Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-01-03

Boston, ian. l.-WilhOut Il CULVER or
the position in which he was placed
Joseph W. Blondin, convicted OF mar
der in the second degree Of Killing EiS
wife, received his sentence of life iin-
prisOnmcHt in state prison from Jnd"e
Stevens yesterday afternoon. after linv'
ing formally waived the exceptions
taken ut the trial by his counsel
The court room was crowded with
spectators " hen. shortly after ! o'clock,
the name of Rlondn was called by Clerk
Manning and the familiar form soon APP
pcare,l in the door of the detention
room. Attorney General Parker and
Assistant District Attorney Mclhugh-
lin. the prosecuting officers, were in at
tendance. as were tine prisoners counsel.
NlesSrS. Morrison and Owens. When
the prisoner had entered the cage,
Judge stevens said to Mr. Morrison,
''Do | understand that the prisoner de-
Sres to waive lis exceptions and take
sentence now
Yes, your honor" replied Mr.. Nor
riSOn."
"Lct him do il himself in open court
SO that The record may he made said
the judge To Clerk Manning, handing
him the papers
apo you waive your exceptions. BlOn-
DIM the clerk asked.
"IcS. sir" responder .lc prisoner in
firm voice.
Attorney General Parker then arose
and addressed the court briefly. saying
tbat the ,OmnHUnneslth moved for sen
teucr, and that as TIE law provided II
life sentence for murder in the second
degree there was no need of saying
more.
Then at the command of the clerk.
Blondin stood up and the former read
the sentence of the court to life imprisOn-
meat
Rl0ndin took his sentence coolly and
when it lad been pronounced walked
Spri"htly from the CAGE to the dock
and before he was taken to prison held
Il short conversation with his counsel
IN tne IetentlOn room.
1t is understood that Blondn's cOun-
sci intends to appeal to Governor Bates
for executive clemency rather than
take ..hnnrn with II ,rlrl again. and
he will through the medium of newly
discovered evidence cnlcavor to prove
the innocence of BlOndin.
The newly discovered evidence ="
latcs entirely. ii is Sai'. 10 the trunk
in which the 90 -rnment alleged Zion
uln pa, ceo me body of his wife after the
awful crime had been committed. and
transported it to Chelmsford. where 1t
the trunk belongs. according To the de-
fence. bears TIE first name OF Annie
She had been in the house on Green
street where the murder WAS alleged to
have been committed for some time. and
on the day that the trunk, the prosecu'
tion alleged, was taken from the house
at the illStiGatiOn of i;londin, an en-
prcSsman left the louSc with Annie 5
trunk. As only one trunk was taken
from the house that day. the defence
freed. the contention now being that
no murder was committed ut the Green
street house.
The conviction of BlOndin has cost
the state of Massachusetts. tho coun-
ties of Suffolk and MitlllcSeX, more thai,
5000, and it is SAID When all the bill
are paid it will prove to have been Ont
| of tie most expensive murder cases New
| England has ever mad
There have been trips to the province
| of Quebec, to Nova Scotia, to New York
state and to various parts of the com
try by officers hunting for Blondin
which cost Il great many hundred dol
lars, and there is Il bill for professor
| Wood of Harvard for expert service!
not yet given out. which will amount t.
more than all the other experts in th'
case received. Suffolk and MiddlcSc!
counties will each pay half the bill.
Among the smaller items of state
police expenses are about 800 in tele
! grams, 500 for printing circulars ant
over 800 for postage. In witness fee
| aloI.e, ii Is estimated $500 was spent.