ABSURDITIES THE ANONYMOUS LETTER WRITER THE INCONSISTENCY DEPOSITION OF THE MAGISTRATE^ COMMENTS OF TUE WHIG AND TIMES THE QUESTION SET- TLED MRS. ROBINSON IS NOT EMMA WOOD. PIaving thus far traced the history of this mysteri- ous woman, we now approach, in the proper order of events, the somewhat delicate question of her iden- tity. It ah-eady has appeared that the name of Hen- rietta Eobinson was assumed, and the reader must also have observed, that, whetlier true or false, a gen- eral impression prevailed that she was formerly a pu- pil in the Troy Female Seminary, and that her maiden name was Wood. That she was a native of Quebec seems never to have been seriously disputed, and that she was a wo- man who had, some time in her life, enjoyed superior HENRIETTA EOEmSON. 253 social advantages, few of those who were permitted the opportunity of observing her manners, or of lis- tening to her conversation, were inclined to deny. The general impression that she was formerly a Miss Wood, so far as we can ascertain, had its origin in a remark, made soon after her arrest, by the gen- tleman to whom frequent reference has heretofore been made, but whose name we have not thought proper to divulge. Others who had known, in years past, the person she was supposed to be, having suc- ceeded, by accident or otherwise, in obtaining a glimpse of her features, confirmed the impression which had been thus created ; so that, at the close of the trial, but little doubt was entertained on the subject, notwithstanding her continued denials of its correctness. There were, however, those who manifested a sin- gular degree of interest in resisting the impression which had gone abroad. Among these was the prin- cipal of the Troy Female Seminary. This interest, so far as we can comprehend the import of his pub- lished statements, proceeded from the idea of respect and friendship for the family referred to, but more especially, that the establishment of the fact that she was a former pupil at the seminary, would not be re- putable to the institution. The high moral and social standing of this gentle- man precludes at once the most remote suspicion that he was at any time actxiated in the matter by other 254 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. than upriglit and honorable motives. There were those, however, who regarded his zeal as more praise- worthy than prudent. It was certainly a novel no- tion, more whimsical than logical, that the character of his institution could be thus affected. It was con- sidered as too widely and favorably known, it had enjoyed too long and deservedly the reputation of being one of the first seminaries in the country, to suffer from the errors of a woman who had passed within its shades a portion of her youth. Doubtless, had she remembered the instruction there received, she would have avoided the misfortunes of later life ; but Henrietta Eobinson is not the first upon wliom the advantages of education and the counsels of wis- dom have been bestowed in vain. It may be said, that it matters not who this woman is, and that the development of her history can con- tribute only to the gratification of a morbid curiosity. Such an opinion, however, may be foimd, upon re- flection, to be more fastidious than wise. "When an unoffending man and woman, in the midst of their peaceful callings, are suddenly stricken down by the hand of the murderess, it is not strange that the com- munity should be startled and excited ; nor is it claiming too much, when the deed i« perpetrated in disguise, to demand that it be stripped away, that it may be known who it is that thus sacrifices human life. A desire to tear the mask from the face of mur- der is more natural than morbid ; and, moreover, ia HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 255 not wanting of legal sanction ; for the assumption of a false name for a guilty purpose is of itself a wrong — a violation of the law. It has been confidently avowed on the one side, and as confidently denied on the other, that she be- longed to three different families — the Woods, the Campbells, and the Robertsons. "Whether she be- longs to either, or any of them, we leave for the reader to determine, after an examination of the facts we now propose to record. A few days subsequent to the trial, about the 8th of June, 1854, two communications appeared in the Troy Daily Wliig, under the caption, " Is Mrs. Rob- inson Miss Wood f " They read as follows : Mr. Brighani : Sir — I received the enclosed communica- tion for you this morning, and, in connection with it, should like to say a few words. It is well known to my friends that I do not believe that Mrs. Eobinson is in any way related to the family of the Woods, or that she was ever connected with the seminary. From some circumstances which have come to my knowledge, I suppose her to be a Mrs. Campbell, (this I think is the name, though I am not positive,) who was a na- tive of Quebec, from a respectable family there, and who re- sided in the vicinity of Mr. Wood, at the time his daughters were in Troy, and who knew of their being here. She mar- ried, but soon lost her husband. She not long after went to Mr. Wood, to ask for assistance to go to Scotland, to her hus- band's relatives. Mr. Wood gave her nearly fifty dollars, •which sum she expended in Quebec instead of using it for the purpose for \f hich it was obtained. She afterward went again 256 HENKIETTA EOBINSOir. to Mr. "Wood for money, which he, not being satisfied with the disposition made of the first, declined giving. She very soon after set up a drinliing house in the suburbs of the city, and while there persuaded a young man of respectable connections in Quebec, to elope with her to New York. This is the last that is known of her. The young man is said to have been seen there as a cab driver. Now, if Mrs. Eobinson is this Mrs. Campbell, it is not at all difficult to see how she obtained the knowledge of many of the circumstances of which she has made use, in persuading those who have been about her that she was a member of the Wood family. Her knowledge of the persons of those belonging to families in which she pro- fessed to have visited, could very readily have been acquired during the several month's residence in this city previous to her arrest, and having the object in view of passing for the per- son she assumed to be, it is not to supposed that she would neglect the use of any means which would aid her in the ac- complishment of that end. This supposition will easily ac- count for her recognition of a lady whom she addressed in court by her family name, the lady having been married for several years. Among other circumstances tending to show conclusively that Mrs. Robinson is not one of the Woods, is a remark made to me by one of her counsel, very soon after his first interview with her. " I expected," said he, " to have found at least traces of education and refinement in her, but in a conversation of half an hour, I found neither.'' Mr. Jeffreys, the gentleman from Quebec, whose testimony is so much relied upon as proving the identity of Mrs. Eob- inson with Miss Wood, did not even see her while he was in Troy, and has recently written to a gentleman of this city, stating that he has, since his return, seen letters from all of the daughters of Mr. Wood, written within a short time past. HENKIEITA EOBINSOH. 257 Another strong point is, the fact that Mr. William C. Heart, who was in my office as book-keeper, during all the time that the Misses Wood were members of the Seminary, and who was necessarily perfectly familiar with their appearance, saw Mrs. Robinson repeatedly in the bank, of which he is teller, and in the street, and though very much impressed by her English or Canadian look, still never thought, and is now quite certain from his recollection, that she cannot be either of them ; and finally, we have the word of a gentleman, Mr. W. F. Wood, whose character is unimpeached and unimpeachable, against that of a woman who has for years been leading a life of shameless profligacy. Mr. Wood was in Troy last summer, almost immediately after the arrest of Mrs. Eobinson, and at that time furnished the names and residences of his sisters, all of whom had been seen by him at their residences in Great Britain within three months previous to the time that he was here, and which are as follows : Georgianna, the eldest, is living in London. She is the widow of William Capel Clayton, the eldest son of Sir Wil- liam Robert Clayton, Bart., of Harley wood, Mavlow, England. Emma, the second, is the wife of Dr. Mcintosh, )-ecently surgeon of the royal artillery, son of the late celebrated Dr. Mchitosh, of Edinburg, and she is now living in Scotland. Charlotte, the third daughter, is married to the eldest son of Sir William Francis Elliott, Bart., of Stob's Castle, Rox- burgshire, Scotland, in which country she and her hnsband reside. Harriet, the fourth daughter, resides in Dublin with her hus- band, Capt. Mackay, of the royal artillery, who is now sta- tioned in that city, Capt. Mackay is the son of the late Col. Mackay, of Bighouse, Scotland. 258 HENRIETTA EOBINSON. Maria, the youngest daughter, who was never at the semi- nary, is now residing with her sister, Mrs. ]McIntosh. It is said that Mr. Wood might be influenced by a desire to cover the disgrace to his family, from the conduct of an un- worthy member, and therefore would be led to make fe,lse statements with regard to it. When Mr. Wood was here, he went with me to the jail, in order, if possible, to see Mrs. Robinson. Now, if I know any- thing of the mianifestation of human feeling, in the manner and in the countenance, I know that that man could never have gone to the prison of a sister, under charge of a most cold- blooded and deliberate murder, as he went with me at that time. When we reached her room, the sheriff opened her door, so as to give us an opportunity of seeing her as she lay upon her bed. She was so covered that we saw only the upper part of her face and her hand. From the size and appearance of the hand and wrist, I was more fully confirmed in my opin- ion, if possible, than I had been before. She, as usual — and as she had done two or three times by Mrs. WUlard and my- self — refused to see us. She recognized Mr. Wood, as was to be expected, from her former residence near his father's. She said then, very much as she had done when I had called before to see her, that she had no brother, and she was not the person we supposed; meaning, evidently, that she was not Miss Wood — and refusing what would have been a certain means of identifying herself if she were what she professed to be. I should have made these statements before, but was in Vir- ginia during the trial of Mrs. Robinson, and since my return have been so much occupied that I have not until now found time to prepare it. J. H. Willaed, HENEIETTA EOBrNSOlT. 259 The following letter from Mr. "Wood, of Quebec, is as direct and positive evidence as could be desired : To the Editor of the Troy Whig : Sir — Having seen an article in the Troy Daily Whig, of the 25th of May, relative to the trial of Henrietta Eobinson, wherein it is stated — "It may not be improper to say that the current belief is — not to use a stronger term — that Mrs. Eob- inson, the prisoner, formerly, some twenty years ago, resided in this city, as a pupil at the seminary ; that her maiden name was Wood ; that her family was one of wealth, standing, and respectability, and resided somewhere near Quebec ; that while here, she moved in the best social circles of our city, as did three sisters, who also attended the seminary at different times ; that she subsequently married an army officer in Can- ada, who died ; that she then married a surgeon in the army m the provinces, from whom she separated, and that she is hera now, the vailed prisoner at the bar." Being a member of the only family residing in or near Que- bec of the name answering to the above description, I feel my- self impelled to deny that this Henrietta Robinson is in any way whatever connected with my family. I had four sisters, pupils at Mr. Willard's Troy Seminary, all of whom are now residing in Great Britain. One of them married an officer of the British army in Canada, and after his death married, in Quebec, Dr. Mcintosh, of the Royal Artillery, with whom she is now living, at Assynt House, Granton, Ross-shire, Scotland. W. F. Wood. Quebec, 3d June, 1854. Papers which have published an account of the trial of Hen- rietta Robinson, will oblige by giving the above insertion. W. F. W. 17 2^0 HENBIEITA EOBINSOIT. The reasons for Mr. "Willard's disbelief, as ex- pressed in his commnnication, were plausible, but not all of them conclusive, or even satisfactory. It seemed apparent that, however confident and consci- entious he was in his opinion, he was laboring, nev- ertheless, under a misapprehension of facts. Previous to the time this letter was published, Mrs. Robinson had constantly and perse veringly en- deavored, not only to conceal her face, but had ob- stinately refused, on all occasions, to give the slight- est intimation respecting her name or family. All her eiforts were turned in this direction. In her most trying hour, neither friend nor foe could wring the secret from her. Those who plead for her life could not persuade her, those who contended for her death could not provoke her, into a disclosure. But two weeks previous to this communication, one of her counsel had publicly stated, in open court, that, rather than unvail herself, she preferred to abide all consequences, whatever they might be. The counsel who opened the defense, declared, "I do not know the antecedents of this woman ; what her life and character have been, she utterly refuses to disclose to any one ; so of her family and connections.'''' It was this long-continued and well-known determination that invested the vailed woman with such mysteri- ous interest. Mr. Willard, of course, was ignorant of these facts, or he would not have said, " it is not at all difficult to see how she obtained the knowleds'e HENEIETTA EOBHfSON. 261 of many of the circumstances of which she has made use, in persuading those who have leen about her that she was a member of the Wood family?'' She had made use of no circumstances — had endeavored to persuade no one, that she belonged to that family. This statement is much weakened, moreover, by being prefaced with a proviso — " If Mrs. Eobinson is this Mrs. Campbell, then it is not difficult," &c. Now, he only supposes that she is Mrs. Campbell, " from some circumstances." If the circumstances he mentions, in reference to Mrs. Campbell, are all that came to his knowledge, we think the general verdict would be that they did not authorize his sup- position ; if they are not all, then he has left us in the dark on the subject. But Mr. Willard makes another supposition in order to explain a fact. He thinks she might have ac- quired a knowledge of persons in the city, belonging to families in which she professed to have visited, du- ring her residence there previous to the arrest^ and also that, having in view the object of passing for an- other person, it was not to be supposed she would neglect any means to accomplish her ends. And upon this hypothesis, he adds : " This supposition will easily account for her recognition of a lady whom she addressed in court by her family name, the lady having been married for several years." "We do not think it can be accounted for on such a supposition quite so easily. The lady had been mar- 262 HENRIETTA EOBINSON. ried several j^ears ; nevertheless, she addressed her by her family name. To ask us to adopt the suppo- sition that the prisoner was Mrs. Campbell, and then the further supposition that she had inquired out the maiden name of a married lady, and then the still further and stranger supposition, that she took occa- sion to practice her deceit while absorbed in the pro- ceedings of a trial, in which her life was at stake, is encroaching rather too far on human credulity. It is much more easy to suppose that Mrs. Campbell, at the time of the recognition in the court house, was with the cab driver in New York, where she was re- siding " the last that was Tcnown of her." But in this particular, also, Mr. Willard seems to be mistaken in a point of fact. Our information is that Mrs. Eobinson did not recognize the lady in question ; on the contrary, the lady recognized her. "We may be mistaken, but this is the exact language of the reporter, who witnessed the occurrence, and made a minute of it at the time : " She was recog- nized to-day hy one of her former schoolmates, who had some conversation with her." It is not too much to say that Mr. "Willard's reason- ing thus far is altogether sophistical and destitute of force ; but he next adverts to a circumstance " tend- ing to show conclusively that Mrs. Eobinson is not one of the "Woods." That circumstance consists of a remark of one of her counsel. He represents him as Baying : " I expected to have found, at least, traces HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 263 of education and refinement in her, but in a conver- Batio of half an hour I found neither." However well educated or refined Mrs. Eobinson may have been in the days of her innocence, it is fair to presume that much of the evidence of it was lost during her long and gross seclusion from society, and her associations with the rude and iinmannered char- acters with whom her degraded course of life had brought her into contact. But while one of her counsel could discover no traces of refinement, there were many others who seemed to be more observing. Mr. Ostrom, who had frequently seen her at his drug store, testified that he " had noticed, in her former visits, that she had the air and appearance of an ac- complished ladyP Her senior counsel, at least, whose opportunity of observing her manners and con- versation were more frequent, perhaps, than those of any other, did not fail to remark some " traces of ed- ucation and refinement," which his associate could not discover ; for he stated in his opening of the de- fense, that " all we know of her is, that she is a lady oi unusual intelligence and highly polished manners.''^ Indeed, it seemed to be taken for granted by every one, with the single exception alluded to, that she was a woman who had been well educated and well bred, notwithstanding they had only her personal bearing and style of language upon which to base the conclusion. Tliis is apparent from a remark of Judge Harris, in his charge to the jury. " If it be 264: HENEIETTA EOBINSON. true," he said, " as has leen assumed throughout the trial, that the accused is of gentle llrth, and has once moved in the higher and more refined walks of life, what a painful illustration she presents of the rapid descent a woman makes to the lowest depths of deg- radation and vice, when she once consents to take leave of virtue and^innocence ! " The overwhelming weight of evidence establishes a position precisely the reverse of that assumed by Mr. Willard, and, therefore, the superstructure of his logic upon this point, being deprived of any founda- tion whatever whereon to rest, necessarily falls to the ground. If Mr. Jeffreys, the gentleman from Quebec, did not even see Mrs. Robinson while in Troy, then, of course, every one will readily agree with Mr. Willard, that it is difficult to perceive what reliance is to be placed upon his testimony. But it is evident, from the import of the paragraph in which his name is mentioned, that the testimony of Mr. Jeffreys was "much relied on." He did not see her, and yet he testified to something that was " relied on as proving the identity of Mrs. Eobinson with Miss "Wood." It was due to the readers of the Whig, whose attention Mr. Willard called to this question, by the publication of his letter, that he should have informed them what that testimony was, as well as what it was not. It might have been pertinent to the point, notwithstand- ing he did not see her. IIENEIETTA KOBINSON. 265 That Mr. Heart is "quite certain," and, therefore, not positive, " from his recollection," that she cannot be either of the Misses Wood, is not a " strong point," but may be, nevertheless, entitled to some little weight. Whether, under the circumstances in which he saw her — at the same time supposing all the young ladies in question were residing in Canada or England — he would be likely, after a lapse of years, to recollect her, is a matter of doubt. Mr. Heart did not recog- nize her, but the lady at the court house, her old schoolmate, did. Mr. Willard's crowning and concluding reason, however, strikes us as more original than conclusive. Mr. Heart did not recognize her face, and therefore he infers she is not Miss Wood. Mr. Willard did not re- cognize her hand and wrist, and is " more fully con- firmed in his opinion, if possible, than before." He catches a glimpse of a woman's hand as she reclines upon a bed, her face covered with a vail, and at once perceives it is not the hand of a young lady who at- tended the seminary ten or twelve years before ! It would be a marvel, indeed, if the " size and appear- ance" of a school girl's hand should not change during that length of time, and yet this statement is put forth in a public journal with a solemn gravity that is amusing. Aside from Mr. Wood's evidence, all that can be truly said of this communication is, that it commen- ces with a supposition and ends in an absurdity. 266 HENEIETTA EOBmSON. The manner in which it was received, ma.j he in- ferred from another communication publislied in a Troy paper the ensuing day, as follows : MRS. EOBINSON WHO IS SHE 1 Our respected neighbor, John H. Willard, Esq., seems to be in great trouble about the identity of Mrs. Robinson. It is dif- ficult to know why he should be. If she were Emma Wood, as some allege, how could the fact affect Mr. Willard, or the Troy Female Seminary 1 He cannot guaranty the perpetual good conduct of all his pupils. No one would think the worse of him, or of his institution, if he were to leave Mrs. Robin- son's friends and the public to find out who she is, as they best can. There seems to be an impression in the minds of Mr. Wil- lard and some other persons, that Mrs. Robinson tries to be thought Emma Wood. Now, if she be not Emma Wood, and is endeavoring to make the public believe she is, she is certainly guilty of a flagrant imposture, which must prejudice her interest. It is but justice to her to say, however, that she not only does not pretend to be Emma Wood, but makes every possible effort to induce the sheriff and jailer, as well as her counsel, to believe that she is not a member of the Wood family, and that if she were a member of that family, she can- not be Emma. The writer of this article cares not what was the maiden name of Mrs. Robinson. All he undertakes to say is, that Mr. Willard knows nothing whatever in relation to who she is. There were but two points of her person which Mr. Wil- lard saw ; one was the top of her head, and the other was her hand. Mr. Wood saw the top of her head and her hand, also, but he makes no remark upon them. HENEIETTA ROBINSON. 267 A hundred persons who had known Emma Wood, saw Mrs. Robinson's forehead during the trial, and did not come to the same conohision that Mr. Willard did. The writer cannot conjecture what Mr. Willard saw about Mrs. Robinson's hand, which induced him to believe it could not be the hand of Era- ma Wood. But one thing can be safely asserted, and proved too, and that is, that Mrs. Robinson has a very delicate and lady-like hand ; although the writer would draw no inference whatever, from that fact, as such hands are very common in this community. One who has seen both Mrs. Robinson and Emma Wood. Mr. Willard certainly had the very strongest rea- sons for believing as he did, but they were not those to which we have adverted. In the first place, Mrs. Kobinson, herself, contradicted the prevailing rumor. And here our attention is directed to an apparent in- consistency in Mr. Willard's statement. In the first part of his letter he represents her as making use of circumstances to persuade those around her " that she was a member of the Wood family," but at its close he remarks, alluding to his visit with Mr. Wood at the jail, " she then said, very much as she had done when I called before to see her, that she had no brother, and that she was not the person we supposed — mean- ing, evidently, she was not Miss Wood." This is a discrepancy, it is singular Mr. Willard should have overlooked, because if, as he admits, he had pre- viously had the evidence from her own lips that she L 268 HENEIErlTA KOBISSON. denied being one of tte Wood family, lie must liave known tliat sbe did not pretend to the contrary. But Mr. "Wood's letter was sufficient to convince Mr. Willard, or any other person, as one might well suppose. He denies that this Henrietta Robinson is in any way, whatever, connected with his family. He furnishes the names, places of residence, and marriage connections, of each and all his sisters. The news- paper article which called out this communication to the public, represented that she married an officer who died ; that she afterwards married a surgeon in the army, from whom she separated. Emma Wood was the only sister married to a surgeon. She was the wife of Dr. Mcintosh — as appeared by the state- ment furnished Mr. Willard — a surgeon in the royal artillery. The " current belief," therefore, according to the Whig, was, that Mrs. Eobinson was Emma Wood, and consequently the letter is particular in re- futing the impression, so far as she is concerned. It was true one of his sisters, to wit, Emma, had mar- ried an officer who died ; it was true, also, that she af- terward married a surgeon in the army ; and so far the Whig was correct ; but the remainder of the story was false, because Emma Wood had not separated from her husband ; on the contrary, she was then re- siding with him at Assjnt House, Granton, Eoss-shire, Scotland. But, as if to settle the matter beyond all reasonable question or dispute, Mr. Wood produces the depo- HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 269 sltion of a highly respectable magistrate of Montreal, to sustain his assertion, that Mrs. Robinson is not Emma Wood. The Whig of the 12th of June, 1854, introduced it to its readers in the following manner: " Thursday morning, last, we published a letter from W. F. Wood, Esq., of Quebec, in refutation of the im- pression, not to say belief, which had so strangely and widely obtained, that Mrs. Eobinson was one of his four sisters, who formerly attended the seminary in Troy. On Saturday, Ave had a personal interview with Mr. Wood, who exhibited such evidences as would, in connection with his previous statement, un- der almost any state of circumstances, be conclusive. He exhibited to us letters from all his sisters, written within the last fifteen months, down to within a month ; and several from Mrs. Mcintosh — JEmmia Wood — as follows : Letters from Mrs. Mcintosh, da- ted Assynt House, Scotland, April 10th and 12th, and May 17th, 1854. A letter from Miss Maria Wood, the youngest sister. A letter from Mrs. Mo Intosh's daughter, dated same time and place, in which her mother is referred to. Also, letters from Charlotte and Georgiana, dated about the same time. These letters are of a social and business character, bearing the foreign postage marks and other eviden- ces of their genuineness, and which must be admitted to conclusively establish an alibi, or they must be set aside as fabrications. 270 HENRIETTA EOBmSON. " In addition to this testimony, Mr. "Wood left with Tis the following deposition : " ' Personally came and appeared before me, B. H. LalTrme, Esquire, one of her majesty's justices of the peace, for the district of Montreal, William Henry Allen Davies, also one of her majesty's justices of the peace, now residing in the city of Montreal, who, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists, deposeth and saith : " ' That he is and has been for years past the attorney of Mrs. Emma C. Mcintosh, daughter of the late Robert Wood, Esquire, of Quebec, and widow by her first marriage of the late Capt. McNicol of the British army, and now the wife of Dr. John Mcintosh, with whom she is living, at Overton, in Scotland, and that as such attorney, he is in constant commu- nication with the said Mrs. Mcintosh, and is intimately ac- quamted with all her movements, having to remit her money every few months, and to correspond with her of her pecuni- ary affairs, and that it is in the knowledge of the said deponent, that Mrs. Mcintosh has not been out of Great Britain since her departure from Canada, in the year 1849. " ' And further this deponent saith, that he has had a letter from the said Mrs. Emma Mcintosh, dated as late as the month of April last past, from her present residence at Assynt House, Overton, Ross-shire, in Scotland. "'W.H. A. Davies. " 'Sworn before me, at Montreal, this 9th day of June, 1854. "'B. H. La Urmb, J. P. '" It would seem impossible to furnish evidence more full, clear, convincing and conclusive, than the fore- going, to establish the fact that Emma Wood was in Scotland, instead of Troy, yet the Whig, in comment- HENEIETTA KOBINSOIT. 271 ing upon the deposition, said : "Notwithstanding the testimony to the contrary, which has been spread be- fore the public, fully corroborating the previous de- claration of Mr. Wood, that all his sisters are, and for several years have been, in Great Britain, there is a remarkable pertinacity in the public mind to believe still that Mrs. Eobinson is a Wood ! " The editor of the Whig, in his comments on the subject, concluded with the following just remarks : "If there is any testimony to prove this, beyond vague surmises, unsustained assertions, and mere opinions, it has not been placed before the public. Whether those pretending to have such testimony, and who profess to hold to the belief that Mrs. Eob- inson is a Wood, will, by refusing to make such tes- timony public, subject themselves to the imputation of getting up and keeping up a delusion for sinister purposes, to the great injustice of the Wood family, or by placing before the public the reasons of such belief, exculpate themselves from such a charge, and at the same time expose a design to impose upon the public by Mr. Wood, remains to be seen. Should there be no further testimony offered, the public must soon come to conclude that the whole thing is a made mystery — successful for a time, but soon exploded, to the disadvantage of all concerned. As the case stands they who can show that Mrs. Eobinson is a Wood, should do so, and at the same time expose what would then appear to be an unfilial and almost inhu- 272 HKNKIETTA EOBLNSON. man abandonment of a sister. If they cannot do this, the simplest justice and humanity toward a family who, so far as the prevailing impression could fix it, has been made to share this woman's infamy, require they should, at least, hold their i^eace." These comments were correct, and should have suf- ficed to settle the question, so far as Emma "Wood was concerned, but the community adhered to its original opinion in the face of the most positive evidence, with an obstinacy that was unaccountable. The depo- sition of the Montreal magistrate was only spoken of as " going to show" that Mrs. Robinson was not his client, when there was no tangible reason for saying or believing it did not fully and fairly prove the facts. The Times newspaper also commented on Mr. La Urme's afiidavit, in this manner : " Mr. John H. Wil- lard makes no statement in connection with this evi- dence, and the testimony, as it stands, goes to show, therefore, that Mrs. Eobinson is not a member of the Wood family. Who she is, is another question. There is something very singular in this affair." We say, on the contrary, there was nothing very singular in the affidavit of her majesty's justice of the peace. It was the straight-forward, positive state- ment of an honorable man, given under the solemnity of an oath, and was entitled to implicit credit. It was the truth, and to relieve the reader from any further doubt on the subject, we close this chapter by Baying that Henrietta Eobinson is not Emma Wood. CHAPTEE XV. THE INDEFATIGABLE COUXSEL KINDNESS OF THE SHERIFF'S FAMILT TRi STRANGE HALLUCINATION^ASSAELT UPON THE SHERIFF THE PRISONER IN CHAINS THE MONTREAL TRANSCRIPT ITS STATEMENTS CONTRADICTED ME. wood's second LETTER TO THE WHIG AGAIN TISITED BY THE GRAND JURY THE law's DELAY SEARCH FOR THE IRISH WOMAN HER ARRIVAL AT THE JAIL ^THE RECOGNITION THE DISCLOSURE OF THE PRISONER THE REMARKABLE RESEMBLANCE THE TESTIMONY OF THE QUEBEC GENTLE- MAN ^THE CROOKED FINGER CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE DESCRIPTION OF PERSONS AND EVENTS THE AFFAIR OF THE DOLL SALISBURY POND THE RECOGNITION OF THE CLERGYMAN — -THE POSITIVE PROOF ^THE AN- NOUNCEMENT OF HER MARRIAGE THE LIBEL SUIT. While the public was discussing the question of her identity, her counsel, Mr. Pierson, fully convinced that the woman was a monomaniac, was taking meas- ures to present the case to the supreme court, with the view of obtaining a new trial. His efforts in her behalf were indefatigable, and, when it is remembered that he was actuated by motives of humanity, rather than any hope of reward, were commendable in the high- est degree. The verdict of the jury did not alter his fixed belief, and in order to reverse it, he brought to bear whatever his eminent abilities and long experi- ence could suggest. The conduct of the prisoner subsequent to her con- viction, tended to confirm his opinion. She had now 274: HENRIETTA EOBIHSOIT. been an inmate of the jail more than a year. During that time, the sheriff, Mr. Price, had treated her with the utmost favor and kindness. She was permitted to occupy a large room in the upper story of the jail, comfortably and even elegantly furnished. What- ever luxury she desired, was readily procured, and, indeed, nothing was omitted on his part, consistent with his duties as an officer, to render her imprison- ment as agreeable as the circumstances of her situa- tion would allow. His family, also, spared no pains in endeavoring to contribute to her comfort and contentment. His wife and daughter frequently visited her, striving to re- lieve the weariness of many long and tedious prison hours, with reading and conversation; and as we have seen, accompanied her daily to the court house while her trial was proceeding, and remained by her side, soothing and encouraging her, throughout the trying scene. Nevertheless, after her conviction, Mrs. llobinson began to entertain an unaccountable animosity toward all the members of that worthy family. As she had previously imagined that a mob surrounded her cot- tage, so now she conceived that the sheriff and his household were conspiring to destroy her. No assu- rance, no reason, no evidence of kind feeling, could remove from her mind this singular hallucination. She took advantage of all occasions to heap upon him the most bitter and violent abuse, charging him with HENEEETTA EOBINSON. 276 the whole catalogue of crimes and misdemeanors, and denouncing him to all who visited her, as "that fiend, Price." As usual, when under the influence of these crazy fancies, she resolved, with characteristic determina- tion, to be revenged ; and, doubtless, had it been in her power, would have stained her hands with the blood of another victim. In her cell, however, she was not permitted to retain her favorite revolvers, and accordingly, in the attempted accomplishment of her plan of vengeance, was compelled to make use of a less deadly weapon. One morning, in the early part of July, 1854:, aa the sheriff entered her room, as customary, with her breakfast, and before a word of salutation had passed between them, she seized a candlestick with a heavy marble bottom, and struck him a spiteful blow with it in the forehead. It was so unexpected, and, withal, planted with such angry and well directed energy, that the astonished official was suddenly prostrated to the floor, with an ugly wound inflicted on his face. Such an exhibition of violence followed, as has been rarely witnessed. She became so frantic and ungovern- able, that the sheriff was under the necessity of direct- ing her to be handcuffed, and chained fast in her cell. If there had been any real provocation, whatever, for this assault, the fact that she possesses revengeful and undisciplined passions, might have been suffi- cient to account for it ; but when it is considered that L* ^® 276 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. this gentleman, and all the members of his family, had proved themselves, by numberless acts, the best friends she had in her adversity, it is hard to con- ceive a sane being so ungrateful and unjust. Indeed, unless we deny her every attribute of humanity, it must be attributed to the distempered fancy of a de- ranged and disordered intellect. She was kept in chains but a few days. As soon as her paroxysm had in some measure subsided, she was again allowed the liberty of her cell, but her de- nunciations continued unrestrained. During the remainder of her imprisonment in the jail, her aecu- sations against him were bitter and continual. The last, as will be seen, grew out of his humane and efficient efforts to induce the executive to commute the penalty of death. About this time, while people were speculating in regard to her identity, and after the coraraunieation of Mr. Wood, and the deposition of the Canadiaa magistrate, bad so positively denied that she was Mrs. Mcintosh, an article appeared in the Montreal Trans- script, which many regarded as a final settlement of the question. The following was the statement of that journal r " The unfortunate woman, Mrs. Eobinson, recently convicted of murder at Troy, New York, is, we are informed, the daughter of a now deceased lumber merchant of Quebec. At an early age she married an officer of the First Eoyals, who died shortly after HEmHETTA EOBINSON. 277 the marriage. She next married a Dr. Robinaon, from whom she soon separated. Her career since is better known in the States than in this Province." This statement so nearly corresponded with popular rumor, that it was very easy to regard it as an ex- planation of the mystery. It confirmed the impres- sion that she was a native of Quebec. It also cor- roborated the story that she had been married twice — the first time to an ofiicer of the army, the second to a medical gentleman. Both having been born in the same city ; both married twice, and to men in the same profession, it M^as not remarkable that Emma "Wood should have been confounded with the daugh- ter of the lumber merchant. It was reasonable and natural to suppose that the mistake had resulted from this coincidence ; and without further agitation of the subject, it is, perhaps, probable that public opinion would have settled upon this conclusion. A few days subsequent, however, to the appear- ance of the statement in the Transcript, a communi- cation was published in one of the daily papers of Troy, contradicting it in the most positive and deci- ded manner. It was as follows : Sir — The story of the Montreal Transcript, concerning the unfortunate Mrs. Robinson, is not true, and the proprietor of that paper, Mr. McDonald, knows who she is, as well as I do. Her name is Robertson, the daughter of the late Dr. Robert- son, of Montreal, who died in the lunatic asylum at Hudson, about nine years ago. 278 HENETETTA EOBINSOIT. If any of the Montreal papers ■wish to contradict this state- ment, I am prepared to furnish unimpeachable testimony of its truth. Yours, &c., Knowledge. This letter was dated from Green Island, and, al- though anonymous, spoke in terms so confident, pro- posing to establish the truth of. the statement, if con- tradicted, that the question of identity was soon float- ing once more on a sea of speculation. Up to this period, Mr. "Wood had not been allowed an opportunity of seeing the woman, except as stated by Mr. Willard, in his published letter, notwithstand- ing his apparently anxious desire to obtain an inter- view. On the 15th of June, he was finally admitted to her cell, unaccompanied by any one, and remained, as is alleged, with the prisoner, one hour. The next day he directed the following letter to the Whig, which was verified: To the Editor of the Daily Whig : Sir — After having presented to you such proofs as I sup- posed would be satisfactory to yourself and the public, that the woman calling herself Henrietta Robinson, in the jail in this city, was not one of the daughters of the late Robert Wood, Esq., of Quebec, I was informed, by several persons in this city, that suspicions were still entertained by some that such proofs were fabricated ; and having also been informed, by different persons in this city, that this woman was reported to have made various statements in relation to the Wood fam- ily, of Quebec, which, at least, showed a somewhat familiar knowledge of the family, I became very anxious to confront HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 279 the woman face to face, in the presence of any or all of her counsel, knowing she could not answer one out of half a dozen questions I would put to her, which, it would be readily seen, a sistei' of mine could not fail to do. Supposing that I could thus readily dispel the delusion that she was a member of my family, I was also solicitous to see her, and, if possible, ascer- tain whether she had actually any knowledge of, or acquaint- ance with, our family, as what she was reported to have said seemed to prove. After repeated attempts to obtain a sight of this woman, since my arrival in this city, I only succeeded yesterday afternoon ; and I now declare that, never, to my knowledge, have I seen this woman before I saw her in the jail in this city, nor have I now the slightest knowledge or sus- picion who she is, or where she came from. I have endeavored in every way I could devise, or which was suggested to me, to procure an interview with this woman in the presence of her counsel, or of any person who knew my sisters, formerly residing in this city, but have not been able to do so. She promised yesterday, and professed to be anx- ious to see me this morning, in presence of Mr. Pierson, one of her counsel. I immediately procured the consent of Mr. Pierson' to accompany me to the jail for that purpose ; but when we called there this morning, I was informed at the jail she was willing to see me alone or Mr. Pierson alone, but that she wholly refused to see me in the presence of Mr. Pierson, or anybody else. Under these circumstances, it is obvious that I cannot at this time furnish further evidence of the identity of this woman, than is now and has been submitted to you. My sisters, to my knowledge, are all residing in Great Britain. I know this woman never had any relation with my family. I have striven assiduously, but unavailingly, to confront her in presence of those whose previous knowledge of my family would enable 280 HENErETTA EOBINSON. them at once to determine the correctness of my statement. It had seemed to me, when the respectability and position of my family were thus assailed, that common justice required that I should be afforded every facility to vindicate both. It has resulted otherwise ; and I can but pi'esent my own state- ment, upon positive knowledge, corroborated by the proofs made public. W. F. Wood. Trot, June IG, 1854. Toward the close of the summer and during the autumn of 185i, Mrs. Eobinson became more gentle than usual, conducting herself, the greater portion of the time, with much propriety. The hand-cufl'ing and chaining had evidently produced a favorable change in her deportment. On the 15th of Septem- ber, she was again visited by the grand jury. A gentleman connected with the press, who accompa- nied them, thus reported the interview : "She was inclined to be courteous and agreeable, even conde- scending to exhibit to the gaze of the jury her beau- tiful face, and to engage in sensible and entertaining conversation. The j iiry expressed their astonishment on finding her to be a woman of so much intelligence, and appeared to be highly delighted with their visit." Month after month elapsed, term after term of the court came and passed away, without any apparent movement being made, on either side, to bring her case to a final close. Moi-e than three-quarters of a year had now expired since her conviction, and yet HENRIETTA EOBINSON. 281 the bill of exceptions to be presented to the coi^rt for argument, had not been settled. In the meantime, the question, " Who is Mrs. Eob- inson ? " continued to be discussed. At length, cir- cumstances occurred that led to a full revelation of her identity, so far as the positive testimony of nu- merous witnesses, of the highest standing and respect- ability, together with her own repeated confessions and avowals, can be relied on. Toward the latter part of winter, she frequently inquired of persons con- nected with the jail, if they knew an Irish woman, whom we shall designate by the name of Mary, and who, she asserted, was formerly a resident of the city. Her frequent allusions to this woman, and the anxi- ety she exhibited to see her, induced the sheriff to in- stitute inquiries, with the view of ascertaining if any such person could be found. After a considerable time, he received information through one of his dep- uties, that an Irish woman of the same name, and answering in all respects Mrs. Eobinson's description, was residing at Schaghticoke, one of the country towns of the county of Eensselaer, a few miles out of the city of Troy. This woman had formerly been a resident of Que- bec, and represented that, while there, she became well acquainted with the young ladies in one of the principal families of the city, having been employed by them to furnish and fit some articles of dress, in which her husband was a dealer. With one of these 282 HENUrETTA EOBINSON. yoTing ladies slie became an especial fayorite, receiv- ing at her hands many little tokens of kindness, until she came to regard her with feelings of the warmest friendship. At length, the young lady left Quebec, for the purpose of prosecuting her studies at the Troy Female Seminary, and it so happened that, not long subsequent, the Irish woman and her husband, in the hope of improving their condition, also resolved to leave Quebec, and take up their residence in Troy. Upon her departure, she was entrusted with letters to her young friend, by her family, and lost no time, on her arrival in Troy, until she had found her and delivered them. The girl was overjoyed on meeting her humble friend, and during the remainder of her residence at the seminary, continued to make her the recipient of many valuable favors. The time at length arrived, however, when the grateful woman was compelled to bid her a sorrowful farewell, and learning soon after that she had married and gone to England, she never expected to see her face again. Nevertheless, she did not forget her, but spoke of her frequently and enthusiastically, still retaining her form and features fresh and vivid in her memory. She was informed that Mrs. Robinson, the " vailed murderess," desired to see her ; and, accordingly, meeting with an opportunity of riding to the city, she presented herself at the jail one day, and made kno-^vn to the sheriff the object of her errand. He HENEIKTTA EOBINSON. 283 conducted her to the prisoner's cell, and unlocking the door, the woman passed into the apartment. " Oh, Mary ! " exclaimed Mrs. Eobinson, the mo- ment she perceived her, and immediately clasped her in her arms, kissing her, and expressing, so far as her emotions would permit, the gratification she expe- rienced on seeing her once more. Tor a long time they hung upon each other's neck, continuing to embrace, the poor woman only able to utter, " Charlotte, Charlotte, is it you indeed ? " — an expression she reiterated very many times. When the violence of their feelings had in some measure subsided, the two women, addressing each other as "Jfary" and ^^ Charlotte" spoke of Quebec, and of their old acquaintance, recalling many remin- iscences of the days that had gone by. It was the first time in years that the condemned prisoner had conversed with one who had known her in other days, and the soul of the poor, lost creature seemed to revel amidst the innocent memories of her youth. At the earnest request of Mrs. Eobinson, the sher- iff, always ready to gratify her, so far as the proj^er exercise of his duties permitted, the Irish woman was suffered to remain as long as she desired, and together they passed a week in the cell, occupy- ing the same bed, and partaking of the same prison fare. Those who witnessed this meeting, and observed the manners and emotions of the women, as they re- 284 HENRIETTA EOBINSON. cognized each other, felt that it was too tme to na- ture to be the result of any premeditated plan of de- ception. It was too good acting to be counterfeit. From that moment, they had no doubt — whose sister soever she might not be, or from whatever family she might not have sprung — that she was once known by the name of Charlotte. During the week, other developments were made by the Irish woman, until finally, Mrs. Eobinson, perceiving that further at- tempts at concealment would be useless, threw off the disguise she had so long and so stubbornly worn, and announced herself to be the same Charlotte Wood, who was formerly a pupil at the seminary, a native of Quebec ! Aside from her own asseverations, there were many circumstances that tended to confirm the truth of her statement. In the first place, the recognition of the lady in the court house, was an incident which those who interested themselves in disproving the current belief that she was a member of the Wood family, wore never able satisfactorily to explain. The in- genious, but vain attempt, of Mr. Willard in that di- rection, as we have seen, had the effect of confirming, rather than disproving, this belief. Another fact which had some weight, at least, was the remarkable resemblance the prisoner bore to Mr. W. F. Wood. To show how striking this must have been, we are permitted to state, that on his arrival at the jail, and before it was known by the family of the HENEIETTA EOBmSON. 285 sheriff wlio he was, his little daughter, some seven or eight years old, having observed him, ran to her mother, exclaiming that Mrs. Robinson's brother had come. This resemblance was as apparent to many others, as it was to the child. It was further corroborated by a remark of the gen- tleman from Quebec, alluded to by Mr. Willard, in his communication to the Whig. It will be remem- bered that Mr. Willard spoke of him as one " whose testimony is so much relied upon as proving the iden- tity of Mrs. Robinson with Miss "Wood," and that he sought to show that it was of no force, notwithstand- ing it was relied on, by asserting that he " did not even see her while she was in Troy." It was true, he did not see her, but his testimony, which Mr. Wil- lard did not repeat, was, that " ane of the Wood girls was missing." But the following, perhaps, was the most convin- cing proof that she was Charlotte Wood, of any that appeared, previous to her own disclosure. There were many ladies residing in Troy who were school- mates of the Misses Wood, and remembered them well. They were also known to quite a number of young men in the city, with whose families they associated during their residence at the seminary. Among the latter, was the son of a distinguished legal gentleman, whose name frequently occurs in these pages. After the appearance of the deposition of the Montreal magistrate, proving so conclusively that 286 HENKIETTA EOBINSON. she was not Emma "Wood, and while all was in doubt as regarded her identity, he had the curiosity to ob- tain a view of the features of Mrs. Robinson. Years had elapsed since he had seen them before ; never- theless, he recognized them at once. He denied the current rumor that she was Emma TTood, and in- sisted that she was no other than her sister Charlotte. One of her old schoolmates, above referred to, being present, remarked that she remembered a peculiar personal defect of her old acquaintance, which would go far to establish or refute the young gentleman's assertion. Thereupon, she declared that if jVTrs. Rob- inson was really the Charlotte Wood, of Quebec, who graduated at the seminary, it would be found, on ex- amination, that the little finger of her right hand was crooked. Measures were immediately taken to as- certain how this was, when it was found to be pre- cisely as the lady had predicted ? The little finger of her right hand is quite crooked, the result of an in- jury received by falling fi-om a horse. To hide the defect, she contracted the habit of concealing it with her handkerchief, a habit she still retains, and which was another peculiarity that contributed to the estab- lishment of her identity. These evidences, however, were only corroborative of her own statements — circumstances, it must be confessed, of a very convincing character, yet they were not of themselves sufficient to prove positively the truth of her story, especially in the face of the HENKIETTA EOBINSON. 287 strong testimony to the contrary. Her conviction of the great crime of murder, had rendered her infa- mous in the eye of the law, and in the estimation of the world, and wholly destroyed her credibility as a witness. Her single evidence, unsubstantiated, it might be well said, is not entitled to belief; but when it is surrounded and fortified on all sides by circum- stances, not of her own creation and beyond her con- trol, it would be folly to assert that it was of no weight, and entitled to no consideration. After throwing aside the disguise, as we have sta- ted, she alleged, and still alleges, that her maiden name was Charlotte F. Wood ; that she was born in Quebec ; and that the incidents of her early life have been such as are recorded in this book. , To convince those who were doubtful on the sub- ject, that she was a pupil at the seminary, she refers to persons and events too numerous and minute to be all repeated. She describes the location of the room occupied by her, and by her different schoolmates, at the seminary ; gives the names of teachers ; specifies the studies pursued, the families she visited, the inti- macies she contracted, and the acquaintances she formed ; all corresponding in evQry remote particu- lar, with the well known history of Charlotte Wood during her attendance at the institution. Among other incidents that occurred while there, sbe recalled to the memory of a lady, who visited her in prison, the affair of the doll, alluded to in the 2 38 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. second chapter of this volume ; describing the mirth it created, and the object it effected, to wit : the rec- onciliation of two of her friends who liad become es- tranged, and whom she succeeded in bringing to- gether by this playful device. She also recounted to another, particularly, the visit to Salisbury pond for the purpose of bathing — raentioning the associates who accompanied her — the peril she ran — the manner in which she was rescued, and the man who rescued her ; describing the occur- rence with such faithful accuracy, as to leave no doubt in the minds of those who witnessed it, and to whom it was repeated, that she was there, whoever she might be. A clergyman called at the jail one day, attracted thither by a desire to see " the vailed murderess," of whom the world was talking. She no sooner ob- served him than she remarked, " I recognize you, sir. You are the Eev. . I used to hear you preach at the Ferry street church when I was at school at the seminary." She was not recognized in return, but her description of the " revival " proved conclu- sively she must have been present, and that she re- tained a correct and vivid recollection of it. Many circumstances, such as these, connected with her school-girl life, she was accustomed to relate. These facts, coming to the knowledge of those who were ac'|uainted with them, led many to the jail, where, to crown the evidence with proof absolute and HENRIETTA EOBlNSOIf. 289 positive, they recognized, contrary to their expecta- tions, in the person of Mrs. Eobinson, the murderess, their old friend and school-mate, Charlotte Wood. These recognitions were not attended with any doubt or hesitation, but were of that certain character, which will be readily substantiated under any solem- nity of form that occasion or necessity may demand. According to her statements, the public rumor that she had been twice married, first to an officer of the army, and afterward to a surgeon, was incorrect. She was married but once, and to test the accuracy of her account of it, the old files of a Quebec newspaper were examined, where the following announcement was discovered: " Married on the 16th ult., by the Eev. A. A. Ad- amson, William F. A. Elliot, Esq., 93d Highlanders, eldest son of Sir Francis Elliot, Bart., to Charlotte Maria, third daughter of Eobert Wood, Esq., of Quebec." This announcement was found to agree with her in- formation respecting her marriage, with the exception that the letter F. should be substituted for the word " Maria." The facts above detailed, with others of like char- acter, touching the identity of the convicted woman, having been communicated to the editor of the Troy Daily Times, he madethem the subject of editorial com- ment in his issue of the 15th March, last, under the caption, "Who is Mrs. Eobinson?— The question an- 290 HKNEIETTA ROBINSON. Bwered — ^The secret out." In this article he alluded tci the agitation the discussion of the question had ex- cited in that community, and elsewhere ; recapitula- ted the reports and rumors that had prevailed ; ad- verted to the various cards and letters that had been published ; and concluded by asserting, among other things, that " upon proofs that had come to light — proofs that could not be impeached — proofs that would carry conviction to every candid mind" — ^it could be shown that Mrs. Kobinson was Charlotte Wood. It is due to the reputed brother of the woman to state, that an action of libel was commenced by him against the editor for the publication of the article, in which he claims damages to the amount of twenty thousand dollars ; and it is also due to the editor, per- haps, to say, that the complaint was not verified. The direct question at issue between them seems to be, whether Mrs. Kobinson is, or is not, Charlotte Wood, and the result of the trial, if it ever takes place, will probably determine it, one way or the other, satisfactorily. The letter of Mr. Wood represented that he had never to his knowledge seen the woman until he saw her in the Troy jail, and that he had not the slightest knowledge or suspicion who she was, or where she came from. We shall not assume to deny the cor- rectness of this statement; nor comment on it fur- ther than to say, that it appears irreconcilable with a great mass of circumstantial and positive evidence. HENRIETTA EOBINSON. 291 If Mrs. Eobinson is not Charlotte Wood, injustice has been done this gentlemen ; if she is, the unnatural abandonment of the poor unfortunate, however guilty, is not commendable. ISTo one witnessed the interview between them, on the 15th of June. It lasted over one hour, and his account of it fully conveys the idea that the meeting was one of entire indifference on his part. On the other hand, her account of it, whatever credit it may be entitled to, is very different. We shall not under- take to repeat her description of the scene. Enough to say, that a slight alteration of a couplet in Lalla Eookh, gives the impression she conveys : ' She raised her vail — the man turned sloirly round, Looked at her — shrieked — and sunk upon the ground." M 19 CHAPTEE XYI. THE MOTION JOE A NEW TEIAL THE APPELLANT'S POINTS REFERENCES TO AUTnORITT THE ANSWER OF THE PEOPLE THE MOTION DENIED RE- JOICINGS OF THE PRISONER THE ILLUMINATION POSTPONEMENT OF THE SENTENCE THE PRISONER AGAIN IN COURT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S MOTION REMARKS OF MR. PIERSON DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE JUDGE AND PRISONER ^THE SENTENCE OF DEATH PRONOUNCED THE MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS RECEIVED THE PRISONER PREPARES FOE DEATH THE INVENTORY THE REV. PETER HAVEMANS HER CONFESSION AND BAPTISM THE BEADS AND CROSS THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OPPOSES THE COMMUTATION HER INCOMPREHENSIBLE CONDUCT. The Bill of Exceptions having finally been settled, the motion for a new trial, in the case of Henrietta Eobinson ads. the People, was brought to argument at the term of the supreme court, held at Albany, in May, 1855. Mr. Pierson appeared for the appellant, and Mr. Hogeboom on behalf of the people. It was contended, on the argument by the prison- er's counsel, that the judge erred in charging the juiy " that if the prisoner was intoxicated, even to such an extent that she was unconscious of what she was doing, still the law holds her responsible for the act ; " and in further charging that, " though the prisoner may have been excited by drink, at the time of the alleged offense, even to such an extent as not HENEIETTA EOBHTSON. 293 to know what she was doing, she must answer for the consequences ; her self-inflicted insanity must not be allowed to avail her for her defense. The law still imputes to her a murderous intent." It was also contended that the judge erred in refusing to charge the jury " that if they believed ' from the evidence that the mind of the prisoner was, at the time of the alleged offense, in such a state that she could not distinguish between right and wrong, she was not responsible for her acts, and they should find a verdict in her favor ; " but the principal point pressed upon the attention of the court, was the omis- sion of the district attorney to issue a precept to the sheriff of Eensselaer county, twenty days before the oyer was held, requiring him to summon the grand jury who were drawn. This omission, it was very strenuously urged, rendered the conviction of the prisoner illegal. The precept, it was insisted, is recognized as _^ro- eess by the statute ; and inasmuch as it was necessary at common law to issue it, it was still necessary, un- less abolished by an express legislative act. It was argued that the abolition of venire process in courts of sessions and in civil cases, did not extend to courts of oyer and terminer, and that such was manifestly the intention of the legislature, otherwise the latter as well as former courts would have been specified. It was, therefore, in force, in courts of oyer and ter- miner, upon the principle that " in aflSrmative stat- 294 HENEIETTA EOEIUBOJT. ntes, STicli parts of the prior as raay be incorporated in the subsequent statute, or which are consistent with it, must be considered in force." In the course of the argument numerous authorities were cited. On the other side, it was maintained, that the pre- cept was not properly a part of the record, but was merely a matter for the information and direction of the sheriff ; that it was clearly not a necessary part of the record, unless it was a venire, and that it was not a venire for the reason that the statute did not call it sucli, nor invest it with the form, qualities, or functions of one. That, except in justice's courts, and in certain special proceedings, the venire was no longer in use, having been expressly abolished, (2d K. S. 410,) and that the providing of another process, the jury list, on which the sheriff was to summon and make return, evinced the legislative intent, that the precept was not to be, either in form or substance, a venire. That the omission to name the court of oyer and terminer, by the statute which dispenses with the venire., was not because it was designed to retain venires for that court, but because no trial juries were to be summoned for it, inasmuch as they were to be taken from the circuit juries. (2 R. S. 733.) It was also maintained, on the part of the people, that it was too late to raise the question after tlie trial ; that not having been raised before, it was waived ; that the objection could only be reached by a challenge to the array, or to jurors individually, and could not HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 295 affect the validity of the indictment after trial. The judgment record begins with the indictment, and if that is not impeached at the proper time, or is not de- fective on its face, it imports, like every other record, absolute verity, and stands as a solid foundation for the judgment. Another point argued by the counsel for the peo- ple, was that the precept is never necessary, except for special or extraordinary terms of the oyer and ter- miner appointed by the special commission of the governor, or the warrant of a circuit judge. And fi- nally, that the provisions of the Revised Statutes, in relation to the issuing of precepts, had been repealed by the Code. (Sec. 17 to 25.) In regard to the exceptions taken to the judge's charge, many authorities were referred to, to show that the voluntary intoxication of the prisoner, if it existed, did not excuse her from responsibility ; and it was very elaborately argued, that by common law, such intoxication, even when carried to an extent which deprived a party temporarily of reason, did not mitigate, but rather aggravated, the crime. It was still murder, and was so pronounced, not precisely because it necessarily implied the existence of malice, but principally from motives of public policy, such construction being essential to the safety and protec- tion of the citizen : and that the rule was the same under the Revised Statutes of this state. The argument eoncluded, the court announced that 296 HBNEIETTA EOBINSON. it would reserve its decision until the next general term. In the meantime, the prisoner manifested lit- tle, if any, anxiety as to the result. On the 9th of June, Mr. Justice Parker pronounced the unanimous decision of the court, which was that the application for a new trial in the case of Henrietta Eobmson ads. the people, was denied. When the information was conveyed to the pris- oner, instead of drooping in despair, she exhibited a delighted and cheerful spirit, declaring that it was an event to be celebrated by some signal demonstration. Accordingly, during the day she procured a great number of candles, and employed herself until eve- ning in arranging them in her windows and around her cell. As night approached, she lighted them, and appeared to be overjoyed as she moved about in the blaze they created. A large crowd gathered in the street below, attracted by the illumination, and whenever her face was seen peering through the grates, she was greeted with tumultuous hurrahs. Thus passed the greater portion of the night, the strange, mysterious being to all appearances enjoy- ing, as it were, a triumph, the news of the judicial de- termination which cut her off from the hope of life. The denial of the motion for a new trial threw the case back into the Rensselaer oyer and terminer, and it now only remained to pass the sentence of death. On the 14th of June, the circuit court being then in session at Troy, Judge Harris presiding, Mr. Pier- HENEIETTA EOBmSON. 297 son arose and stated that he had a matter to which he desired to call the attention of his honor. He had been informed by the sheriff that it was intended to bring Mrs. Eobinson up for sentence at three o'clock. He wished to say that before sentence was passed, he was extremely anxious to have a few moments' con- versation with her. It was a privilege he had a right to expect. The counsel for the people had both been in his office in the forenoon, neither of whom had said anything relative to the matter, and he had not been informed of the intention until a few minutes previ- ous. Had notice been given him, he would have had time to call at the jail, and had the consultation he desired with the prisoner, and which he deemed proper should take place before sentence was passed. It could make little difference whether she was sen- tenced then or a week hence — at least if the court was to be continued the length of time his honor had suggested was probable. All he desired, was a brief interview with his client before she was sentenced to death, and hoped the court would think it proper to grant his reasonable request. Judge Harris replied that he did not perceive what motive the gentleman could have in asking for a de- lay. He had felt a strong desire that the sentence of Mrs. Kobinson, now that it became his duty to pass that sentence, should be gotten through with in as quiet a manner as possible— that it should be passed when the public knew little of the matter. He wished M* 298 HENEIETTA EOBmsON. to avoid the excitement wliicli the case had so fre- quently created in that community. For this reason he had suggested to the sheriff and district attorney tliat perhaps this afternoon would be the most proper time to dispose of the matter. He had not, as per- haps he should have done, given notice to the prison- er's counsel, still he could not comprehend how any- thing was to be gained by farther delay. Nothing could be done for the prisoner in the present condi- tion of the case. No argument upon a motion could be had until after the passing of sentence. He still thought that afternoon a proper time to dispose of it ; nevertheless^ if the gentleman insists upon time to en- able him to have an interview with the prisoner, the delay he asks for shall be granted. Mr. Pierson did insist, at the same time remark- ing that he appreciated the motives of the judge in endeavoring to keep the affair quiet, and there- upon the sheriff was ordered not to bring Mrs. Rob- inson into court that day. Thus matters remained until the 19th of June, when the fact that the prisoner was to be sentenced that day, being somewhat noised abroad, a large crowd collected about the court house, before the commence- ment of the afternoon session. At about three o'clock Mrs. Eobinson entered the room, tastily attired, and shrouded in her vail. She passed within the bar with a firm, sprightly step, laughing and conversing with the sheriff; and, on taking her seat by the side of her HENEIETrA EOBmSON. 299 counsel, saluted him politely with the utmost coolness and composure. Mr. Brigham, the district attorney, presently arose and said : " May it please your honor — I have a mo- tion to make, in the matter of Henrietta Kobinson, who stands convicted of the murder of Timothy Lan- agan. The prisoner is present, and if it is the pleas- ure of the court, I move that the sentence of the law be now passed upon her." Mr. Pierson here arose, and after caUing the atten- tion of the court to some clerical errors in the record, which were ordered to be corrected, he remarked : " I have now nothing further to say against the passing of sentence. All that I was able to do, has been done to avert it. I have striven with all my power to save the life of this poor woman, but my exertions have been in vain. I have labored, also, without fee or re- ward of any kind, except the reward which the re- collection of having diligently and faithfully sought to save a fellow-being, from what I consider an unde- served penalty, will aiford. I believe this woman should have had a new trial — I believe she was un- justly condemned — but legal tribunals have adjudged otherwise, and ordered that she shall suffer death. The moment having now arrived when further effort would be not only vain but injudicious, I resign my unhappy client to her fate, and submit to the man- date that demands her sacrifice." The coTirt hereupon directed the officers in attend- M* 300 HENEIETTA ROBINSON. ance to see that the spectators were seated. After tlie confusion caused by carrying this order into ef- fect had subsided, Judge Harris said : "Mrs. Eobinson, have you any objections to re- moving your vail ? " The prisoner at once threw her vail over her bonnet, at the same time laughing and conversing with those around her. The Court. It is my painful duty, Mrs. Eobinson, to inform you that the supreme court, at Albany, has denied the application of your counsel for a new trial in your case, and has ordered this court to pass the sentence of the law upon you. Have you anything to say before that sentence is passed ? Mrs. Robinson, in a clear, emphatic tone. Yes ; I have much to say, but I know I should be inter- rupted. The Court. Tou have been convicted of the will- ful murder of Timothy Lanagan. Mrs. RobinsoTb. Yes ; but it was upon false evi- dence. You have all conspired against me. Shame, judge, shame ! The Court. The law has proceeded with a slow but steady step to judgment. You have passed from one situation to another, until you find yourself in this condition. To you life is lost — character is gone — friends are gone. Mrs. Robinson. ITo, no — not all. The Court. If I thought you would listen to me — tut I know you would not — I would advise you to HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 301 abandon this fruitless struggle with the world; I would counsel you to throw off this feigned insanity, and prejjare to meet the fate that awaits you with true womanly resignation. Everything is lost to you. Honor and virtue are gone. Indeed, life to you is not worth possessing. Mrs. Rohinson. Oh, don't trouble yourself about that, if you please, judge. The Court. I am aware that you would listen to nothing from me. I shall, therefore, without further remarks, proceed to pass sentence upon you. THE SENTENCE. Tlie sentence of the court is, that you, Henrietta Eobinson, be detained in the county prison of the county of Rensselaer imtil the third day of August next, and that on that day, between the hours of ten o'clock in the forenoon and two o'clock in the after- noon, you he hanged Jry the neclc until you he dead, and may God, in his infinite mercy, save your soul. Mrs. RoUnson. You had better pray for your own soul, sir. At this point she sprang to her feet, having hith- erto been seated, and was about to address the court, when Mr. Pierson desired her to remain quiet. Mrs. Rohinson. Why should I remain quiet? What for ? Am I not the victim of a political con- spiracy intended to crush an innocent man ? I will not be silent. All have deserted me. Martin I. 302 HENRIETTA KOBINSON. Townsend lias deserted me. Slieriff Price is a shame- less, villainous, heartless Mr. Piersan. Be quiet. The prisoner, however, paid no attention to his re- quest, but continued her denunciations against various individuals, declaring with great energy and vehe- mence that she was the victim of apolitical conspiracy. By this time the audience became much excited — standing upon the seats — ^pressing forward toward the bar — and creating the wildest confusion. The Court. It is particularly desirable that the audience should remain seated, and it is further to be hoped, that no one will follow the prisoner to the car- riage. The sheriff will remove her. Sheriff Price immediately directed Mrs. Eobinson to accompany him. She turned and looked sharply at him for a moment, then drawing the vail over her face, and pointing her finger at Judge Harris, ex- claimed solemnly : " Judge Harris, may the Judge of judges be your judge." She was then conducted from the court room, the mysterious blue vail closely drawn over her face, and entering the carriage, was borne back to jail, de- spite the judge's request, surrounded by a multitude. A few fleeting days were now all that remained for her to prepare for the final scene which would ter- minate her strange and turbulent career. She had found, indeed, in the impressive language of the HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 303 judge, "that the law moved on with slow but steady step to judgment." She had no cause to hope that the decree it had so solemnly pronounced would not be executed. Experience had taught her, that stern and unrelenting justice would not be satisfied, until she had passed through the agonies of an igno- minious death, to the silence of a dishonored grave. Apparently impressed with this idea, she resolved to meet her inexorable fate with fortitude and resig- nation. Desirous of recompensing, in some meas- ure, the friends who had assisted her, she catised an inventory to be taken of her effects, directing how they should be distributed after her execution.* Her little worldly affairs thus disposed of, she turned her thoughts to the contemplation of her spiritual state. Mrs. Eobinson, in earlier life, had been instructed in the tenets of the church of England ; but now, in choosing her spiritual adviser and instructor, she se- lected a member of the Eoman Catholic persuasion. At her request, the Eev. Peter Havemans, the wor- thy and pious pastor' of St. Mary's, visited her fre- quently. Through the influence of the devout teach- ings and conversations of this good man, whose eai-n- * In this inventory, among a great number of other things, were two gold chains, twelve twenty dollar gold pieces, one silver cake basket, eight silver forks, three black silk dresses, one plaid silk dress, one embroidered silk dress, three satin dresses, one green rule silk, one linen traveling dress, one velvet dress, three morning wrappers, two velvet cloaks, three shawls, twenty-four handker- chiefs, and other articles of apparel in proportion. 304: HENEIBTTA BOBINSON. est labors in her behalf were unremitting, her man- ners became more gentle and subdued, and althongh it has been remarked as doubtful whether she held, or ever could have held, any definite relation to the eternal world, she, nevertheless, often appeared to be absorbed in religious meditation, and manifested a desire to converse of the goodness of the Almighty, and of her humble hopes of forgiveness in the life to come. To the holy father she confessed her sins, and having given evidences of repentance, in due time received the sacrament of baptism at his hands. Around her neck she wore those beads which remind the Komish votary of the saints, and on her breast the sacred emblem of the cross. She was also frequently visited by the sisters of char- ity. Daily they glided to her cell, addressing her kindly, and in the language of religious consolation, praying her to submit humbly to the will of God, and striving to wean her from the desire of life. At her instance, they promised that her dead face should not be seen, and that they would bury her body in some lonely place, where it could never be taken up. Anx- iously she insisted that the christian sisters should re- main close by her side in the hour of death, as if she had faith that her departing spirit would be consoled by their presence, and would " ascend on their pray- ers to heaven." At her request, also, prayers were offered up for her in St. Mary's church. These benign influences HBNEIETTA EOBINSON. 305 seemed to have effectually resigned her to her fate. Indeed, she professed to look forward to the day of her execution with emotions of gratification and joy, as the end of her earthly tribulations, and the com- mencement of a happier existence. The thought of living longer — of the commutation of her sentence to imprisonment — appeared to be repugnant to her, in the extreme. She resisted, as far as in her po\^er, all effort in that direction, beseeching visitors to pre- vail on the governor to let her die as the law had or- dained, denouncing those who interested themselves in this behalf, as enemies, who had united in that "political conspiracy" which had compassed her condemnation by false evidence in a " corrupt " tri- bunal, and which now only sought to snatch from her the delicious rest that she was about to find in the grave. If the doomed woman was not insane, it is diffi- cult, indeed, we may add impossible, to analyze, with any degree of satisfaction, her mental or moral char- acter. On any other supposition, her deportment is without a parallel, and utterly incomprehensible. That she believes herself a political victim, sacrificed upon the altar of party vengeance, there can be little question. Neither can there be much, if any doubt, that she regarded the suggestion of a commutation of her sentence, as a subtle device of her enemies, to accomplish a political end, and to subject her to grievous wrong and injury. In her religious moods 20 306 HENEIETTA KOBINSON. she was evidently sincere, for tlie time being. Still, in all her acts, so unnatural and inconsistent, there are evidences of hallucination. In one breath she would beg for the salvation of her own soul, and in the next, consign the souls of her enemies to perdition. In the midst of her devotions, with hands clasped, and kneeling before the cross, some mirth-provoking memory would arrest the solemnity, and as the visi- tor approached her cell, whether his ears were to be greeted with the sounds of prayer, the voice of laughter, or the utterance of bitter malediction, de- pended on her mood. CHAPTER XVn. THE EFFOKTS TO PEOCURE A COMMDTATION OF SENTENCE LETTERS TO THE GOVERNOR ^PROCEEDINGS OF THE TEOJAKS THE EDITORIAL ARTICLE THE EFFOKTS OF SHERIFF PRICE OF THE PEOPLE'S COUNSEL OF JUDGE HARRIS THE BENEVOLENT NEW YORK LADT SHE PLEADS WITH THE GOVERNOR INTERESTING ACCODNT OF HER INTERVIEW WITH THE PRIS- ONER THE FORLORN DESIRE OF DEATH THE SENTENCE COMMOTED THE ANGER OF THE MURDERESS THE ACTION OF THE GOVERNOR APPROVED PREPARATION FOR A GRAND CONFLAGRATION THE PLAN FRUSTRATED DEPARTURE FOE SING SING ILLUSION OF THE PRISONER HER ADMIRA- TION OF THE SCENERY INCIDENTS ON THE WAY- — ARRIVAL AT SING SING ^THE UNMANNERLY RECEPTION REFUSES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS SHE PRONOUNCES THE PRISON OFFICER CRAZY CONCLUSION. As the day appointed for the execution of the condemned "woman approached, mnch anxiety was manifested to have her sentence commtited to inapris- onment for life. From different parts of the state, and from other and distant states, communications were sent to the governor, urging him, in the most pressing manner, to avert the judgment of the law. He was appealed to as a christian, as a parent, as a philanthropist, as an executive living " in this intelli- gent nineteenth century," to prevent the barbarism of putting an insane woman to death ; and in one in- stance, a pair of earnest non-resistants in Ohio, dwelt upon the necessity of immediate action, inasmuch as the governor himself might be suddenly cut off, and 20 308 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. tlras the execution would take place, as it were, by mistake. The principal citizens of Troy, especially, were zealous and unanimous in their humane efforts to pro- cure a modification of the sentence. One of their journals, alluding to a petition in circulation to that effect, thus expressed the general sentiment of the people : " We are not among those who, out of mis- placed sympathy, wish to arrest the course of justice. Where there is no reasonable doubt, the penalties of violated law, however terrible, should surely and with no unreasonable delay be visited upon the head of the guilty culprit. " In the case of Mrs. Robinson, however, we are compelled to believe that there are circumstances which require the interposition of executive author- ity. We have conversed with a large number of per- sons who have seen more or less of her since the ar- rest, and we have not found the first one that has not doubts upon the question of her sanity, and most of them express their conviction that she is positively insane. It strikes us, therefore, that, in view of these impressions and facts, justice and humanity both plead for forbearance and clemency. We trust that the governor will grant the prayer of the petition." Sheriff Price, and those who attended upon her at the jail, and had, therefore, the best opportunity of judging correctly of her condition, urged the com- mutation, on the ground of her insanity. Some of HENRIETTA EOBINSON. 309 the counsel who appeared against her on the trial, and even Judge Harris himself, presented themselves before the governor, and represented that, notwith- standing their belief in her sanity at the time of the conviction, and the opinion, still entertained, that an acquittal, under the circumstances, would have been deplorable as an example, nevertheless, her subse- quent conduct has been so eccentric and unaccounta- ble, that it is impossible to suppress many serious doubts as to the soundness of her mind. They con- sequently recommended the case to the attention of his excellency, as one, in their judgment, calling, in a peculiar manner, for the exercise of the gubernatorial prerogative. A lady of New York, however, distinguished alike for her genius and humanity, exerted herself more earnestly, perhaps, than any other, to save the woman from execution. ISTot only did she present her re- quests in writing, but sought the executive chamber, and in person plead feelingly and eloquently in be- half of the condemned. She was a stranger to the prisoner, yet she clung to her as closely as if she had been the nearest of her friends. There was some- thing, indeed, beautiful and touching in the picture of this lady, prompted solely by motives of human- ity, thus pleading at the feet of power for a fallen and degraded sister, whose own kindred, every one, had abandoned and disowned her. Her account of an interview with Mrs. Eobinson, 310 HENRIETTA EOBHTSON. in the latter part of July, in her cell at Troy, exhibits in a favorable light the benevolent impulses of her own heart, while, at the same time, it presents in a clear and feeling manner the peculiar state of mind, and some of the singular characteristics of the pris- oner. " I did not," she said, writing to the Tribune, " when I went to Ti'oy for the purpose of visiting the unhappy woman in her gloomy cell, design to make any public expression of what I saw or heard, but her case is one so peculiar, and she is so evidently of an in- sane organization — so evidently from the first cursed with a disjointed and irresponsible mental and moral sense — that it seems desirable to analyze her case some- what. Further than this, she has most unquestion- ably been ' more sinned against than sinning.' No hand has been extended to aid and protect her in her weakness, while many have aided in her downward tendency, and with such the guilt must rest. " I doubt much if she could have well been held to the decorums of life. Phrenologically, her brain is low above the ears, and her hair grows down upon her forehead, even lower than that upon the bust of the celebrated antique of Clite. She has two projec- tions in the region of what is called constructiveness, extending backward, which of themselves would be sufficient to throw the whole character out of balance. When you add to this brain a refined, lady -like form, round and compact, with a temperament of the high- est and most excitable kind, it will easily be seen that HENRIETTA EOBINSON. 311 education might retard and modify her destiny, but would hardly serve to recreate her into a reliable or very safe character. " She talks fluently, with a ready use of language, and appropriate imagery. As I sat by her gathering up my feet from the floor, for the mice were having a perfect carnival about the neatly kept room, I could not bring my mind to think that this young creature, full of health, with nerves so delicately strung, would, in less than ten days, lie an inanimate clod, and that, too, by the hands of violence. She had talked with me so candidl}', often with such a child-like simplici- ty, laughing even over some by-gone experience, and then weeping like a poor, ill-treated child, that I ven- tured to say as much to her. " ' Yes, she replied ' a week from next Friday, my soul will be with God. I want to die ; I am sick of tliis cold, wicked world, where I cannot trust anybody. Oh ! I have found people cruel ; they have made me wicked when my heart was good. He gave me drugs and I went mad, more than once I went mad. Oh ! how I long to go home to God. " I could not look harshly and coldly on the poor weeping Magdalen. I took her little pale hand in mine and wept with her. As yet she had talked per- fectly sane. She seemed like a very excitable wo- man, but not in the least like an insane one. " One thing was noticeable in my interview. She was reclining upon the bed, and sat also upon the 312 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. Bide of it. Her plain white dress, or robe rather, was fastened at throat and wrist, thus concealing her whole person, while a large dark blue yail was thrown over her head, hiding her face partially. "When her mood was gentle or religious, whenever her own conscious- ness was in the ascendant, her fingers moved iineasily about her neck. She would pull the collar away from her throat. This was very touching. " ' But I have come to see you and to help save you from the iinal penalty, and in that case you would be willing to live.' " 'ISTo, no ; I want to go home to my God ; I am prepared for death now. The mode is nothing to me now that I am at peace with Him. He is more mer- ciful than men. He will forgive me, and allow my death to atone for my evil life. No ; I want to die, and long for the day to come. My dress is all ready — very decent it is. I shall be carried out (her fin- gers were touching the side of her neck) and die. ISTo one will see my face. I shall be very still, and my Savior (lifting her eyes) will pity me. The sisters promise me that I shall not be seen. They will hurry me away where I shall not be taken up. They have promised to stay with me, and to receive my body, and all this is better than to live and perhaps lead an evil life again, and then die unprepared and forsaken of God. Oh, no ; do not try to save me.' " Surely the weakest and the wickedest heart that ever beat in a woman's bosom, has a spot over which, HENRIETTA KOBINSON. 313 an angel might rejoice ; a dim, solitary chamber, which might be swept and garnished and made an altar-place for the good Father. " ' But if you go to a prison or a hospital, and pre- serve this frame of mind, you can do good to others ; jon can teach the ignorant, and comfort the suffering, and take care of tlie sick and dying.' " ' I don't know— I don't know ; it is better for me to die ; I might live thirty years in a prison, and death seems better.' " I looked at the lithe, active make, and could easily divine that imprisonment would be the greater pen- alty. I then told her the melancholy story of Marga- ret Divine, whom I believe to be entirely innocent of the crime for which she is convicted to twenty years of solitary imprisonment in the ISTewark, New Jersey, Penitentiary. A child of fifteen, losing the best years of her life in a prison, while hardened, ruffianly villains are pardoned out. This girl, so young, so gen- tle, so hopeless, wearing out her life in the prison of a foreign land, affects me greatly, and Mrs. Eobinson listened and wept, and shuddered at the recital. " ' What a pity' she exclaimed, ' they did not con- vict her.' " ' The public would not allow of her execution.' " ' But they will let me die V " I shook my head. " ' They will, they must. Oh ! I am so sick of the world. Look here, please ; my poor husband and N 314 HENEIETTA EOBIXSON. do not know where I am — they know nothuig of all this. My father and mother are both dead ; 1 have concealed my family name ; while I live people are curious to know about me — when I am dead all will die with me. I. have promised my brother to be very still ; to die without betraying anything, and when I am gone, I shall cease to worry and distress my fam- ily. Here I am shut out from the world, of no use in it, sick of it. Oh 1 let me go home to my God.' " There was courage and good sense in this forlorn desire for death. It shows, also, that the fear of it may be overcome in many ways, " 'If you are executed, you will be the last woman who will endure the penalty in our country. It will raise a storm of indignant protest, which will compel our rulers to annul the statute, at least where a wo- man is to be the victim.' " She smiled in a very sweet, heavenly manner ; ' Then I shall do some good in my death. Is not God very good if he will permit a sinful creature like me, not only to atone for my wicked life by this violent death, but may even allow some good to grow out of it.' " ' Toa are a Eoman Catholic !' " ' I am now. And since I have had some one to talk to me, to tell me truly about myself, and my du- ty to God, I am a great deal happier. The sisters of charity come and talk to me very kindly ; they tell HENRIETTA EOBINSON. 315 me not to wish to live, but to take God's mode of drawing me back to himself, patientlj' and willingly. " This was very sweet, and gave even an elevated expression to her handsome but unspiritual face. " ' Are you willing to remove your vail ?' " ' Oh, yes, for you ; but I do not like to have stran- gers come and stare at me. On my trial \felt I could not he loolced at. It seemed to mo Ishouldmiake other women ashamed.'' " She then laid aside her vail and showed me her hair beginning to fall off, and her head much too large for the vital regions, except the lungs. She smiled like a child when I put my hand upon her temples, and expressed my sympathy for the gi'ief she must have endured, and the trials which would disturb and madden such an organization. Here she wept. " ' Will you tell me truly, whether you are guilty of the crime for which you are condemned? What you may say shall not harm you in the least.' " Her eyes assumed a wild expression. " ' 1^0, I am not guilty. Those people were good to me ; sometimes when others were unkind they were good to me. They came to me when I was sick, and sent their children to stay with me. I never treated a human being ungratefully. My heart is a kind one. I have with my own hands taken care of rich people, and have cooked for the poor, and have helped them as much as I could. Now, these enemies who accuse me, know that I am not guilty— that I never dreamed N 316 HENKIETTA EOBINSON. of poisoning mj friends. I don't know about it, (she began to talk wildly,) I had been sick ; I was mad for awhile, because gave me something that took away my senses. I try to think over a great many things that happened, and I can't understand them. I can't tell exactly how I got here. I know I am a wicked woman, but I did not do that. I am the vic- tim of a •conspiracy. A political party wished to crush ■ and , and so they took me up. They could do it, you know — I, a poor woman.' " ' You have confessed every thing to your priest?' " ' Oh, yes, and he knows I'm innocent ; but he tells me it is better for me to die, and so I will die.' "'Were you happily married? Are you willing to let me know all about your early life ?' " ' Oh, yes, I was married very young, and to a man I could not love. He was a good man, but I did not love him, and my first sin was in deserting my family.' ***** I am convinced," the lady remarks in conclusion, " she has no consecu- tive memory of the past. She thinks she talks cohe- rently, when much of what she says is a mere jargon. This mood of mind is entirely distinct from her reli- gious one, the latter being a new one, and a very harmonious one in her present exigency, enabling her to ignore the past, and look calmly into the brief space of life before her, revealing a never ending blissful future. It seems as if she had arisen from a terrible HENEIETTA EOBESTSON. 317 chaos, and she dreads life, lest she should again re- lapse into it. "Turbulent has been her career with her stormy- passions ; she could not recall it without a shudder ; and yet she laughed wildly and gesticulated in an al- most frantic manner more than once. As it regards the past, her whole mind is in fragments. She re- members indeed ' a mass of things, but nought dis- tinctly.' * * * * I doubt, if she ever could have been able, fully, to realize the relations of life, and yet she told me of sufferings, mental and physical, frightful to have been endured by any hu- man being. One case of deceit and perjury she told me, worthy only of a fiend, and for which a day of retribution must come, if there is a God superintend- ing the affairs of men. The cruel deceiver was one to whom she stood in relation. * * * * As she recalled all this, it became more and more evident that this person had maddened her. A vivid imagi- nation, never rising to the ideal, has feasted and hor- rified itself amid its terrible experience, till she was irretrievably mad ; that, too, in a way that required the wisest discrimination to be sure of the fact. " Many might suspect her assertion that she was the victim of a political conspiracy to be a sham — a mere piece of affectation — and they might think her violent paroxysms a giddy mirth, or mere freaks of eccentricity ; but she is insane, and probaby was so lonff before she committed this crime, if she ever did 318 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. commit it. * * * * Before I left, she gave me a message for the governor, begging me to deliver it to him faithfully, which of course I did not fail to do : " ' Tell him there is a political party wishing to put him out of office. They wish to crush and ; and if lie commutes my sentence they will make po- litical capital out of it; and I would rather die than be used as an instrument to ruin a good man. Tell him to let me die as I wish. '" * * * * As will be seen by the foregoing, while the governor had the case under consideration, the prisoner herself was using every means within her reach, to prevent any interference on his part, in the matter. It was a singular spectacle indeed ; tlie whole community pe- titioning for the life of one who begged that the boon might not be granted, and who only asked the priv- ilege of dying as the law had decreed. The efforts making in her favor she attributed principally to the sheriff, and the reproaches she heaped upon him, in consequence, were incessant and indescribable. She regarded no man as her friend who desired or en- deavored to avert the execution, and seemed, in earn- est reality, to look upon it as marvelous, as something more cruel than she could clearly comprehend, that the officious, meddling world which had caused her so much trouble, should still wish to subject her to further torment, by imposing upon her the misery of longer life. HENRIETTA EOBINSON. 819 The anxiety, however, notwithstanding her pecu- liar notions, which extended more or less througliout the state with regard to tlae action which would be taken in the matter of the sentence, was, at length, relieved. On the evening of the 27th of July, just a week previous to the day appointed for the execution, a dispatch from Albany announced that the gover- nor had decided to commute the punishment of death to that of imprisonment for life in the Sing Sing prison. The time for argument, in respect to the justice or expediency of the commutation, had now gone by. In determining to stay the execution of the law, the gov- ernor had given his decision, from which there waa no appeal, and which had no reversal. In his modi- fication of the sentence of the court, the general judg- ment of community pronounced that he acted judi- ciously and wisely, as well as honestly and conscien- tiously. But in approving the action of the governor, no one complained ofthe jurors who returned the ver- dict. They were honest, upright and conscientious men, who sought only to ascertain the truth, under, the solemnity and sanctity of their oaths. They weighed well and carefully the evidence presented to them, and hesitated long before arriving at the de- cision which pronounced a fellow creature unfit to live. No one who saw these twelve men as they entered the court room on the night the verdict was rendered, could doubt that every one of them had sacrificed N* 21 320 HENEIETTA EOEINSON. the promptings of sympathy to the stem requirements of duty. " But there were circumstances" remarked a pub- lic journal, alluding to this subject, and which ex- pressed the common sentiment, "there were circum- stances developed upon the trial, which rendered it a matter of doubt whether Mrs. Kobinson was in the possession of a sane naind at the time of the commis- sion of the murder, notwithstanding the rendition of that verdict. At periods previous to that time, she had frequently demeaned herself so strangely, so wildly, as to attract the attention of those residing in her immediate vicinity. She had been, for a length of time, suffering from mental dejection, caused by social and pecuniary difficulties. There was an ab- sence of all adequate motive, and the manner in which the deed was perpetrated, was in the highest degree preposterous, and could scarcely have been conceived by a person of sane mind. Her conduct during the trial was remarkable for the absence of all those emo- tions which usually characterize the demeanor of one on trial for life. In their stead, she exhibited a reck- less eccentricity, a disregard for the recognized for- mula of justice, wholly inconsistent with the idea of sanity. " During the period which has since elapsed, her conduct has be6n still more remarkable, and still more characteristic of a diseased mind. She has seemed to care little or nothing for her situation, and has en- HENEIETrA EOBDISON. 321 dured, with tannts and defiance, those trials before which strong minds and iron constitutions have quailed and trembled. " All this cannot be affectation. So difficult a part could not be so well performed, and so consistently sustained, during a period of more than two years. That the woman is insane, from some cause, few, in- deed, now hesitate to believe. That there is room for doubt as to her sanity, all admit ; and, certainly, it would have been no less than barbarism to have sent her to the gallows, so long as even room for such a doubt existed. For this reason, the course of Gov. Clark, in commuting the sentence of death to impris- onment for life, is universally approved. Li some manner, the prisoner obtained intelligence that the sentence was commuted, before it was for- mally communicated to her by the sheriff. She at once became enraged, and commenced breaking up the remaining furniture in her cell, tearing her bed- ding and mattresses into strips, and throwing them from her grated window to persons in the street. " I will not go to state prison," she exclaimed vio- lently. "I want to die. Why will they torment me more ? " Upon the sheriff and his family she vented the bit- terness of her indignation, declaring it was all their " work," and characterizing it as " a terrible persecu- tion." On Saturday, the 28th of July, being notified that 822 HENRIETTA KOBIIvSON. slie would be required to leave in the afternoon, she immediately commenced preparations to celebrate the event, by a no less brilliant display than a grand conflagration, which, if it might not result in the de- struction of the citj', would at least reduce " the con- temptible old jail" to ashes. Intent upon this pur- pose, and in the spirit of a ISTero, she collected together the contents of her bed, and whatever other combusti- ble material she could obtain, and duly provided her- self with matches wherewith to ignite the pile at the moment of her departure. Of course, all these plans were frustrated, much to her dissatisfaction and dis- appointment, by removing the materials. Arrangements had been made to convey her to Sing Sing prison, by the Hudson Eiver train, which left Troy at four o'clock in the afternoon. Accord- ingly, at that hour she left the jail, invoking curses upon the sheriff and all connected with him, and was conducted in a carriage to the depot. In order to avoid the collection of a crowd, and the excitement which would necessarily follow, it was designed to keep the intended movement as quiet and secret as possible. Nevertheless, it became so far known, that throngs assembled, all manifesting the greatest curi- osity to obtain a sight of the prisoner's face, which, however, was prevented by means of that "heavy blue vail," which, in her battle with the world, she seemed to regard as her shield and buckler. Ou leaving the cell she was in a bad humor, highly HENRIETTA EOBINSOK. 323 excited, and angry, and notwithstanding a crowd of Irish women at the jail door sought to provoke her hy insulting cries, denouncing her as the murderess of their countryman and countrywoman, she paid no heed to them, whatever, but turned her wrath wholly upon the sheriff, whom she continued roundly to be- rate. In the carriage, however, on the way to the cars, she suddenly broke out into a fit of laughter, as if she regarded the parade made over her in the high- est degree ridiculous and absurd. Instantly, she would assume her wrathful mood, her denunciations and invectives, and as instantly again, burst into tears, weeping sadly, as though her heart were break- ing. Thus she alternated from mood to mood, a very waif, tossed upon the waves of opposite and contending passions. The sheriff, only, accompanied her to Sing Sing. When the cars started, she appeared lost and con- fused, unable to realize or comprehend the situation in which she found herself. Evidently, she had for- gotten, for the moment, her condition, and, indeed, she had not yet been informed whither she was destined. Something reminded her of other days and other scenes ; and turning to the sheriff, she said : " You are going to take me home, are you not ?" Then she began to describe the beautiful scenery on Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence, and seemed to anticipate the pleasure they would enjoy in once more gliding over their waters. She spoke of the N* 21 324 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. peculiarities of the Canadian people, and Canadian scenery, and conversed in that strain and manner which showed the poor woman was under the dehi eion that she was on a pleasant journey to her friends. A gentleman from Troy happening to be on the same train, was introduced to her by the sheriff, as one who had been instrumental in procuring the com- mutation of her sentence. She answered his saluta- tion with lady-like dignity and politeness ; and, as if recalled to herself, remarked that it might perhaps be expected that she would thank him for the inter- est he had manifested in her behalf, but the truth compelled her to say that she felt under no obliga- tions to him whatever. Upon this subject she scolded and laughed alternately, sometimes regarding it in a serious, at other times in a comical light. Presently, looking from the windows, as the train flew along the banks of the Hudson, she broke forth into rhapsodies on the beauty and grandeur of the river scenery. So long had she been confined within the gloomy walls of her prison, shut out from the eight of nature, that the flowing waters, the green fields, the trees and flowers seemed to inspire her with emotions of delight. It was all so lovely and picturesque, she said, that, were it a fair day, and had she pencil and paper, she would make some sketches. Her manners and conversation on the sub- ject were simple and child-like in the extreme. HENEIETTA KOEINSON. ^5 She became more and more impressed with the idea that she was on the way to Canada, and contin- ued to interrogate the sheriff if he was not taking her home to her friends. The heart of the woman was evidently full of mournful pleasure at the thought of returning, like the repentant prodigal, to find peace, at last, in the bosom of her kindred. At length it became necessary for the sheriff to dispel the sweet illusion ; and, in answer to her question, he frankly informed her whither he was going — that he was not taking her to her friends in Canada, but to the state prison, at Sing Sing. She was greatly moved by this information, and wept bitterly ; declaring that she would not remain there long — that she would destroy herself, and that in a little while the sheriff would hear that she was dead. When the first paroxysm of grief had some- what subsided, she conversed more rationally than she had done at any time before, becoming very in- quisitive in regard to the prison discipline. She was particularly troubled about her a,pparel, expressing the strongest repugnance to wearing convict clothing. She begged the sheriff to intercede with the prison officers in this matter, promising, if they would al- low her to wear her own clothes, that she would fur- nish herself, without subjecting the state to the least expense. At Poughkeepsie, she expressed a wish for refresh- ments, and partook of them in a decorous, lady-like, SS6 HENEIETTA EOBINSON.. and becoming manner. Although but few of the passengers were aware of her presence, she was un- der the impression that all of them knew her, and seemed exceedingly annoyed and excited about it, keeping herself closely vailed until after dark. Before reaching Sing Sing, she became weary and exhausted ; and, on arriving there, was much bewil- dered, repeatedly asking where she was. When they reached the office of the prison, the officer in charge was not present. It happened, however, that a party of young ladies and gentlemen were there. As they entered, the sheriff announced her name. She bowed courteously to the company, who, surprised, perhaps, at the unexpected appearance of one so notorious, stared at her, without very cordially returning her civility. After the lapse of a moment, she turned to the sheriff, and exclaimed, " What queer people these are ; they have no manners." She then begged earnestly to be taken home, say- ing she did not wish to stay in such a place, in such unmannerly society, and urged the sheriff to induce her brother William to come and take her away. This she repeatedly enjoined upon him. Presently the officer in charge made his appear- ance, and commenced asking the usual questions as to her age, birth-place, &c. At this procedure she laughed immoderately; and, turning to the sheriff, said, " Why, the man is crazy ! " The officer re-* buked her, and sternly commanded her to answer HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 327 him at once, and correctly. She continued to laugh most heartily. In reply to his question as to her age, she intimated that it was impertinent, and declared roundly she would not tell him. In regard to her birth-place, however, she finally stated that she was born in Quebec. This was the only answer she would make to any question that was propounded. She was threatened with punishment, but the threat was received with a laugh. The officer finally relin- quished his efforts, and postponed the matter, re- marking, that if she refused to answer the next time, "she would get cold water." She laughed again, saying to the sheriff, " That fellow is surely crazy." A small package she had brought with her was then opened and examined, and among a variety of toilet articles was found a small rope, coiled up, the size of a bed-cord, and about five feet long. She was then conducted to the female prison, where she met the matron. Here, after informing her that she would be kindly cared for, and giving her other assurances calculated to soothe and quiet her. Sheriff Price took his leave, and the prison gate closed on Henrietta Robinson, the " vailed murderess," forever. Thus have we traced the history of this ill-starred woman through the pleasant scenes of her luxurious youth — through the disappointments and sorrows that beset her first entrance into society — through the 328 HENEIETTA EOBINSON. trials, temptations, and guilt of later years — endeav- oring, faithfully and truthfully, to depict how she de- scended, step hy step, from the highest social posi- tion, to the very depths of ignominy and disgrace. And much, indeed, shall we be disappointed, if the melancholy story of her life, when pondered wisely, fails to afford some Tisefnl and impressive lessons. Despicable as has been her career — deserving as it is of censure — it is, nevertheless, difficult, while con- templating her unlucky . fortunes and unhappy fate, to resist emotions of pity and compassion. If, possi- bly, after all, the strong belief of those who have had the best opportunity of judging, be correct ; if she be, indeed, insane — a monomaniac- — rendered uncon- scious of her deeds by the " act of God ; " then, truly, is she an object demanding our keenest sym- pathies. Moreover, the efforts which have been made to shield from merited reprobation the author of her shame and madness, and to justify the desertion of her by those whom the promptings of nature, it would seem, ought to have drawn closely to her side, while her own delinquencies have been canvassed, heralded, and condemned, without stint or mercy, doth not look like even-handed justice. Terrible as have been her deeds, that, certainly, must be an ungenerous heart which would deny her the consolation of what- ever mitigating plea or excusatory circumstance may properly and justly be urged in her behalf. If any HENEIETTA EOBINSON. 329 portion of the lieavy burden of her guilt should be borne by others, let it rest, at least in the estimation of the world, where it rightly belongs. The history of this lost and forsaken woman, the reader cannot have failed to observe, affords a most striking example of the folly and the danger of for- cing the young affections into repugnant and uncon- genial channels ; but, above all, it presents a signal illustration of the truth, that the way of the trans- gressor is, indeed, hard ; and that, whether high or low, rich or poor, the path of virtue is the only path that leads to happiness. MINNIE HERMON, The great Temperance Tale. By T. W. Brown, Editor of the "Cayuga Chief," and author of "Temperance Tales." Portrait and four illustrations. Muslin, 472 pp. 12mo. Price $1,25. Brief Extracts from Notices of the Press. This -wort bears the impress of life-like scenes. — Boston OVhe Brnnch. The story is dramatically worked up, involving a great variety of moving scenes. — IT r. EvaiigeiUit This is a powerfully written and absorbingly Interest! ngvol urn e. — Rural New Yorker. This is a treshly, boldly written story, free from fanaticism, ami advocating the cause iA temperance by argumentative incidents taken from real life. — Dodge's Lit. Mxiseum. Mr. Brown is a vigorous and agreeable writer, and never forgets the object he has in view, — the coiTcction of a gi-eat public evW.—Bufalo Hrpuhlio. Its incidents are life-like, and are thrilHngly related — terrible pictures of the misfor- tune and scandal of fallen man. — Buffalo Christian Ad'vocate. It is smoothly and strongly written — full of incident— and makes eloquent appeals to the heart and the conscience. — Buffalo Express. It appeals eloquently to the better feelings of humanity, and we predict that it will be- come tlie "Uncle Tom" of teetotalism. — Yankee Blade. Its matter is drawn from life, "written with a throbbing nib, and its truth sealed with the endorsement of a scalding tear." — Sjirofiitse Journal. Among the many works which the Temperance Eeform has of late years produced, few will rank as high as Minnie Hermon. — 8i/racuse Religious Recorder. Mr. Brown has attained considerable reputation as a writer of Temperance stories. HIb works of that description have had a wide circulation. — Cincinnati Commercial. This is a thrilling Temperance nan-ative. — Pittsburg Glyristiam. Advocate. The characters are all drawn from life, and are sketched with a vigorous and fearless pen. — Maine Fanner. Tliero are many passages of surpassing pawer and beauty, tbe eflfect of which the reader win find it difficult to resist. — Auhitrn Ad'oertiser, Mr. Brown narrates scenes which are strikingly true to nature, which stir tbe blood and provoke scalding teara — Detroit CK Herald. The evils of the License system are drawn out with fearful distinctness. — Toledo Blade. Tlie work will be found a powerful ally by the fl'iends of the Temperance Eeform, aud ehonld be circulated far and wide. — N. Y. 7'ribune. Minnie Ilermon is a story of thrilling interest, and of the highest moral tendencies. It is truly a " Tale for the Times." — FhreTwl. Joxi-rnaZ. A beautiful volume, and though called a tale, yet evety chapter is drawn from lifw,— Baltimore LiiVwran Observer. Minnie Hermon is a book that will make its mark in a book making age. It is wor- thy ot a wide circulation. — Nortliem Christian Ad'vocate. All of it sweet toned and pure, and some scenes really powprfal — Sat. Eve. Post. Borne of its passages have a beauty and force rivaling the great masters of fiction.— RiclumoTid Christia/TL Ad'vocate. This excellent story should bo read by both old and young.— ^Sto/" Spangled Banner. It is a Temperance Tale, told attractively, and printed and bound in first-rate style.— AlK Eve. JoximaJ,. Minnie Hermon is a vivid delineation, In the form of a romance, of the evils of Intom perance.— A''. Y. Eve. Post. A valuable adjunct in tlie great moral movement of the age. — American Courier. Tliis book must become very popular, and obtain a large circulation. — Mikvaukie Sent. A valuable addition to the Temperance literature of our country. — 2^, Y. Alliance. It is written in a forcible and graphic style. — Temperan^ Banner. This Life-Tale, we are sure, will command the best commendation in tbe reading.— Lancaster Express. As an addition to the Temperance literature of the day, it has its mission, and eon- tains elements of power that cannot fail to execute that mission successfully. — CMcago C hrisi. A dvoca te. The author has succeeded in producing a work of rare merit, "We hope it will b« widely circulated. — Christian Ambasssador. Published by MILLER, ORTON" & MULLIOAN. No. 25 Park Row, New York, and 107 Genesee-st, Auburn, THE BEAUTIFUL-TIIE GOOD-THE TRUE ! TEMPERANCE TALES AND HEARTH-STONE REVERIES. By Thurlow W. Brown, Editor of the "Cayuga Chief" 6 illustrations, muslin, 384 pp. 12mo. Price $1,25. Voice of the Press.— Brief Extracts. Wo at Inst have ft Tem/perance Sooh that pleases us. TiiimLO'w W. Beown has given tis mich a book, and every lover of the good, the beautiful, and the true, should thank him for it — Chicago Tribune. The Letters to a Fiiund are 'well and powerfully -written, while the Tales and Sketches have an air of naturalness about them, wliich, combined with great vi^or of expression, will very probably render them favorites with a large portion of the reading public. — Ar- thiir'is J/ome o'azeite. There is a vein of poetry rnnning through all ho writes ; and many of his Eeverles are touching and beautiful. — Syraejme Stdndard. Tlie whole is written in a clear and captivating style, well calcnlatcd to please and in- struct, and well adapted to promote the great temperance cimse. — Canada ChHtt. Adv. The Tales and Sketches are intensely interesting; no novel more so, and will be as pernicious reading among the indifferent, and the sippers of cordials, &c., as Uncle Tom among the slaves — they would be enticed away and frightened fromthe neighborhood of strong drinks. — Whullumi (F?.) Deniocrui. Full uf freshness and earnestness, and pregnant with saving inlluences. Its circulation •will aid the noble caupe, and make converts among those whom our speeches and tracts may not roach. — Water Cure Journal. The contents of tliis work show considerable care in their preparation, although they were written during tlie respite of m(n'e arduous labor. The reader will never grow wesiry of reading such tales as Kdward Carlton, Mortimer Hudson, or Mary Linn, or Bucli reveries as Mabel, A Broken Home or Speak Lightly of the Dead. — Syroinne Jour, The stories in Mr. Bro-wn's hook go down to the bottom of the soul, and hold the reaiU-r in bewitching agony to rise and strike for freedom. — Carson League. As a temperance orator and writer, the author has but few superiors in point of eiTeo- tivenoss, and as a true lover uf the cause, his devotion is seldom surpassed. — Teetotaler. Tliey evince first and foremost, a sincere and earnest sympatliy, and a righteous in- dignation against rum and rumsi'llers; and possess a deep and thrilling interest as works of iinaglniition. Someoftlicm are replete with affecting snggestions, and all do gieat credit to bntli the head and the heart of the author. — IT. Y. E'oavgel/iiit Such vivid pictures and striking phases as are portrayed in tiiis work are seldom found. The touching tale of Edward Carlton, the fall of that brilliant "child of genins,'" is dcejjly interesting, and leaves a lasting impression upon the mind of its reader. — Star Spangled Manner. The work will be read with interest and profit; it contains many beautiful passnges, and is pervaded by a pure, manly, healthy sentiment. — Northern Chrintimi Advocate. Whoever would see the Temperance reform illustrated by irresistible lessons from life, may turn to these pages with the assurance of being amply gratified. To tempe- rance people this will be a work of great interest — Phihtddjfhia Couj-ier. Tills book shonld be in every fumily. It is a hook for the fireside— for tlio family. It will instill principles into the hearts of the young, that will serve theiu In after years when they go out to battle with tht^ tciiriitationB and realities of life. Every copy tliat is Bold and read will be powerful in the manufacture of a ln-altliy and sound |mblic opinion. This is no mere pulf for whieb we are paid by a copy of the hook, for wc jmrchaned und read the first copy that has come under our observation, l;i'uder, go thou and do like- wise. — Fuli-on Patriot. MILLER, ORTON & MULLIGAN, Publishers, 2S Park Kow, New Youk, and lOY Genesee-st., Aubukn. THE MODEBN OFHIEl SIMEY'S HISTORY OF AUSTRAIIA.», THREE COLOllirOF AUSTRALIA. NEW SOUTH WALES, VICTORIA & SOUTH AUSTRALIA TPnPTR. Pastures^ Copper Mines S; Gold Fields. BY SAMUEL SIDNEY. Ten Illustrations, Mnslin, 408 pp 12mo. Price $1325. Brief Extracts from Notices of the Press. It is well writteB, well printed, and -n'orth tlie attention of all Americans -vrho w^ould tian their faces towards Australia. — N. Y. Times, "We have been greatly interested in the woik — so niuch so, indeed, ttat we could not satisfy ourselves without going through with it entire. — A^. Y. Bap. Reg, The position of the author, and the unquestionable sources from which he draws his Information, affords the highest evidonce that his details, historical, statistical and ge- ographical, are accurate and reliable. — N. Y. Jour, of Knowledge. The work above named is not only very lively and interestini;, but having been pre- pared by a gentleman who had access to the most i-eliablo data, u farnislics just the infor- mation which everybody is in quest of, and which must bo invaluable to persons intend- ing to emigrate. — 2^. Y, Org. This work affords an excellent opportunity for becoming thoroughly acquainted with Australia and its mines, for the writer is evidently a man of intelligenco, and speaks from actual, personal observation. — American Courier. To the immigrant, theworkwilljitis believed, furnish a safe and fhll guide. — DoUa/r Newspaper. Though there have been more glowing pictures of Antipodal life, we have yet seen none that gi'oups so many fact?, and imparts so clear a view. — N. Y. M^amg^ist. Tlie information embodied in this work is just what is sought for hy every one.— ^ftcww Da iii/ Advocate. Mr. Sidney has in this work given to the world a volume of varied and useful infor- mation concerning the Australian Kl Dorado.— Detroit Advertiser. Thopo who wish to be informed in relation to Australia will find this volume complete In its information and exceedingly interesting in all its details. — LeweU GhriMiam, Era, This is a handsome 12mo of 408 pages, neatly illustrated with en^aviugs, ab(randing with every variety of interesting information respecting Australia. — LutTieran Observer, MILLER, ORTON k MULLIGAN, FvbKshers, No. 25 Park Eow, New Yokk. and 107 Genesee-st., Aueueni SUFFERINGS OF THE ENGLISH POOR, OR TUB WHITE SLAVES OF ENGLAND EXPOSITION OF TFIE CONDITION AND TREATMENT OF THE LABORING CLASSES IN THE FACTORIES AND COAL MINES OF GREAT BRITAIN, BY JOHN C. COBDEN. One Volume, 500 pp.? IShao*, 11 Illustra-tions. Price? $1 25« NOTICES OF THE PRESS— BRIEF EXTRACTS- The author has gone extensively into detail — wielding an honest and fearless pen, and backing his M'cighty statementa by copious extracts from the official recoi'ds of England, He has made a glorious 'book.— Bufalo Eo^ress. But for the evidence by which the author's assertions are sustained, we would not dare credit the distressing accounts of indigence and misery. — Waverly Magazine. It is a capital book, and entitled to a place in every man's library.—^ Y. Mirror, The "White Slaves of England" are displayed here, in a condition that must touch the heart of every philanthropist, and bring tears to eyes "unused to weep," — PIiU. Amer. Cour. We predict for the work just what it deserves — a wide spread circulation. — Dutchman. It contains much interesting and valuable information, and we doubt not that it will find many readers. — Chicago Evangelist It unfolds degradation and wrong, sucb as the mind of man, unaided, eould scarce Ima- gine. — iV. Y. San. To those unacquainted with these portions of the English social system here bared to tbe public, the revelations will be regarded with wonder — perhaps with horror. — Rodieh- ter Advertiser. We confess that tho revelations here made are perfectly appalling. — JMca Herald. We have it all, hopeless servitude, ignorance, and cruelty, ayemore, in proud, philan- thropic, enlightened England — all this degradation, slavery, cruelty, and woe — the sub- jects of which are white men, white women, and white children— the same race and blood as their oppressors, — Syracuse Star, The Coal Miners, the Needlewomen, the Coolies, the Factories, and the Press Gangs are each described in turn. Volume after volume of romance has been wi-itten, and day after day sppnt in debate, upon these topics, but we doubt if they ever have been so fully represented before, in all their length and breath. Its scenes are pictures from real life. — Albany E-eening Journal. Some of the more esciting descriptions are illustrated by spirited wood engravin^-s, though this is hardly needed, for more revolting pictures of degraded humanity thaa the author has sketched, no one need dtjsire to read. — Dollar Nmospaper. MILLER, ORTON k MULLIGAN, Publishers, 26 Park Kow, New York, and lOt Genesee-st., Auburn. A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE TJIITED STATES MD MEXICO, FKOM THE COMMENCEMENT 01? HOSTILITIES TO THE RATIEICATION OF PEACE ; EUBRAO INQ DETAILED ACCOUNTS OF THE BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENTS OF GENERALS TAYLOR, SCOTT, WORTH, TWIGGS, KEARNEY, ETC. BY JOHN S. JENKINS. "WitliL 24 Illustrations, 506 pp., large ISmo. Price 81 25, The above is the only complete and impartial history of the Mexi- can "War that has been publislied, and deserves to take its place beside the Standard Histories of the Wars of the Revolution and of 1812. Evidence of the value and interest of the work is found in the fact that 20,000 copies have already been sold. It is illustrated with 24 Portraits and Engravings of Battle Scenes, and the price has been reduced as above. OPINIONS OF REVIEWERS- In this volume we have, at last, a complete and interesting history of the late collis- ion hetweezi the two republics of the continent T& a minute and detailed account of the position and policyof Mexico, and the origin and causes of the War, are added soul-stir- ring descriptions of the brilliant and successful engagementsof our army with the enemy. This narrative is written after a careful exaaiination of the diplomatic correspondence and the various publications of apublic or private character, that have appearedfrom time to time, calculated to throw light on the subject To render the work still more inter- esting and desirable, it has been illustrated with portraits of the most distinguished offi- cers of our own and the Mexican army, and views of the ever-memorable battle-iielda of Buena Vista and Cerro Gordo. The reputation of the authnr will insure for this his- tory a very general circulation. — Albany Atlas. The hook has been written with a due regard to accuracy, and in a popular style. II is the most elaborate, and probably the best, History of the War yet pahli&hed.— Albany Eoeimig Journal. The writer takes a patriotic view of the subject He follows the campaign with indus- try and spirit, drawing from public documents, diplomatic correspondonce, and the news- paper writers by the way. More facts, we believe, are brought together, than in any other single publication of the ^mA.— Literary World. MILLER, ORTON & MULLIGAN, Publishers, 25 Park Kow, New Yoke, and 107 Genesee-st, AuBiiEif. WHAT I SA¥ IN LOIDON, OR MEN AND THINGS IN THE GREAT METROPOLIS. BY D. "SV. BARTLETT. With Portraits of Wm-ani Mary Hewitt. 327 Pages 13mo., Price $1 00, We often meet with a more pretentious traveler — hut seldom with a inore agreecLbls one. — N'. Y. Tinbune. A feature of this volume that will interest many readers, is the group of " Sketches of Public Men." These include Tennyson, Dickens, Carlyle, Macauley, and others.— Hiirt/ord Times. He deals with men and thing;s, and the traits of English every-day life, kindly and pleasantly, and he has made a neat volume of excellent reading, — National Era. An air of originality and freshness pervades every page. On the whole, we think It will be regarded as one of the most entertaining books of the season. — If. E, Fanner, SIR JOHN FRAMLII AND THE ARCTIC REGIONS: BEINS AN ACCOUNT OF THE EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS OF ROSS, FRANKLIN, PARRY, BACK, m'cLURE, and OTHERS, WITH THE ENGLISH AND AMERICAN EXPEDITIONS IN SEARCH OF SIR J. PRANKLIN. Ulnstrated, One Volume, 396 pp. 12nio. Price, $1 25. ^W A full and very interesting view of the perils and adventures of the Northern Seas. IICIDE^^TS AND lAEEATIYES, FOR BY EEY. A. RUSSELL BELDEN. Frontispiece. 379 Pages, 12iao. Price Si 00. The foregoing work combines both interest and instruction. It liss been tlie view of the compiler to furnish a work, that while it would attract and engage the attention tt yontii, would, at the same time, improve their minds and hearts, and impress them with a love of "whatsoever things are lovely, and whatsoever things are pure." MILLER, ORTON & MULLIGAN, Publishers, 25 Park Ro-w, New Yoek, and 107 Genesee-st., Aubuem. §00ks f0r f 0iittg fables. »-»-• I. WOMAN'S MISSION. Gift Book for Young Ladies. Or "Woman's Mission ; being Familiar Letters to a Young Lady on her Amusements, Employments, Studies, Acquaintances, male and female, Friendships, RICII, Con*w* to Paris,