SKY-ROCKET FINANCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3215, 10 May 1911, Page 2

SKY-ROCKET FINANCE.

DISTINGUISHED ALIENISTS DELUDED.

Joseph .Robin, whose sky-rocket, method of finance in New York has already been described, on March 2 threw off the mask of insanity, which he assumed since lie was arrested for robbing his hank .depositors, and pleaded guilty to stealing £5,400 from the Washington Savings' Bank. He is charged with stealing much more by means of liis endless chain system of frenzied finance, and the £5400 related' only to one indictment. This plea came as an amazing revelation, because Robin, wiho was once a bootblack named 1 Robinovitcli, boldly admitted that he had shammed insanity and deluded thirteen distinguished alienists in older to escape punishment at the hands of the Court.. Robin considers other financiers “higher up” have not befriended him as they ought, and threatens to prove that they aire as bad as himself. Robin will turn State’s evidence. It was on this account that Public Prosecutor Whitman asked Justice Sea bury to defer passing sentence “in the interests of justice.” Robin’s ultimate- sentence will depend on ‘how far lie goes in disclosing matters that Mr. Whitman is anxious to learn.

“You can fool alienists, you can fool lawyers, but you cannot fool the people of common sense,” said Robin to his lawyer. Comment. in court was to the effect that Robin’s change of attitude will put an end to expert testimony in the New York courts. Thirteen: of the most eminent alienists in the country held with unanimity that he was insane, but the jury in Judge Swann’s court refused to accept their judgment, and declared the man of sufficiently .sound mind to be put on trial. He had succeeded in shamming insanity with such skill as to deceive the experts, but the jury declined to be influenced by his report of bright lights and queer voices, preferring to rest their belief in his mental soundness upon the character of his acts up to the time of liis indictment and arrest. Mr. Jerome withdrew from the case, declaring ihis opinion unaltered that liis client was insane. He came in for a good deal of good-natured joking by his legal friends. In court Robin sat with his head in his hands. He was very nervous. His sister, Dr. Louis Rohinovitch, and! hie former secretary, Miss Eckhardt, tried to comfort him-. When he rose to enter his plea of guilty it was seen thatihe had been crying. His head jerked to and fro, and he was obviously almost unable to sit still, hut he did n-ot wear the silly grin: which, he persisted in on the other, days of liis trial. ■ j ■