Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 March 1894 — Strange Story of a Convict. [ARTICLE]

Strange Story of a Convict.

The movement being made by several interei ed parties to have a convict in the Eastern Penitentiary in Philadelphia pardoned brings to light a strange story. In 1891 a man who went under the name of Herbert Spencer Darwin was sentenced to four and one-half years’ imprisorment for horse stealing. While in prison he made several attempts to end his life and h's strange actions proved c nclusively that he was insane. For two years his mental condition showed no signs of improvement, but at the beginning of the present year a gr at change came over him and he showed signs of returning reason. New the prisoner is seemingly a perfect y rational man. He says that his right name is Dr. Herbert Spencer and th. t he came to this country from London tn 1890 wi+h $6,000, intenling to lo • .to here. S on after arriving his mind became a blank and he recalls noth lug that happened meanwhile. He wai surprised to find that he was behind prison bars and also that he was there for horse stealing. It is thought that he will be liberated.