The Washington times., 1910-04-10
Asserts He Robbed the Deaf
After San Francisco
Disaster.
BLAMES HIS FATHER
FOR LIFE OF CRIME
Confession of Miss Blackstone s
Murder Excites
Populace-

SPRINGFIELD. Mass. april IL
Revelations made by Bertram g Spen-
GER the maIked murderer and burglar.
5aaf have hitherto been kept secret BY
the police. reached the public today, and
as a result the Indignation OF this city
mas been aroused almost 90 a Nuchins
1renz1-
some. of the startling facts learned re-
IaJ=,I 10 his treatment Of the women he
bound with ropes
The prisoner. whom no lawyer VIII
step T0r,s are &C defend, has also con-
fessed that ne robbed the dead Of the
san Francisco disaster. whose bodies.
as a member OF the United States Navy,
he was assigned to protect
Spencer bfames his plight upon his
father ara another man. Uho. he SAYS,
mistreated him IS hey. and threatens
10 kiU his father II ne ever sets the
chance.
lie SAYS Thar re would have shot Hsr-
net Dow through the heart. instead Of
IN rre head If the young woman had not
striped aud fallen AT the time lie muir
deIed Miss Martha Blackstone
Pats Bloodhound During Chase.
he asserts that vhea the bioodhounds
we're trvinC 70 T5u him down he met
one q them 81 the street and patted II
on the head. The dcz logged on He
wears In prison pair OF trousers that
ne stole from Sheriff Smead, Of Spring
heId.
His fun story OF how the spell that
has led him on since d boy 10 the COM
mission Of crime Wsr~ responsible for his
actions on TIRE night OF the murder IS
made public today He ss-s that bril-
liant lights nypuOtiZed him and that he
walked toward them as though charmed
by the CIittering eyes Of q serpent Day
Ifgbt dispersed the spell ne said
If my father comes here I viii XIII
him. cried out the prisoner IN his cell
III Kill him IL I have TO throttle him
1 should have killed him long ago He
and that old man that I know have
made q hend OF ne.
Present at his startling denUncistion
rf his father was Dr. Elizabeth Young
Myers
Don't talk that way, Bert one q the
State officers remarked Don't say
such 4 thing as that for your mothers
sake
Says He Could Not Help It.
Yes. L have 2 dear mother ne cried.
but cant help it. Oh mother.
mother. Is there q God in heaven
why dId YOU do It., BERT" asked the
mother and the aEonized tones could
be heard far out il the reception room
Of police headquarters.
4 couldn't help it. answered the
youth as tears ran down his cheeks and
his mother and sister and Dr. Myers
wept also. Father was brute. and
that old farmer down IN Lebanon a
beast y spell came on me and I could
not ger away from IT, have confessed
ali 10 the police and. I have told them
all the truth
Spencer's story Of his career Of crime
dating back from the time he was nine
years Of age vas Il was oorl IN Leb-
anon, Conn June L. 1851 I viii be
" enty-nlne wears old in June and I
have been a criminal for twenty years
My fathers brutal treatment. his as
sduIIs on me when 7 was q young boy
striking me over the head frequently
awful creature on the GeiEhb0ring farm.
have been the cause Of il all
Tells Of Robbing Employer.
IT had the dearest mother in the world.
but the spell was on ne and could
not shake it Of When I left the store
and the farm I got work IN Hartford
7 stole from my employer there
Money came easily 7 would alter
the checks as they were sent I'D TO the
desk from sales T reduced the cost Of
the sale and Docketed the excess change
The customer got his goods ard his
proper change and 1 S0I lust what
happened 10 make out on Jne slips
was never caught
Il longed 10 see the world. ard to get
away from the hUmdrIm OF life IN the
country OF the city That's WHY I
joined the navy Even before this, some
how OF other, I couldn't get away from
the idea OF guns and reToIyers- [ had
them al the time and my life in the
navy satisfied for while the craving