The Portland daily press., 1884-02-06
THE END.
Blaney Retreats His Former Plea
and Pleads Guilty.
HIS Counsel Files "A Motion i'm Arrest of
Judgment = Conrt Adjourns for 1--WE
Weeks.

Weeks.
Especially Reported for The Press.)
SAco, Feb g.
At the opening of the court this morning
there were but fifteen women in the spectators,
seats, and the entire assemblage barely sufficed
to fill half the seats. In comparison with what
it has been during the past week, the court
room had the appearance Of polling
place half an hour after the result has been an
nounced. Everybody had listless, disinterest-
ed look, and the officers stroled about as II
their occupation had gone forever.
Attorney General Cleaves then addressed the
court as follows:
May it please your Honor, Oscar e. Blaney,
who is indicted with Mrs. Barrows for the
murder OF Thomas Barrows. is now in court,
and am advised that he wishes to withdraw
his plea of not guilty and plead guilty to the
Indictment.
Geo. 9. Yeaton, counsel for Blaney, then
said:
May it please your Honor, since / was as
signed by the court as counsel for Mr. Blaney
have endeavored with some degree of dill
gence to ascertain and investigate the facts
and consider the law applicable to them. I
have watched with degree of closeness al
almost painful to me, the strength Of the States
case as II was developed step by step against
him in the evidence which was given upon the
trial which has now closed. was compelled
to listen to what dropped from his own
lips, to the infinitely detailed statement
which be had given to Mr.. Wood, afterwards
iterated to Others, reiterated in private to me,
and published to the world within these walls
and In your HoDor's presence and hearing-al-
most every material part of which the govern
ment was also able, as think to establish bv
independent evidence, certainly to corroborate.
OF the substantial truth of that narration can
entertain no doubt. l conceive it neither NV
duty nor my privilege to attempt in the pres
ence OF the jury to pervert facts which I cal
not controvert, at large expense to the public,
at much expenditure and vexatious waste of
your Honcr's precious time, and no benefit to
him. In view of this, and with the conscious
ness OF the solemn significance of the STEP
have advised him to retraet the plea of not
guilty and enter pea Of guilty. / ought to
add, think, that the plea of not guilty was
entered at my request aud under my advice,
after his earnest and repeated protestations to
me that he must tell the truth. II was mine,
scarcely his. have endeavored to explain to
him the awful import the change in the plea
involves. / know he acts adyisedly, and l
think he acts intelligently. He is now, may it
please the court, ready to make the change
Clerk--Oscar e. Blaney, you may stand up.
DO you wish to retract your plea of not guilty
to this indictment taat you made on the 10th
day OF January?
Blaney-Yes.
Cierk-Wbat say you now to this indict-
ment, are you guilty thereof or not guilty?
Blaney-Huilty.
The stenographer then read to the Court the
testimony of Blaney in the case Mrs. Bar
rows in order for the Court to determine the
degree.
The Court MIR. Blaney. By your plea in
open court Of guilty OF the crime of murder, I
have determined from testimony which has
been introduced, thai you are guilty of murder
OF the first degree and SO order it to be entered
upon the docket.
Blaney was visibly affected when he was
brought in by one of the Deputies, and fell into
his chair with an air of utter detection. His
struggles to restrain his emotions were of little
avail. Tears filed his eyes, his lips quivered
and his flushed face bore evidence Of great
mental suffering and torture. His replies to
the Court were made in q whisper til at was
scarcely audible ten feet away, and his whole
appearance was the picture of lonely desoate
man, bowed down by heavy weight of woe
And such he is.
Mr.. Yeaton then filed motion in arrest Of
judgment as follows
And now after plea of guilty and finding
thereon OF the degree comes Oscar e. Blaney
and moves that the judgment thereon be ar
rested Tor the reasons following, to wit: ~ Be-
cause the indictment aforesaid was never re-
turned into court by the grand jurors (2) Be-
cause the said indictment was never FLED in
said court. ~ Because the said Indictment
was never ordered by the court aforesaid, to be
filed therein. ~ Because the said indict-
ment is not otherwise legally authenticated.
% Because the Indictment does not charge
the manner in which the killing therein al
legged was effected. (6) Because the said il
dictment and the proceedings had in court
thereupon and the record made thereof are in
many other respects manifestly irregular, de-
fective and insufficient.
The motive was overruled by Judge Virgin
and exceptions to such ruling were fled and
allowed. This takes the case to the Law
Court and the prisoner cannot come up for sen.
t,nce should his exceptions be oyerruled. be-
fore the September term, 1884
Counsel for Mrs. Barrows will file motion
for new trial when the court comes in two
weeks hence.
The double trial is ended. The result is as
was expected after hearing the government
testimony. Another guilty party. Mrs.
Blaney, is yet to be tried; she will probably be
convicted though it will be more difficult to
show her completely 10 the crime than it has
been ia the case of Mrs. BArrows Ii Mrs.
Barrows is hanged, and tho chances at present
seem favorable to this issue, she will be
the first woman ever hanged in our State
NOTES.
A somewhat singular fact is that the events
connected with the closing hours of Mrs. Bar
rows trial form an ex 'ct parallel with the
case of James M. Lowell, who was tried for
wife murder in Auburo in 1874 In his case
the judges charge occupied about an hour and
half in delivery. Judge Virgins charge
consumed about an hour and half. In
Lowells case the jury retired at 6.35 The
jury retired in Mrs. Barrows' case OF 6.35. In
Tnuoll,o t1,a Had