Cañon City record., 1911-09-14

BLOCKER s
+. MINIMUM
10 YEARS

etts, believed by the authorities to
be about the shrewdest forger and
swindler ever arraigned for punish
ment before the bar of justice in this
county, was sentenced by Judge Will
kin of the district court at noon to-
day in two cases to term of not less
than ten years nor more than twelve
years, in the state penitentiary at
hard labor; the sentence to run con-
currently
Blocker entered a plea of guilty
to the charges for which he was to-
day ordered taken 10 prison at the
June sitting of the district court and
testimony was taken at that time as
required by law in confirmation of
his confession after which he was re-
nanded to the county jail to await
sentence. Blocker. it will be remem-
bered, came here early last summer
from Oklahoma and succeeded in OBJ
tanning two hundred dollars from the
Fremont County National bank of
this city and twelve hundred dollars
from the State Bank of Florence by
false pretenses. He was caught by
City Marshal Julius Cramer with the
money on his person while in the act
of boarding a train a. Florence for
parts unknown and brought back
here and locked up pending his trial
in the district court
It developed after the arrest that
Blocker was a famous forger. ganib-
Ter and confidence man and was want
ed in half score of cities in var
ious parts of the country for crimes;
among others for the alleged robbery
at Seattle of a treasure laden vessel
from Alaska of $1,000 in gold bull
lion. All Of the detective agencies OF
the country had been on the lookout
for Blocker for months and his ap-
prehension here was regarded as a
great triumph for the local police
Blocker had operated under a dozen
aliases and his picture was conspie-
uously displayed in all OF the rogues
galleries from the Mississippi river
westward TO the Pacific coast.
He is reputed to have escaped from
the Jail at Hot Springs. Arkansas,
last December and from that time on
until his arrest here the police were
unable to obtain any trace of him.
His last exploit before coming here
was At Seattle. where he secured a
large sum OF money b. means OF for
gerry. Representatives OF the Pink
erton Detective agency state that
Blocker's forgeries ani swindles net
ted him during the last nine or ten
years nearly 100000. but that is
probably an exaggerated estimate.
Bloeker's mother WIS with him in
the court room at she time OF his
sentence and his wife was neryously
waiting in the corridors Of the court
house the pronouncement of his pun
ishment When Blocker's attorneys
had finished their statements in re-
lation to their client his mother ad-
dressed the court and asked that the
sentence ne made as light as possi-
Bile. When asked by Judge Wilkin II
he had anything to saw Blocker arose
ana made a dramatic plea for leni-
ency. He said that if an opportunity
was given him to do 10 he would live
an honorable. useful life and would
never again indulge in gambling. or
any other dishonest calling. He said
that his wife and eleven-year-old son
needed him and that il given chance
ne would show the world that he was
a reformed man Blocker's pleadings
for clemency were among the most
earnest and Affecting ever heard in
the district court here.
Blocker was taken TO the peniten-
tary by Sheriff Esser this afternoon
to enter upon his term OF punish
ment