COLORADO: Darling of the Gods

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Return from Exile. Over the years, Blackmer made some overtures of peace to the U.S. In all, he paid $3,671,065 in income taxes, $60,000 in penalties. This summer, after 25 years in exile, Henry Blackmer decided the time for his return had come. Last week he and his wife boarded an Air France plane at Paris and were flown to Boston. As they set out for Denver by train, it was easy to see that time had taken its toll with the Darling of the Gods. He was stooped and almost blind. But he still knew how to handle inquisitive reporters—he chuckled amiably, posed for photographs and said nothing.

This week he stood up in Denver's federal court to face the charges—four indictments for perjury, two for evasion of income tax—which had piled up during his long absence. His attorneys obviously expected an easy out. But Judge Orie L. Phillips insisted that he enter a plea of guilty to the income tax charges, took the perjury counts under advisement, and deferred judgment. Blackmer walked out slowly, lips pursed, black shoes squeaking and was driven away to his son's fashionable Cherry Hills mansion to nurse his hope of forgiveness a little longer.