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Show felSAMs A TMlstf VHiU INSANE. HurprUing Disclosures Follow the Retain of b Convict's lleanon. Three years of imprisonment have lifted the clod from the mind of a man supposed to bo a common horse thief, but who is now revealed as Dr. Herbert Hpencer, formerly a prosperous London phj-sician. As a climax to his strange adventure the board of pardons will be at once petitioned for his release from the eastern penitentiary in Philadelphia. On Sept. 23, 1891, three horses were stolen from the stable of G. W. Young-man Young-man in this city. The thief was easily tracked and was captured at Mount Pleasant. Pa. In effecting his capture an officer was Ehot in the hip and another an-other was wounded in the arm. The horse thief had a gunshot wound in the side, and one arm was nearly torn from the Eocket. He was brought back to Williamsport and locked in the county jail. While in prison he made half a dozen attempts to end his life. He was tried in December, 1891, under the name of Herbert Spencer Darwin, was convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary peniten-tiary for 4Va years. Before sentence was pronounced it was pretty conclusively conclu-sively shown that at the time of his trial the man was insane. He has spent over two years in prison, and until the first of the present year he showed no change in his character or actions. Then came a sudden and startling development. de-velopment. The condemned thief, who had Ehown so many signs of insanity and whose bungling attempt to steal three hoiees was easily overthrown, showed 6igna of returning reason. (Quickly these signs multiplied, and now the prisoner, seemingly a perfectly rational ra-tional man, announces bis identity. Ho is not Herbert Spencer Darwin, but Dr. Herbert Spencer. He came to this country coun-try in 1890 with $6,000 in cash. He intended in-tended to locate in the United States. Soon after his arrival his mind became be-came a blank, and he recalls nothing that has happened the meanwhile. Through the penitentiary officials he learned where ho had been tried and convicted. Sufficient proof has been gathered, it is asserted, to establish tho truthfulness of Dr. Spencer's claims that he was insaue when he stole the horses and nearly ever since. Friends will nse every effort possible to have the unfortunate unfortu-nate prisoner sot free. "Williamsport (Pa.) Dispatch. |
