Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-17
Beriram. G..Spsncsr Ex-
ecuted at 1918 am,
Shot and Killed Miss Black
stone Mar. 81, al Springfield.
Had TsrrlilsdIcIiy..forlTw Years By
Series Of BurgIarIss.
IEAsan

Boston, Sept 17-Bertram G. Spen-
Ger. who as masked burglar. shot
| and Killed Miss Martha B. Blackstone
at Springfield on March 81. 1910, paid
the penalty for his crime with death
| by electrocution at the Charlestown
| state prison at 12.1S.02, this morning.
Spencer was. officially pronounced
dead at 12.23.30, although death was
| probably instantaneous. Nineteen hum
dred volts were used and 10 to II am
peres.
Spencer was calm and walked into
| the death chamber unassisted AS he
took his place before the electric chair
he faced the small group of witnesses.
looking directly in front and speaking
clearly, with head up:
Il wish to say to The world and the
press, were his last words. that this
Is not nerve, but the love of God,
which has sustained me. Good night"
He sat down without tremor. The
electrodes We're adjusted and he calm
ly awaited the electric current 1t
came at a signal from Warden
Bridges and Spencer's body surged
against the straps that held him in the
chair and then collapsed. The ply
further application of the electricity
was needed and five minutes later
the official announcement of his death
was made.
Carrying out the dead mans Wishes
the body will be cremated, but the time
and place and the disposition of the
ashes have not yet been decided upon.
The official. witnesses of the electrocu-
Va L ptfd
who had charge; Drs. Charles c. Foster,
surgeon-general of the state militia; Jo-
seph l. Mclaughlin, prison physician:
Albert c. Aldrich, Somervllle. assistant
prison physician; DIR. George b. Nc
Grath, medical examiner of suffolk
county; and Rev. n. W. stebbins, prison
chaplain; Guy c. Perkins of Springfield.
Spencer's spiritual adviser and Thomas
s. Clancy of Somerville.
Mr.. Perkins had spent the entire day
with the condemned man and walked be-
side him, accompanied by the guards.
ON the short march from the death cell
to the chamber From the time Spencer
had been brought from the Hampden
county jail to Boston, he had been calm
Each day he received visits from Mr.
Perkins, who had acted as his spiritual
every day since he had been brought
here he had written to his wife in SPRING
field asking her forgiveness for the trag-
edy he had brought into her life. So far
as known he had received no answer to
his letters.
The crime for which Spencer was exc
cuted was the elimination of long se-
ries of petty burglaries by an armed and
masked man, which for two years had
baffied the police and detectives and ter
rorized the citizens of Springfield. The
fascination of reading newspaper ac-
counts of his exploits and of matching
his skill against the police in avoiding
detection was the motive for continuing
the burgfaries. according to confession
by Spencer.
On the night of March 81, 1870 Spencer
broke nto the home of Mrs Sarah j.
Dow on Round Hill in Springfield. Miss
Blackstone, who was a school teacher
of Springfield. was visiting at the home.
With Mrs. Dow and her two daughters.
Lucy J. and Harriet r.. she was putting
together picture puzzle when masked
man with leveIed revolver walked into
the room and demanded money.
| The women screamed and started to
|
| to stop and as the women did not heed
the warning he discharged the revolver
One shot entered Miss Blackstone's
heart, causing instant death. and the
other entered Miss Harriet Dow's head.
causing a fracture of the skull. from
which she recovered. The burglar and
murderer then fed.
Three months later, after rewards had
been offered by the governor and others.
detectives produced a locket which had
been found near the scene of one of the
many robberies. 1t contained pictures OF
Spencers mother and sister and bore his
initials. Spencer was known only as an
honest hard workin clerk in a meat
store, 2S years of age. with young wife
and baby The suspicion being confirmed
in various ways. however, Spencer was
arrested, and he surprised the police by
confessing not only to the many rob-
berries, but to the shooting of Miss
Blackstone In his home was found a
collection of miscellaneous articles he
had stolen.
Spencer was committed to the Bridge
water Asylum for the Criminal Insane
for observation and after 10 months was
returned sane. AT the trial the only de-
fence offered, however, was insanity In
his confession Spencer declared he did
not intend to kill Miss Blackstone. He
said when he came upon the women IN
the house he was more frightened than
they were and that he fired his revolver.
on the impulse rather than with any in
ltention to injure.
Several times during the trial, Spencer
broke out in wild rawlings in which he
was SO violent that the court had to be
adjourned until he could be auieted. He
was convicted. Nov. %. 1911 of first de-
gree murder and later sentenced TO be
lelectrocuted at Charlestown state pris-
on. He was removed to the death cell,
Sept 6.
A little more than a week ago q petit
| ton for a pardon on the ground OF In
sanity was presented to Gov. Foss, but
was not placed before the Executive
Council, which alone has the right to
commute sentences