The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-09-09
MURDERER MAY
PLEAD INSANITY
eERTRAM c. SPENCER FACES
TRIAL TODAY FOR CRIME TO
WHICH he HAS ALREADY
CONFESSED


Springfield, Mass, Sept. "a plea
Of insanity will probably be relied up
on To save from the electric chair Ber-
tram G.. Spencer. the self confessed
highwnyman and murderer, whose
case was called for trial I'm this city
today. Spencer is charged with the
murder OF Miss Martha B. Blackstone
on the night OF March 81 last The
murderer, II is alleged. was the ci-
max OF a career of crime extending
over many years and which the young
man had successfully concealed by
working steadily every day and ap-
parently leading a respectable life.
The killing of Miss Blackstone oc-
CURED at the home OF Mrs. Sarah j..
Dow In one of the suburbs Of this
city. Mrs. Dow, her two daughters
and Miss Blackstone. who was a guest
for the night. were seated In the sit
ting room about small table, when
an intruder made a demand for money
from the diniGg room. They looked
up To see a masked man I'm the dark
doorway threatening them with a re-
volver. Mrs. Dow retained her com-
pusure and replied. I'VE have no mon
ey." but Miss Blackstone in fright
jumped to her feet and ran scream-
ing into an adjoining room The
burglar said. IF you want to get
killed. keep on screaming" and fired
as he spoke. the bullet entering Miss
Blackstone's breast. Death followed
instantly The murderer turned the
revolver on the group. shooting Miss
Harriet Bow in. the head and serious
ly wounding her The assailant then
made his escape through a grove sur
rounding the house.
For several days posses aided by
bloodhounds secured Springfield and
the entire vicinity I'm a vail effort to
obtain a clew 10 the murderer. The
authorities concluded that the per-
petrator of the crime was the same
person who had been burglarizing
Springfield homes for two years past
and who had always escaped detec-
tion. Finally a citizen whose home
had been entered some time previous
ly turned over to the police gold
locket which he believed had been
dropped by the burglar while escaping
over a fence in the rear of his house.
Initials were engraved on the locket
and with this clew to work on the
police finally arrested Spencer. a
young clerk employed in a local es-
| 4. ~ f,,st 1. he
ct correspond with those of Spencer's
sister.
The young man broke down under
24-hours' merciless grilling, and
confessed that he was the mysterious
masked burglar and the murderer of
Miss blackstone. In his confession
Spencer made IL clear that, associat-
ed with his overpowering desire 20
steal, were an intense love of ex-
citement, and a high degree of per-
sonal vanity. This latter the young
man had gratified for two years by
baffling the police and reading the
newspaper accounts of his exploits.
He told the police that he had ex-
perienced no qualms of conscience
from his crimes. He revealed a car
eer of almost lifelong crime. Follow
ing blow on the head while he was
a small boy, in Lebanon, Conn, his
native town, he said, he began to
steal at the age of nine Later while
still youth, he held up young women
on the highways and entered houses
BY engaging in legitimate occupations
by day. he had always escaped de-
lection.