The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-09-19
Is HopeIeSsly Insane, States
AIieniStS Declare
SUPPORTING THE DEFENCE
Prisoner Committed for Further obserya-
tion-The @Gentleman Burglars As
surance Gone, His Cheeks Are
Sunken and Eyes Bloodshot.

Springfield. Mass, Sept l9.-Bertram
G. Spencer, springdelds gentleman bur
glar' and seIi-confessed murderer Of
Miss Martha 3. blackstone, Smith col
lege graduate and teacher in the public
schools, was Saturday, OH the eve Of
trial for murder in the lfrst degree, com
mitted 10 the Bridgewater hospital for
criminal insane. where further observa-
tions Of his condition will be made BY
alienists.
The sudden turn in the case. whereby
It is unlikely that Spencer viii ever be
tried for murder, came as complete
surprise. Il had been known that the
defense would be insanity, but the pub
lic generally had assumed that this line
Of resistance had been taken mp pri-
marily because it was the only one, in
view Of spencer's unequivocal confession,
which could save the prisoner from the
chair.
Spencer was led INTO the courtroom
handcuffed and strongly guarded. His
wife, his mother and his sister took
seats beside him. Spencer as always,
was neatly attired, but the air Of deb
OMAR assurance was gone, his cheeks
were snnken and his eyes hloodshot-
Several times he covered his face with
his hands and gave way TO grief.
The testimony Of the aIienists for the
defense, that Spencer was Of unsound
mind, was not unexpected; but when
the comm onwealths experts, Dr. John
A. Houston, superintendent of the North
amptou insane asylum, and Or. George
B. futile Of Waverley, expressed the
opinion that Spencer was hopelessly in
sane, surprise was apparent
District Attorney S. S. Taft stated
that while the commonwealth was ready
to try the case nest week, as scheduled,
the state was principally anxious that
the ends Of justice should be served,
rather than that conviction should be-
recorded In answer to question from
the court, the district attorney said that
the case Of the commonwealth would
in no wise suffer by delay, as it was
based on Speneers detailed confession.
Chief Justice John A. Aiken Of the
superior court then ordered Spencer com.
mitted to Bridgewater.
Spencer Owed to Morphine His Success
as Burglar.
Bertram d. Spencer Of West Spring
field, Mass. a Young shipping clerk, pre-
viously a railroad man, was for two
years or more burglar, whose daring
created terror throughout Springfield.
His GOODNESS was due to morphine, which
he took hypodermically when about to-
commit crime. Reading Of his ex-
pIoits in the newspapers fascinated him
and led him on to other and more daring
deeds.
On the night Of March 81 last, he
broke into the home Of Mrs, Sarah j..
Dow at Springfield While he was in
the room Of Miss Martha Ri Blackstone,
guest, and Miss Harriet Dow. daugh-
Ter, Miss Blackstone awoke and
screamed. The potency Of the drug he
had taken had worn off, and Spencer lost
his nerve and fired two shots. One IN
stantly killed Miss Blackstone. The
other seriously wounded Miss Dow.
Spencer, few days after the murder,
was found to be wearing on his watch
chain a locket that had been stolen in
an earlier burglary. He was arrested
on suspicion in connection with that
crime and later confessed TO the muir
der.
His arrest, and particularly his con-
fession. caused an intense sensation in
Springfield, as no suspicion had prev.