The record-union., 1897-11-24
Blanther's Name Again Connected
With the Killing.
Claimed That the Suicide Left Letter
Confessing the Crime.
The Alleged Letter of Confession
Said to Have Been Placed In the
Pocket of Eellow-Fr1soner IN
the Texas Jail by Blanther just
Previous to His Ending His Life.

HOUSTON (Texas), Nov. "a spe-
rial 10 the POST" from Morgan, Texas,
says:
Joseph E. Blanther, alias FORBES,
committed suicide in the Meridian ]all'
in this county on March 10th last. De-
yelopments of the last few days brlng
to light the fact that Blanther was the
self-confessed perpetrator of even more
startling crimes than was the murder
of Mrs Langfeldt in San Francisco,
for which he was hunted.
While Blanther was incarcerated in
the Meridian jail there was also a fel-
low prisoner named Pitts, who was
arrested on some minor charge, and oc-
cupied the cell adjoining that OF
Blanther. Pitts is a farmer, who lives
near Iredeu, in this county, and is
known to have conversed with Blanther
during his two or three days con-
finement. In a letter to Word, Dillar &
Word, attorneys of Meridian, under
date of November 22d, Pitts incloses
a letter from Blanther, and says:
Il have been looking through some
papers 1 had on file in the Jail at Me-
ridian. and I find the inclosed sheet,
which speaks for itself. The papers al
my pocket, hence the delay in not dis
covering them sooner. l now remember
that Forbes or Blanther asked me on
the evening he took the poison Whlch
coat was mine of several that were
hanging in the cell he occupied. never
thought further of the question he
asked until l found the letter he wrote.
I send it to you, for the reason that
in (lI
I hope that it may be worth something
to you in the way of saving Durrant
of California, who, I understand, Is
sentenced to death for killing Miss La
mont"
Following is the Blanther letter:
Meridian Jail.
"To Mr.. Pitts: AS this is my last
day on earth, 1 wish to say that L
cannot die without telling truth. l
murdered Mrs Langfeldt, also Blanche
Lamont and Minnie Williams. l put
this in your coat pocket, and hope you
will find it in time TO save the life Of
Durrant 1t may also be of service to
Mr. Womack in getting his reward
money. L want you to have my watch
for your kindness to me. You have
my best wishes, and 1 hope your
troubles will end, but not as mine.
tSigned) Blanther Forbes"
The letter written by Blanther was
compared with letter written by him
to County Treasurer Randle, while he
Ulanther) was teaching school at kop-
perl, this county, and the identifica-
tion is pronounced to be beyond doubt.
Cashier Pudasin of the First National
Bank of Meridian says it compares IA
vorably with Blanther's handwriting,
while others have hesitancy in pro-
nouncing the last as written by Blan-
ther.
The original written confession is now
in the possession of Word, Dillar e.
Word of Meridian, who will notify the
San Francisco officials of the startling
confession
THE CONFESSION DISCREDITED.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 23.-No ere
dence is placed by the authorities here
in the alleged confession of Blanther
or Forbes, made in Jail at Meridian
before his suicide, to the effect that he
had murdered Blanche Lamont and
Minnie Williams, in addition to Mrs.
Iangfeldt. 1t is recalled, however, that
at the time of the killing of Mrs Lang
feldt, about eighteen months ago, the
suggestion was advanced that Blan-
ther had murdered all three 1t being
claimed that there We're certain points
Of similarity in the three murders
At the time of the Langfeldt murder
Durrant had already been IN Jail for
a year, and the police secuted at the
idea of any one but the prisoner hav-
ing committed the crimes. The police
are confident that the Emmanuel
Church murderer is still alive and in
San Quentin prison. While recognizing
the possibility Of error, the authorities
are nevertheless convinced that they
have the right man in the person of
Durrant.
The alleged confession of Blanther
will probably prove a powerful weapon
of defense in the hands of Durrants
attorneys, who are utilizing every
available pretext for delaying the ex-
ecution of their client