The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-09-10
Will He SUFFER NO PAIN =?
,.rw AND STARTLING TEST TO
NJ" GIVEN CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.
,,,,.derer Joins Sect in Belief That
Can Suffer No Pain IL He Has
perfect Faith There Is None.

wv" Can Suffer No Pain II He Has
po,sect Faith There Is None.
ono or rhe most remarkable Grim
=, of recent years, Bertram Z.
t +ancer the gentleman burglar
:. n be electrocuted this month,
-, nnt to a new and startling test
W." Cbristian Science doctrine that
'I can suffer no pain If person
CIV norfect faith that there IS none
N'I =. will be remembered that Spen-
NOS arrested following long list
'e hnroIaries committed in Spring
ga Mass, one of which terminated
n'0 ,bo murder of Miss Martha b.
- one of the occupants or
borse entered. The gentleman
a.ralar" was first charged with bur-
D'arr and assault, but this was later
7 lonoed TO murder. When a locket
~+aining the pictures of his mother
va sister led to his arrest after the
,nnrder of Miss Martha B. Black
zane Smith College graduate and
member of one of Springtield's
@,aost families, Spencer, confronted
Nv overwhelming evidence of guilt,
made a full confession.
rrom the time of his arrest Spen-
,or has dreaded the ordeal of death.
A. the trial he became pale at the
,,or+ion of electrocution, and when
The attorney general closed the ar
,r,,r,ant of the commonwealth OF
9fossachusetts with a ringing de-
mand for verdict of guilty in the
fret degree Spencer gasped-then
collapsed.
As the time for the execution draws
near Spencer's derheanor has chang
al completely A Jail attendant re-
cantIv interested him in Christian
Science. and at the prisoners request
a reader of that religion visited him
IN his cell. When the reader depart
od Spencer was convinced that,
-brongh Christian Science, electro
.ution. in his case, will be robbed of
IFS nncanny features and that his ex-
nerience in the death house will be
attended by neither physical or men
tai suffering.
Spencer believes that in dying
nainlessly he will circu vent the law
and the intent of the law. This line
Of reflection has afforded Spencer
so much satisfaction that his long
maintained sullen, morose bearing
has given place to positive cheerful
ness.
Spencer's latest step plainly shows
his unusual impulses. AS faithful
shipping clerk by day and murder
GUS burglar at night Spencer's dual
personality was likened to the
strange character in Stevenson's
great book, DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde.
Spencer, who is 81 years old at
present, did not begin his criminal
career until four years ago. At that
time he was in receipt of fair sal
ary. He had a comfortable home, a
loving wife and a son of two years,
whom he idolizea. The circumstances
surrounding the inception of the
criminal tendency, Spencer has stat
ed, are not clear even to himself.
Before he became a burglar Spen-
GERS acquaintances did not include
single criminal. Apparently he had
no criminal tendencies, but within
two years he committed "a burglaries
and hold-ups. His high-handed meth
DDS and seeming contempt for the
police stamped him as desperate
lawbreaker Prior to the murder OF
Miss Blackstone only one person had
the temerity to resist him. Spencer
unhesitatingly shot him.
In August, 1911, Spencer was re-
manded from Bridgewater to the
county jail in Springfield to await
trial for murder At his trial last
November he ragged, moaned and
cursed by turns, and twice attempt
ed to leap from his cage when spe-
cially damaging evidence was intro
duced The trial lasted two weeks
The jury returned in few hours
verdict of guilty in the first degree.
In July Spencer was sentenced to be
electrocuted in the week of Septem-
Der 18th.