Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1897-11-25
SCHOOL
Who Suicided in March in the
Jail at Meridian,
In a Letter to a Legal Firm in That
Place Says He Murdered
Blanche Lamont and Minnie Williams
THE Letter Was Written IA Few Hours
Before His Suicide and Placed in the
Pocket OF "a Fellow Prisoner.

| HoUsToN, Tex, Nov. GA special to
the Post from Morgan Tex, says: in
March last in the columns of the Post
was noted the death of Joseph Il. Blan-
ther alias Forbes, who suicided in the
Meridian Jail in this county on March
2. Though escaping the keen vigilance
of the most famous detectives of the
| country, Bosque county was the scene
of the ending of his eventful career.
But developments of the past few days
bring to light even a more startling
crime, of which he is self-confcssed,
than was the murder of Mrs. Lang
fcldt, for which he was hunted.
While Blanther was incarcerated in
the Meridian Jail there was also fell
low prisoner named Pitts who was ar
rested on some minor charge and occu-
pied the cell adjoining that of Blan-
ther. Pitts is a farmer, who now lives
near Iredell, in this county and is
known to have converscd with Blan-
ther during his two or three days con-
fnemcnt In letter to Word. Dillar
Il Word, attorneys of Meridian under
date of November %, Mr.. Pitts en-
closes a letter from Blanther and says:
II have been looking through some
paper that had on file in Jail at Me-
ridian and 1 find the enclosed sheet
which speaks for itself. The papers
alluded to here worked through hole
in my pocket, hence the delay in not
discovering them sooner. | we'll re-
member that Forbes or Blan ther asked
me the evening lie took the poison at
night which coat was mine of several
that were hanging in the cell he occu-
pied, l never thought further of the
question he asked until / found the
letter he wrote. l send it to you for
the reason you best know who to no.
tify in California. l hope that may be
worth something to you in the way of
saving Durrant, of California, who,
understand is sentenced to death for
killing Miss Lamont"
Following is the Blanther letter:
Meridian Jail-To Mr.. Pitts: AS this is my
last day on earth, wish to say that can not
die without telling the truth. l murdered Mrs.
Langfeldt, also Blanche Lamont and Minnie
Williams. 1 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. 1 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.
"BLANrHER FORBES"
The letter written by Blanther was
compared with letter written by him
to County Treasurer Randle, while he
(Blanther) was teaching school at Kop-
perl, this county, and the idcntifica-
ton is pronounced to be beyond doubt.
Cashier Rudasill, of the First national
bank of Meridian, says it compares
favorably with Blanthcr's handwriting
while others have hcsitancy in pro-
nouncing the last written by Blanthcr
The original written confession is
now in possession of Word, Dillar &
Word, of Meridian, who will at once
notify the San Francisco officials.
SAN Francisco, Nov. 24.-No cred
ence is placed by the authorities here
in the alleged confession of Blanther
or Forbes, made in the Meridian, Tex,
Jail that he murdered Blanche Lamont
and Minnie Williams in addition to
Mrs. Langfelt. 1t is recalled, however,
that at the time of the killing of Mrs
i.angfelt, about IS months ago, the
suggestion was advanced that Blanther
had murdered all three. 1t being
claimed that there were certain points
Of similarity in the three murders.