The San Francisco call., 1897-11-27
Chief Lees Has an Alibi for
Blanther, Slayer of Mrs.
Langfeld.
At the Time Of the Emmanuel
Church Murders He Was
in the East.
If He Wrote the Alleged Confession
he Branded Himself Depraved
Liar.

If Joseph +. Blanther, the murderer
Of Mrs. Phiopena Langfeld, who now lies
in suicides grave, is the author Of the
alleged confession branding him the fend
of the beIfry-the slayer of Minnie Will
liams and Blanche Lamont-he is the
author of a lie and has unnecessarily
shown 10 the world another deplorable
characteristic of his depraveo nature.
Such is the opinion OF Chief OF Police
Lees and mis- associates.
The Chief, to the satisfaction of his own
mind and to those interested in the
alleged Confession of Mrs. Langfeld's
murderer, has proved an alIbi for him il.
he case of the belfry crimes and believes
the so-cal ed confession to be "a state
ment of idio;ic rot
1T is a we'll known fact that Blanther
alias Forbes, was not in his city and was
many thousand miles away at the time of
the murd er OF Minnie Williams and
Blanche Lamont" said the Chief yester-
day afternoon. blanche Lamont was
murdered on April 3, 1895. and eight days
later Minnie Williams met her death
"At taat time Blanther was in the East.
He dill not leave Atlanta, Ga, until Janu-
ary 90, 1896, and arrived in this city on
the second day of February. He regis
tered at the Lick House on the day of lis
arrival. and 1t is a fact t at he had not
been here for so me years before. W. have
traced his movements for years back and
he could not have possibly had any con-
nection with the murders it is said he
chose to confess to having committed a
short time prior to his death.
B.
since his ARRIVAL in America, and our
data are correct Blanther fed from Siam
in 1885 10 the United States OF America
He went TO Chicago. where he entered the
employ of Rand McNaly e. Co., as a
draug ghtsman, at 166 Adams street He
remained in their employ from June Is,
1887. until April, 1890. After leaving the
bove firm Blaniher, about May l. 1890
entered into a contract with &. A. Gas
kell, 254 Franklin street, Chicago. to
make b. his alleged newly invented relief
map process set of maps of the contl-
nents.
He left Gaskell and formed a partner
sh ip with Richard Nicolai, under the firm
name OF Nicolai & Blanther. map pub
fishers, at SO Randolph street Chicago
and resided at 6l7 West Monroe street.
The firm failed about Decem ber. 1890. and
Blanther returned to Gaskers employ as
about March, 1892 Immediately after
leaving GaskeIl he worked three days for
the Central School Supply House. Monroe
and Fifth avenue, Chicago. He then left
Chicago and was corresponded with at
Toronto. London and Windsor, Canada.
B anther was next heard of at Little
Rock, Arkansas, and there married NJ ISIS
Agnes Cameron, Dece I'm ber 49, 1892.
From Little Rock they went 10 New
York, and from there to Jacksonville, Fla. :,
and lived there as a. d. Forbes and wife
for some time. He left his wife in Jack
sonville in 1898 and went to Denver, Colo,
and remained there three or four months.
He lett Denver and joined his Nife at Ma
con, GA. From there they wenG to At
lanta, Ca, and he started business there
under the name OF A. d. Forbes. On
January %, 1896, he abandoned his wife
and fed to San Francisco. Arriving
in this city he assumed his true
name, Joseph E !ward Blenther, and MUIR
dered Mrs Langfeld, May Is, 1899; pur.
chased a ticket May 16 und er the name of
II. NJ. Forbes and fled for Texas.
"Some time between the years 1885 and
1890 he is said to have resided a short time
al Galveston and Houston, Tex, either
under the name OF Blanther or Forbes
While in Texas or Chicago he consorted
before and after marriage with a woman,
one Addie Walker, her aliases being Ad-
die Harper, Addie Hertel and Anna
Forbes.
There is no doubt that the woman,
who calls herss f B ianther's W fe and who
now chooses to tell the world through the
columns of the press that sne believes his
alleged confession, Is none other than a d.
die Walker, the dead murdeTer's consort.
Her word is not 10 be relied upon, and
even if it were her opinion is erroneous.
Blanther never com mitted the Emmanuel
Church crimes and that is a settled fact"