Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-18

lhls was BlonGin's story as it has
reached the State police. The police
FOUND out after the discovery of the
body what BlOndin did not know, that
his wife had no money in the bank on
the day ne accompanied her to Lowell,
ard that more than a week before she
had been to Lowell and drawn out her
balance of $G2. The police claimed as
one Of the motives for the murder that
Hlondin had married the woman to get
possession OF her bank account. the
exact amount of which was unknown
to hi.G. He had been married to her
only three months when he murdered
her.
The sensational part of this state
mont of lilondin's is that the murde:
WAS committed in Il place over which
the authorities OF Suffolk county, by
whom he was convicted mad absolutely
no jurisdiction. They proceeded on the
theory that Mrs. Blondin was killed
at 40 Green street, Boston.
John II. Morrison and James +.
Owens, Blondin's counsel at the trial
contcnded that the woman could not
have boen murdered in Boston and her
body transported to Lowell in q trunk
without detection.
One Of their strongest contentious
was that if the body had remained ir
the house at AZ Green street for severa,
days after the murder. and was not
removed until the Tuesday following
the Saturday on which Mrs. Blondin
was last seen alive by Mrs. Hannegan
the proprietor OF the lodging house. as
the government alleged, there woulC
have been some indications in the
meantime that would have convinced
the occupants of the house that there
was dead body there.
The medical experts for the govern
ment met this contention with the dec
laration that i'll cool weather there
would probably have been no Odel
from 4 body confined in trunk. The
police of Boston and also the State
detectives had the testimony of an eX-
pressman who moved a trunk from the
house to the north station on the Tues
day referred to. He could not fecoS-
niZc Blondin as the man from whose
room he took it.
This trunk was long suspected as the
orc used to carry the body from Green
street to Chelmsford. But the mos
careful investigation on the part of the
police and State detectives failed t.
discover what had become of the
trunk after it was placed on the plat
form at the north station.
= trunk that was supposed to be the
ono was sent to Lexington, and 1t was
followed there But what became Of II
after its arrival it was impossible to
discover. The station agent did not
rc"all it. Thereupon the theory wa:
eyolyed by the sleuths that it had beer
carried by team from Lexington TO
Chelmsford, and several witnesses Were
produced who testified that they hac
ennn a wagon on the road at different
points. the testimony not seeming t.
conflict with the theory of the police ci
the prosecuting attorneys.
1t now appears, according to Blon-
dir's statement. that all this testimony
WAS really irrevelant to the case. as
it must have referred to some other
wagon No wagon was necessary. ms
there was no trunk to be transported
Mrs. Blondin voluntarily accom-
panied her husband SupposinE he was
leading ner to the home of rich uncle
until he suddenly turned upon her and
ended her life by the bars opening upon
the wood road.
Had this fact been known before the