The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-09-09
B. G. Spencer, q Highwayman,
Charged with Killing Miss
Martha Blackstone.
INSANITY TO BE DEFENSE
YOUTH GNoAogo IN lgolTiMATg
OCCUPATIONS DURING DAY,
BUT At NIGHT he WAS BURG.
Lar AND THUG.
american News service)


Springfield. MASS. Sept. "a plea
Of insanity will probably be relied on
TO save from the electric chair Ber-
tram q. Spencer. the self confessed
highwayman and murderer. whose
case was called for trial In this city
today. Spencer 10 charged with the
murder Of Miss Martha b. Blackstone
and the night of March 81. last. The
murder, II 10 alleged, was the climax
of career OF crime extending over
many years and which the young man
successfully concealed by working ev.
cry day steadily and apparently lead.
Ing . respectable life.
The killing Of Miss Blackstone &C.
CURED at the homo of Mrs. Sarah J.
Dow In one OF the suburbs Of this city.
Mrs. Dow. her two daughters and Miss
Blackstone. who was q guest for the
night. were seated In the sitting room
about . small table. when an intruder
made q demand for money from the
dining room. They looked up to see
masked man In the dark doorway
threatening them with a revolver.
Mrs. Dow retained her composure and
replied. I'VE have no money" but
Miss Blackstone in fright jumped to
her feet and ran screaming into an
adjoining room. The burglar said
III you want to get killed. keep on
screaming" and fred AZ he spoke.
the bullet entering Miss Blackstone's
breast. Death followed instantly. The
murderer turned the revolver on the
group. shooting Miss Harriet Dow in
the head and seriously wounding her
The assailant then made his escape
through . grove surrounding the
house.
0Ieedhevnds Were Used.
For several days posses aided BY
bloodhounds secured Springfield and
the entire vicinity In . vain effort to
obtain Q clue to the murderer. The
authorities concluded that the perpe-
TRAITOR Of the crime was the same per.
son who had been burglarising Spring
field homes for two years past and
who had always escaped detection.
Finally citizen whose homo had been
entered some time previously turned
over to the police q gold locket which
he believed had been dropped BY the
burglar while escaping over fence In
the rear Of his house. Initials were
engraved ON the locket and with this
clue TO work on the police finally ar.
rested Spencer. young clerk en-
ployed In . local establishment. The
Initials on the locket corresponded
with those Of 6pencer's sister.
The young man broke down under
. 2l-hours' merciless grilling. and con-
fessed that no was tho mysterious
masked burglar and the murderer Of
Miss Blackstone. In his confession
Spencer made II clearer that. associat-
ed with his overpowering desire to
steal. were an intense love OF excite
ment. and . high degree Of personal
vanity. This latter the young man
had sratiAed for two years BY battling
the police and reading Newspaper &C.
counts Of his exploits.
He told the police that he had ex-
perienced no qualms Of conscience
from his crimes. He revealed . ca
reer Of almost lifelong crime. Follow.
Ing Q blow on the head while he was
. small boy. In Lebanon. Conn. his
native town. he began to steal at the
age Of nine. Later while still .
youth. he held up young women on the
highway and entered houses. BY On.
Gaging In legitimate occupations by
day. he had always escaped detection.