The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-04-14

mediatcly following his confession
he was arraigned and held with
out bail for trial April 18th.
Sarah j. Dow was wounded
when Miss Blackstone was killed
last Thursday night.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Special.
- The arrest of Bertram ID.
Spencer for the killing of Miss
Martha Blackstone, the Smith
college graduate, last Thursday
night, when she and other women
were held up i'm their home by "a
masked burglar, revealed today
what the police declared to be the
most amazing JekylI-Hyde exist
ence that has ever come to their
notice.
They declare that evidence they
nave proves that for more than
two Years Spencer has led a dOu-
Die life, one of savage brutality
as masked burglar, and the 9th
er as respected business man.
During all this time he kept his
wire ignorant OF his criminal ca
reer, they say.
Under the guse Of a steady-going.
Woodworking clerk in a provision
house devoted to his wife and child
ne IS accused OF cOncealing the career
OF burglar with a savage instinct.
ne committed the crimes. the police
say, simply In a mania for burglary
Mild-Appearing Man.
The facts which have come to light
within the past twenty-four hours
caused the crowd which filled the po-
lice court when he was arrafRned 70
day to marvel as they looked upon
the neatly attired, miid-appearing
young man whose deeds had held the
city in terror for days.
Speneer's misfortune is a temper,
over which he never had control
Well educated, the son of good par
ents, an accomplished pianist and a
brilliant conversationist. he was fitted
Tor any one or several cailings. more
lucrative than that OF a clerk, but the
several opportunities Of that sort which
ne had were lost to him through his
hapitual hts or rage.
Inc external manner OF the burglars
.lVlhg was model for any young man
20 follow.
Always on Time.
he never was absent from his home
after ! o'clock. and each morning at
$50 O'Clock he was at his place OF
employment. All OF the numerous
ourglaries charged up to him were
is one OF the characteristics of Spen-
GER, revealed by his arrest He also
had love for the melodrama. for time
AFTER time he suddenly appeared. mask
ed and with drawn revolver in the
midst OF card party or other gather
Ing, sternly commanding compliance
with his orders under pain of death
a result of his exploits shows that
ne seemed TO enjoy the situations
HuCn
the sensations experienced by those he
surprised as for the loot which he took
There Is nothing TO Indicate that he
ever tried 10 dispose OF his booty. for
hidden in his home where his wife
mao never seen them, were found
imdtnSI pieces or jewelry and six
burglar are thronging police headquar-
ters today 10 try to Identify these artI-
cles.
An limp of He'll"
SDenCer'S story shows hin, 20 10 80,
veritable imp OF hell" as a Spring.
heId newspaper recently characterized
the man guilty OF the depredations
He declared to the police that he was
utterly devoid OF conscience. and that
ne never felt the least compunction
i'm using a revolver TO attain his ENDS
spencer made the further assertion
that he had pursued his career of
crime simply as a pastime and not
because OF desire to benefit from
the results of his robberies..
The young man was arraigned I'm
the Springfield Municipal Court to-
day. and was not allowed TO plead
TO the charge of murder that had
been preferred against him. and his
case was continued until Apru 15rh
His confession follows:
Il suppose that within the past two
years have committed more than
twenty rohberies.
practically all OF the los articles
of jewelry that were found i'm my
house were the results of these rob
berries My conscience has never !
troubled me In connection with my
crimes. So far as I know have no |
conscience. l have lived at HON % |
with my Wife and gone to my work
daily without seeing any such thing
as ghost Of my crimes arising before |
me. Neither have I felt any com
junction at the injury that I have |
done anyone. While last Thursday
night was the only time that I was |
ever called upon to Kill anybody. Vet |
l have been compelled sometimes to |
use force to accomplish my ends |
such a thing as fear / do not know. |
L have some into houses where the |
people had opportunity to attack me |
and effect my arrest and yet such a !
thing as being taken into custody or
belng shot never entered my mind
Feared Nothing.
u have never been afraid of the
result of my criminal acts. The only
thing that has worried me has been |
the losing OF that locket That gold
locket which contained a picture of
my mother ana my sister, and on
the case of which was my mono
gram, b G. S. has really proven the
cause of my downfall, as l have some
times feared that it might.
But / have not been afraid of the
result. and am not afraid now
!
gain l did it as a mere pastime.
somehow or other there was a thrill
ing attraction for me in the expert
ence of surprising a person, filling
him with fear and compelling him to
hand over his values. I've had a
number of narrow escapes from cap
ture. but this only added to the zest
Of the game. It was great expert |
ence to be able to read the stories
I'm the newspapers of how the police
were trying to trail the masked rob
Der. Even since the tragedy on 1:
Round Hill I have carefully followed
the newspapers and wondered that
the police have CROPPED so long in the
dark"
The full text of the confession
made by Spencer was not given out
by the police upon advice of District
Attorney f. r. TAFT. who was one of
the men who heard Spencer's story.
spencer told the story after he had
neen Identified by a number of peo-
pie and had been told by the detec-
ives thar they had a complete case
"aiNst him. Dcteet tive P|vle. head
IF the city police force. said: .
Spencer has told me the whole !
story Of his life, from the time he was