The following statement was provided by George Blackburn. It's important to note that he often provided the prisons incorrect information. His age would often fluctuate between convictions. We're not sure if this was for his own amusement ,or if he honestly didn't know his age after spending so many years in and out of prison. Regardless... the Ohio State Penitentiary knew him well ,and he would serve seven convictions with them throughout his lifetime. 

This statement appears to be seeking sympathy for his past crimes in an attempt to get an early release. He claims to be "reformed" and a "changed man".  Obviously he would never stay true to those words.  The information in this article can only be described as "suspect" at best. However it's an interesting version of Blackburn's criminal history in his own words.

Interesting notes from this article :

- Blackburn describes the axe incident.  (local papers tried to claim he died from this event nearly 100 years later).
- Ohio Penitentiary prisoner records support the description of his wounds from the encounter.
- Blackburn claims to have worked on the Columbus State Hospital / Asylum during it's reconstruction.  
- Blackburn claims he was a bystander in a few of these crimes. However records show he was often the main culprit. 
- Blackburn was never committed to the Penitentiary for the arson. It was in his best interest to not mention his other crimes.