El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-04-19
Attorney Renchan Protests at What He Terms
"Mob Rule at Trial of E. w. BIancett Last Night
Sheriff Tells
HOW BIQncctt
Shot Himself
(From Wednesdays Daily

state that he was about to be arrest
ed on the charge Of numbering cIydO
D. Armour? Was his visit to thu
tent house on the island where hi
mother, Mrs. Baker, lived, In accord
ance with a carefully prepared plal
to get a shotgun and end II all, rathe
than face a visit to New Mexico an,
a trial for murder?
These are questions that have beef
asked ever since Blancett jammed
shotgun against his throat and ap
parently attempted to kill himself, es
Gaping death merely because the bar
rel slipped and discharged the load
Of shot in his chest.
Sheriff George Mead, of San Juar
county. Washington state, testified al
the Blancett trial late yesterday af
ternoon that Blancett himself hat
told him that he did not contemplate
suicide when he entered the tent
house. He said that Blancett remark
ed that If he had wished to commit
suicide he would have jumped off the
little steamer that was taking him
as a prisoner to the island to say
farewell to his mother.
How he came to have a converse
ton about the attempted suicide was
related by Mr.. Mead on the witness
stand, as follows:
II was sitting up with Ebert after
the shooting; he was in the hospital
in Friday Harbor, Washington. II
was between 2 and 3 O'clock in the
morning. Ebert was awake and
gave him a drink of water and a Gig.
arctic. Then I asked him whether he
intended to shoot himself when he
got to Friday Harbor. He said, No;
IL | wanted to commit suicide, I'd
have jumped off the boat I asked
him how he did such a bum job. He
answered that Just before he pulled
the trigger the son-of-a-slipped.'
Attorney Renehan, representing de-
PENDANT, made a motion to strike out
the evidence as immaterial and ire
%levant, and tending to prejudice
against the defendant. Judge Abbott
denied the motion.
Sheriff Mead was on the stand an
hour or more and told Of his connec.
tion with the case from the time he
received a telegram from Chief of Pc
lice ]. r. Galusha, of albuquerque
N. NJ, to arrest Blancett on the charge
of murder, to the arrival of Blan.
cett in Seattle on his way to New
Mexico. AS reported in the press
dispatches at the time, Blancett took
his arrest calmly on December 30 OF
last year. protesting his innocence.
Couldn't Tell Mother
The sheriff said that the defendant
had entered the tent house unaccom.
panied as he had stated he wished to
unpack a heavy valise containing
some candy for his mother and some
tobacco for his step-father. They were
New Years presents. Suddenly the
sheriff heard a shot and when he en-.
tered the tent house he saw Blancett
lying on the floor, a gun beside him.
The defendant had partially unpack-
ed his valise and had removed his
overcoat and his coat. He said that
he asked the defendant what he
meant by firing off the gun and that
Blancett could not speak at first, but
later replied: 81 couldn't tell mother,
The sheriff said he replied to this
statement: my God, Ell, talk about
breaking your mothers heart-you
are certainly doing 1t now!"
The witness said that Blancett shot
himself on December 81, 1916, and re-
manned in the Friday Harbor hos
pital until the morning of January
10, this year. Before leaving the
stand the witness identified two slips
OF paper handed him by MI. Davies as
exhibits "B3" and "C3," saying he
the papers first in the hospital
Friday Harbor. He said that he
had sent the papers to Attorney Mel
vim T. Dunlavy, of Santa Fe. The
papers were not offered in evidence
yesterday afternoon.
On cross-examination, the sheriff
said that R1ancett had declared that
he would go back to New Mexico and
show the people that he was not
guilty Of the crime with which he
was charged.
On direct examination the witness
stated that Blancett's sister wa on
The boat on the way to Seattle and
had asked the defendant whom he
irove out of Denver when he started
the coast. The sheriff testified
hat Blancett replied that he had
lriven an old couple. The sheriff
could not remember their names. He
'aid they lived in New York state,
according to the defendant.
In Blancett's room at the Maple
House, Friday Harbor, Wash, the wit.
said he saw "a couple Of cam.
'ras"; n raj small, and the other
arge enough to take pictures post
lard size.
In Char0e of