Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-26
BLoNDIN At LAST.
(Continued from page ~

mac street, bOStOn. Alter my Wilc icie,
a letter was received by me at the
house addressed to her, and I marked
it moved to Canada and returned 1t.
/ tried to sell her two trunks after she
left but they did not amount to much
and told the man on Merrimac street
he could give the clothing to some poor
person.
1.-The last place I saw my wife was
at tine South station in Boston. / went
there to buy tickets for her to go to
Providence and when 1 turned around
she was gone. / kept the tickets two or
three nights after, and I sold them to
some people in the station who were
going to Providence. / came to New
York after leaving Boston. I took my
trunk and bicycle to the South station
and checked them to Fall River. l
came direct to New York and wrote
letter to Fall River to have the trunk
and bicycle sent on here and 1 signed
the name of Joe Moreu to the letter.
Il never killed my wife, l heard
about it through the newspapers. 1
read in the paper that Margaret Blon-
din of Boston, was murdered, and as
left the place.
and feared that the police would make
me trouble. l determined to come to
headquarters and see if 1 could be
recognized. I am not guilty of any
crime and I am willing to return to
Boston where I will attempt to prove
my innocence"
Boston, Feb. 25-Chief Inspector Watts
is jubilant over the arrest of BloEdin as
1T ends one of the most persistent
searches the police of New York and this
city have had for some time. The chief
says that from the time Blondin has been
missing Captain George F. Titus of the
New York detective bureau, and he have
left no stone unturned that would lead
to the arrest of the alleged murderer. II
was some time ago that these two police
officials after conference on this case
decided that Blondin would sooner or
later come to one of the big cities to work
at his trade of engineer. They had cir
culars printed giving a minute descrlp-
ton of the man, which were sent to every
city in the Union where an engineer had
to obtain license to work.
About IL days ago the New York enSi-
neers license office received an applica-
ton from a man giving the name of JOS
Barnard. who answered Blondin's de-
scription closely that Chief Watts
was notified. With an inspector the
chief went to New York, but the suspect
did not put in an appearance and Chief
Watts returned to this city. Yesterday.
he was notified that Blondin would come
up for his examination, today.
Inspector Chapman with witness who
was an acquaintance of Blondin in this
city, was sent to New York.
Chief Watts has forwarded a telegram
to Captain Titus congratulating him on
the capture.
Blondin has been a fugitive since last
June. He left Boston just in time to es-
cape arrest by the authorities of this
city, who obtained evidence believed to
connect him with the murder of his wife
whose headess body was found on June
9 in the woods at Chelmsford, near Low
ell The discovery was made by, William
Baker and companion, who were
searching the woodlot of Oscar Spalding
for a missing cow. They came upon big
pile of brushwood from beneath which
to their horror the foot of human being
protruded; They pulled away the brush
and found, minus the head, the body of
a woman. Underclothing covered the
corpse, but there were no outer garments
or shoes.
The authorities took charge of the body
and search for the head was begun. At
ter two days, the missing portion was
found in a brook some distance from
where the body had been. The discovery
established Identification, showing that
the victim was Mrs. Margaret Blondin
who lived with her husband in lodging
house on Green street in this city. Sub
sequent movements in the case disclosed
evidence which led to the theory that, in
fit of passion due to jealousy, the wo-
mans husband had strangled her and
had concealed the body in a large trunk
in which. at night, he had removed it
and later had hidden the body in the
woods at Chelmsford. To prevent ident
fication, it was thought, the head was
cut off and thrown into the brook.
Later the outer clothing of the woman
was found in secondhand store in Bos-
ton. 1t had been taken there by a man
who answered Blondins description.
Blondin was an engineer. When the
police went to his place of business they
found that he had left the night before.
and then the chase began which lasted
until today. The authorities were only
few hours behind the man when they
started, but clue after clue was run out
in vain. Suspects have been arrested in
various parts of the country and Canado
but none previously proved to be the one
wanted The identification by a Boston
officer in New York, today, is considered
conclusive.
Casey, sister of Mrs. Margaret Blondip,
whose husband. J. Wilfred Blondin has
Just been arrested on suspicion of being
capture, this noon, by The Associated
Press representative. She said:
Il hope they have caught him. but |
cannot believe 1t until my daughter has
seen the man under arrest and identified
him. 4 did not know Blondin and / never
saw him, but my daughter knew him well
and had seen him many times. She will
be able to tell at once whether the ma a
Is Blondin or not | do hope it is He
ought to be caught. and / have felt all
along that he would be in the end.
suppose he wanted to get work as an en-
gineer and that he thought he would try
to get license. He left the license he
had in the show in Boston where he
worked"
She was asked as to whether any light
had been thrown on the possible motive
of Blondin, and said that she knew of
none The last time | saw my sister =
she said, she appeared to be unhappy,
saying that her husband wanted her to
go to Canada to live and that she did
not want to. She also complained abou.
the stingineSs of her husband, but she