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SKY-ROCKET FINANCE.

ROBIN PLEADS GUILTY.

New York, March 2

Joseph Robin, whose sky-rocket method finance has already been described, to-day threw off the mask of insanity which he assumed since e he was arrested for robbing his bank depositors, and pleaded guilty to stealing £5.400 from the Washington Savings Bank. He is charged with stealing much more by means of his endless chain system of frenzied finance, and the £5,400 related only to one indictment.

This plea came as an amazing revelation. because Robin, who was once a bootblck named Robinovitch, boldly admitted that lie had

shammed insanity and deluded thirteen distinguised alienists in order 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 are as bad as himself. Robin will turn State’s evidence. It was on this account that Public Prosecutor Whitman asked Justice Seaburv to defer passing sentence "in the interests of justice.” Robin’s ultimate sentence will depend on how’ far he goes in disclosing mat-

ters 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

sounud 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 his indictment and arrest. Mr. Jerome withdrew from the case in court to-day, declaring his opinion unaltered that his 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. Louise Robinovitch, and his former secretary, Miss Eckardt, tried to comfort him. When he rose to enter his plea of guilt it was seen that he had been c tying. His head

jerked to and fro and he was obviously almost unable to sit still, but he did not wear the silly grin which he persisted in on the other days of his trial.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HBTRIB19110420.2.65

Bibliographic details

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 107, 20 April 1911, Page 11

Word Count
440

SKY-ROCKET FINANCE. Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 107, 20 April 1911, Page 11

SKY-ROCKET FINANCE. Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 107, 20 April 1911, Page 11

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