The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-16
MAJ. BLANDFORD IN AUSTIN.
The circumstances in Connection
with His Departure From Here.

An Austin. Tex, dispatch gives the
I following account OF circumstances in
1 connection with Maj. r. A. Blandford's
] career. 70 which some publicity has been
/ given:
'R. A. Blandford. a former prominent
I citizen OF this city and a high official
in the order Of Odd Fellows, after being
fourteen years fugitive from justice,
turned up here to-day TO the astonish-
ment Of every body who knew him. ami
surrendered to the officers In 1881 he
was indicted Tor embezzling several thou
sand dollars from the Austin Building
ana Loan Association, Of which he was
I secretary and treasurer. He escaped
from the officers one night and succeeded
IN reaching Mexico, where, in 1872, he
was kidnapped and arrested by the sherin
Of Cameron county and brought back 10
austin, where he remained IN jail sew
eral months. on his trial he cOntended
( shat under the treaty with Mexico he
could not be brought back TO Texas for
embezzlement and the court sustained
his plea, and gave him four days In which
70 again reach Mexico. Since then but
little has been heard OF him. His wife,
well known and popular lady, last
year quietly secured a divorce from
MIN, and subsequently, some one pass
ing through here from Mexico stated
that BlandfOrd was dead, the infoFmer
saying he was with him at the time
and saw him buried. and his wife and
two daughters. now grown. and his friends
have believed him dead, and their aston
ishment at his return has been great,
AaE WIG AtAAE utterly hANHAltAAENAs
1T turns out that for the past six years
he has been in Savannah, Ga, engaged in
the work Of civil engineering in the serN-
ices of that city and county. AS SUCH OIL
cial. 1t is said. he has handled large
sums Of money. and he appears 10 be
very popular with Savannah people, at
least a portion Of them. Some weeks
ago however, IL was learned to-day, an
official from Savannah reached this city,
and, making himself known to certain
officers, he made very searching inquiries
as to Blandford's character and rcputa-
ton. Securing his Information, he left.
and nothing more has been heard from
him. Ii is given out to-day, however,
that when he returned to Savannah he
gave BlandfOrd to understand that he
knew Of his Texas career, and Blandford
stated TO the officers this morning that
when he found out that It was known
he was "A fugitive from justice he deter
mined to come and surrender, as he
could not longer stand the strain OF liv-
ing in constant fear. He promptly gave
bond this morning, and as the books Of
the association, II Is alleged he fixed, have
been destroyed by fire, he will hardly be
convicted. When Blandford reach Sa-
vannah six years ago he was sick and
destitute, and was sent TO the hospital.
where the head surgeon soon found out
he was a man Of education and accus-
toned to refined society. II was through
the influence of this surgeon that Bland
ford secured the official position of engi-
neer for the city and county.
The physician who secured the position
for Maj. Blandford was DIR. j. j. Read,
who was one of the board of county
commissioners at the time of his election.
The official referred TO who went down
to Austin to get this Information about
Mai. Blandford is the chairman OF the
present board Of county commissioners.
Mr.. j. ]. Dale.
The circumstances in connection with
the case were known here, and the
Morning News was in fun possession Of
the facts at the time Mai. BlandfOrd ap-
piled for a leave Of absence. but nothing
was said about II. as Maj. Blandford who
is recognized as an able official, was ex-
pected TO return and clear the matter up
or make an explanation OF the charges
Whatever he may have done wrong in
the past, 1t seems, has been fully compen-
stated for by his conduct and attention to
his duties here
The statement that he had not COM
municated with his family is an error, as
il is known here that he sent money to his
people in Austin. All who know Mai
Blandford will have sympathy for him In
his trouble.
The dispatch mentions Mai. Blandford
as a former prominent odd Fellow of Aus
tin. He was quite a prominent citizen
there and was principal Of one of Austin's
main schools.
1t was reported that on Chairman Dale's
return from Austin, Maj Blandford ten
dered his resignation as county engineer,
but II was not accepted, by vote of 3 to
2 This IS the outcome of the controversy
between the chairman of the board and
the county engineer as to how the county's
work should be done.