Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-26
| BL0NDIN AT.LAST.
Arrested at New York and
Admits His Identity.
Denies Killing Wife--Says He Fled
on Account Of Fear.
Located by New York and Identified
by Boston Officer.

New York. Feb. 25.-Joseph wiIfred
Blondin. who is charged with the muir
der of his wife by cutting or her head
at Chelmsford. near Boston. Mass.
last June, was arrested here. today.
He was identified by a detective from
Boston while he was making applica-
ton for an engineers license. The
prisoner admitted his identity, but pro-
fessed' to know nothing of the killing
of his wife.
Blondin called at the bureau of boiler
inspection at headquarters, yesterday,
to apply for an engineers license. He
evidently did not notice his own pic
ture posted on the wall with the usual
announcement of a reward for his APP
prehension. The similarity between
the portrait and the face of the appli-
cant caught the eye of roundsman
who slipped out and notified Capt.
Titus of the detective bureau. Capt.
Titus directed him to tell the man to
call again, this morning. and tele-
graphed to Boston for detective Who
could identify the man. When Blondin
returned, this morning. he was instant
ly identified by the Boston detective.
at signal from whom four policemen
tnItN tHtllStlNcS vi HIIIl anu StCuFtu
him before he could offer any resist
ance.
In court the prisoner was remanded
until tomorrow to await extradition
papers. At headquarters he declared
that he last saw his wife while he
was seeing her off from the station at
Boston. Hearing later of the discovery
OF her body he feared. he said. that
4. N a..
fled to New York. He said that he had
lived in Brooklyn. Mount Vernon and
White Plains and had made several
trips as a coal passer on North Ger
man Lloyd steamer.
When arrested he said that he was
endeavoring to obtain the position of
engineer in hotel in which he worked.
Blondin made a statement, tonight. In
which he first said his name was Joseph
Barnard
Inspector Chapman of Boston. then said
to him: ut is stated that you are Joseph
wilfrid Blondin and II will only be a
matter Of time until you are positively
identified as such. Now, are you Joseph
Wilfrid Biondin?''
Eyes, sir, / am Joseph Wilfrid Blondin."
was the answer. II have committed no
crime. The photograph shown me Is
mine. 1t was taken eight or ten years
ago. The man who identified me, Charles
Patterson, | know very well. know
him as Charlie. / knew him in Boston.s
/ knew him before and after the crime
MY wife's name was Margaret Emma
Riley. I was married to her two or
three months | married her in Bostpr
in the French church on Elizabeth
street. 1 did not leave my wife. She:
left me in the spring, in April. think IL
was, the last week of April. At that
time / was living in Boston at No. -
Green street She left me to go to Prov
idence to see her sister.
''She told me that she wanted to go to
Lowell to work in the mills there. Sh"
said she could make money there and
could make money. / became acquainted
with her in Lowell was working on n
farm in Chelmsford for a man named
Osterhouse. She used to come out there
to see me.
when she left me / sent her trunk
with the clothes away. sent them
where thought she was In Providence.
I sold my tool box to a man on Merri-
CONTINUED on page g.