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

county courthouse, Blondin could not
nave been convicted here. He would
have been tried in the Middlesex coun-
ty court. where an Indictment had all
ready been found against him. But the
uncertainty which was felt by all the
police in the case finally led to a con-
slderation of the evidence by Attorney
General Parker. and on his directions
it was sent to the Suffolk county court
for trial. Attorney General Parker was
the chief prosecuting officer.
Rlondin would not 90 on the stand
to tell his own story of the case There
was therefore evidence offered to JUS
tify change from one county to the
other. Counsel for the defendant ar
gued that the medical testimony was
entirely opposed to the theory that the
woman could have been murdered in
Suffolk county. But the Jury thought
differently, and convicted Blondin of
having committed the crime at 43
Green street.
While his lawyers promised to make
an appeal on exceptions, nothing was
done. counsel withdrawing their excep-
tionS before 1t was time for them to
be acted upon, and Blondin was sent to
prison for life in December, 1902.
Mrs. Blondin was before her mar
riage Miss Margaret Casey of Law
renee. Her sister and niece still live
there. When Blondin met the woman,
she was employed in Chelmsford mill
as a weaver and lived in Lowell. She
was about 40 years Of age. Blondin is
few years her senior. The couple
id in hn ,S,ls
church on Isabella street, Boston, in
February, 1901. One of the witnesses
was Miss Mary Casey, the woman's
niece.
After the marriage the Blondins
roOmed at 43 Green street. Blondin
worked in various places, but at the
time of Mrs. Blondins disappearance
he was employed as a fireman in the
works of Fobes, Haywood & Co, Oh
Chardon street. a few days later he
went to the Ferguson bakery on AL
bany street, where he remained during
the six weeks between the time when
his wife disappeared and when her
headless body was found.
The body was found behind a wood
pile on the wood road in Chelmsford,
June 8. There was nothing about the
body to indicate it's identity. But the
next day the head was found in brook
4 mile away, and some articles of jew
alry. set of false teeth and other
things gave hopes that Identification
would be made.
The state police obtained informa tor
that Mrs. Blondin was missing and they
went to Lawrence at once to see her
niece. Miss Casey, and from what was
hen learned there seemed no doubt that
The body was that of Mrs. Blondin.
Blondin did not leave his work at the
Ferguson bakery when the body was first
discovered. But he showed anxiety to
get the morning papers as soon as they
appeared upon the street. He worked
nights. The morning after Miss Casey
nad given it as her opinion that the body
was that of her aunt, Blondin saw the
announcement. He left his work hur-
riedly, went to his lodging house on Or
hard park. and then disappeared with his
bicycle and trunk.
After 2 lot of detective work, the po-
lice learned that Blondn's bicycle and
-runk had been sent from the south sta
-ioE to New York, by way of Fall River.
These articles were held up at Fall River
for some reason, and Blondin. who had
preceded the trunk and bicycle, wrote to
the station agent at Fall River to for
ward them to New York. He gave an ad-
iress on Third avenue.
The articles were sent on. They. re-
manned on the Fail River steamboat
wharf in New York for several days.
watched by detectives, but Blondm did
iot make the mistake of calling for them.
lie abandoned them entirely and took :,
position as fireman on steamer bound
for Italy, by this means throwing the en-.
tire detective force of the country off the
scent
{Ia a;t
md city police gave to the case resulted
in the reporting of many suspects in
places extending from western New York
TO the southern extremity of Gaspe pc
ninsular in Canada. The state police Wis
tied many places where it was reported
that Blondin, or man resembling his
description. had been arrested. but in ev-
cry case the .clews proved of no value
Finally, in February. 1902 a report came
from police headquarters. New York, that
Il man answering BlOndin's description
had applied there for license engi-
neer to attend a boiler in an apartment
house at 18th street. Persons who knew
f;lOndin We're at once sent to New York
and when the man appeared to finally
claim his license he was identified and
arrested. 1t was discovered then that
Blondin had been living quietly at White
Plains after his return from Italy. and
had been reading the Montreal weekly
papers, which contained the full particu-
lars as to what the police We're doing in
their search for him.
He applied for license at police head
quarters in New York under the name of
Moreau. He thought he could not be de-
tected. He told the officer whom he saw
at the office that he was native of Paris
France. The man to whom he made APP
plication. however. was a French Cana
dian. and he remembered the circular sent
out to the police of the country asking
for the arrest of Blondin. He was certain
that the applicant was n French Cana
dian, and his close attention to the man
was what was really responsible for the
capture of HlOndin.
Detectives of the state police visited
points without number in the search for
the man. BOndin was Il native of St
Polycarp. Que. and the home of his pa
rents there was watched for a long time
by detectives attached to the staff of
Chief Cyrus Carpenter of Montreal and
also by detectives from this state. He had