Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-04-07


held up young women on the highways
and entered houses while still youth
He spent some time on a naval training
ship and then Travelled about the coun-
try, his thefts covering wide range
of territory. BY engaging IN lesitiipttt
occupations by lay, he always eScapeo
detection. In San Francisco ne was
witness of the earthquake horrors.
Springfield. Mass. April 6.-A series
of burglaIies eliminating last Ihurs-
day night in the murder OF MISS Mar
tina B. Blackstone and the serious
wounding of Miss Harriet p DOW was
admitted today by Bertram Gage
Spencer, the young clerk arrested at
his home in West Springfield yestef-
day. in his confession to Captain JoIn
H. Boyle, chief of the detective bureau
of the Springfield police department.
The fascination of reading the news
puppr accounts of his exploits spencer
confessed. furnished the motlVe ioi
continuing the burglaries and he also
eyperienced considerable dellght IN pit
ting his skill IS a crinina! against lne
skill of the police Investigators OF MS
crimes.
Tho t,onors were with Spencer for
two wears. until yesterday. when
Srerrer wns arrested on the strength
of n locl<et bearing his initials and con-
tainine. the portraits of members of
his family. which he had dropped out
side of a house he had entered.
The confession was obtained only
after Snencer had broken down under
the strain of the traditional third de-
gree" In admitting the murder Of
Miss blackstone he said that he had
not intended to harm her. but meant
only to frighten her and the other
three women present
In the police court today Spencer
waived the reading of the complaint
charging him with the murder and
was held for a continued hearing
April Is.
Spencer'S confession was made in de-
tail to Captain Boyle after an induisi-
ton that had lasted all through yes
tordav and last night and was taken
down in shorthand bv a stenographer.
Because of the objections interposed
by the district attorney, Capt. Boyle
was unable today to give all the par
ed man
The captain did say. however, that
SDencer had confessed to the murder
of Miss Blackstone and also to practl-
callv all of the burglaries committed
in Springfield within the past two
wears. of which he had been suspected.
In his confession Spencer said that
lie did not intend to kill Miss Black
stone or wound Miss Harriet +. DOW
in the Dow house Thursday night. He
said that when he saw the women IN
the house he was more frightened than
they were and that he fired his reVol-
yer on the impulse rather than with any
intention of injuring anyone. He said
that ne had never entered g house with
the intention of shooting any persons
who might interfere with his opera
tions. but believed that he might IN
timidate persons with the weapon IL
he should be detected in his burgla-
ries.
When asked why it was that he en-
tered llnon such a career OF crime,
Spcnccr betrayed considerable e2otlsn.
He told Cant Boyle that after ms 1lrSt
burglary he was fascinated by the no
tOrietv attached to the crlmC ana thla
he enjoyed the newspaper accounts OF
it. This fascination attended the ac-
counts of all his other breaks and nc
also derived great satisfaction. he SAID
from the fact that he was able to elude
d detection and battle all police investi-
cation.
Spencer was brought into the police
al
the charge of numbering Miss Blackstone
He waived the reading of the complain
and was held without bail for continued
hearing April Is. He was in the court
room but few minutes and during this
time was handcuffed to police officer
Although he did not betray any emotion
in the courtroom, Spencer looked pale anC
nervous He trembed and seemed OF
the verge of complete nervous anC
physical collapse.
In addition to being subjected to .
most searching and pitiless examination
by the police detectives yesterday, Spen-
Ger was also forced to present himself
for possible identification. not only by
Mrs. Dow, in whose home the murder ot
Miss Blackstone took place and who was
witness to the tragedy but also by
others who happened to catch q glimpse
of the mysterious masked burglar on 9TH
er occasions. During this ordeal the sus-
pect had to wear a black slouch hat pull
ed low over his eyes, a scarf wound about
the lower part of his face. while holster
was bound about his waist and "a revol.
Yer placed in his hand
Spencer. the officers said, stood the or
deal well until Mrs. Dow was brought
into his presence. When he saw her, the
police say, slight pallor crept over his
face and his gaze wandered shiftily to
all parts of the police guarded ROOM rath.
er than upon the face of the woman who
identified him as the man who wounded
her daughter and killed her guest.
Spencer Was a Hayward Youth.
Lebanon. CT. April 6.-The arrest OF