Norwich bulletin., 1912-07-04
SPENCER WISELY MOVED AS SENTENCE WAS PRONOUNCED
Tears in His Eyes at Times-Text of
 Judge Crosby's Sentence.

Bertram G. Spencer. in marked con trast to his former behavior, listened calmly Tuesday marning in the supe- rlor court at Springfield to Judge John c. Crosby, when the latter sentenced nm to die in the electric chair some time during the week beginning Sun day, Sept. 15. Spencer stood with his hands firmly clasped behind his back and replied No, sir when asked whether he had anything to say why sentence should not be passed upon him, the only words that he was heard to speak during the netire time that he was in the court room. While list entng to the sentence as it was read V the judge, the condemned man stood erect, staring straight before him. and the fact that his eyes filled with tears and that he winked often as though to clear them away were the only signs he gave of outward emotion. When the sentence had been read he walked firmly to the cab waiting outside and entered it's door.
 The full text of the sentence as pass ed by Judge Crosby is as follows:
 Bertram G. Spencer:
 At the May sitting of the superior court for the county of Hampden. be- ginning on the first Monday of May l. 1910, the grand jury found an indict- ment against you for the murder of Miss Martha B. Blackstone. That in dictment was duly returned into this court. and upon plea of notguilty you were placed upon your trial upon No- vember 13s 1911
 h the selection of disinterested and fair minded jury you were per m1tted to exercise your free right to challenge. The trial occupied 12 days. 1 and was conducted with careful regard for your rights before an intelligent pa1nstak1ng and impartial jury, whose close attention to their duties indicat- ed a desire to arrive at the truth. You met the witnesses against you l face to face, and in procuring witness es in your defense you were aided by the commonwealth without limit as to expense. You have been represented by able and industrious counsel who have devoted themselves to your in 1 terest with marked fidelity, energy and ability; and it is difficult to see how | more could have been done in your be- half
 The jury after mature deliberation declared that you were guilty of mur- der in the first degree. Subsequently, l at different times two motions for a new trial were filed by your counsel, and after full hearing upon these mo- 1 ttons the court felt compelled to deny l them Your exceptions taken during | the trial based upon objections to rul- | ings of the court have cen carefully 1 considered by our supreme judicial | court for the commonwealth and have 1 been overruled. Your constitutional 1 rights have been fully protected. You l have had a fair and impartial trial by ] a jury of your peers, whose duty it was | to determine the fact of your guilt or 1 innocence tn accordance with the law The Jury has found you guilty and
 our highest court has declared that | your trial was conducted in accordance
 with correct principles of law, and was
 without eTrer in that respect. The re- | suit of the trial, and all the proceed. ] ihgs in the ease. have made it certain | s6 far IS 1t is within the power of any | human tribunal te make it so, that yoi l are guilty of the ofHense charge, | against you.
 It was made certain at the trial tha 1 on the 3lst day of March, fAie. in tn. 1 evening of that day, you broke and en
 tered the dwelling house of Mrs. Sarai 1 J. Dow on Round Hill and after talk
 ing certain property of the owners
 which you found in the house. you de
 manded money, and then shot ant
 killed Miss Blackstone. an innocent ant
 blameless woman, and immediatel,
 afterWard shot and severely Wounde,
 another persons. Miss Lucy J. Dow
 The homicide was apparently withou
 excuse or provocation, and was com
 mftted with motives known only t yourself. I do not care to further re
 call the details of this awful crime
 which shocked and alarmed this wlol l community. The fact that a crime O
 this magnitude and brutality has bee
 traced tq you, and that you have bee
 convicted only after a full. fair an
 impartial trial, indicates that in thi ancient commonwealth at least we liv , under "a government of laws and no 2 of men"
 1 deeply syrnpathize with the mem i bers of your afflicted family, yet
 must be remembered that the protec
 tion of society against wilful, wicke and deliberate murder is of more i'm
 portance than the life of a single indi | vidual To me the painful but imper
 alive duty remains to pronounce tn
 only ser tence which the law imposes ! in so doing I only act by virtue of th supreme power of the commonwealr
 as minister of the law.
 It is considered and ordered by th , court that you. Bertram q. Spence
 shall be taken 10 the jail in this coun 7 ty, and there kept in close custody un til within ten days prior to Suuda! the 18th day of September next. whe you shall be removed to the state pris
 on in Boston, in the county of SuffOll
 and there kept in close confinemer
 until the said 18th day of said Septem Der. when, within the week beginnin , on said last day, you shall suffer deat
 by the passage of current of electric
 fly through your body, and this is tn