The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-07-25 00:00:00

ROAD HILL HOUSE.

INTERIOR

nitE TRIAL OF CONSTANCE KENT.
SALISBURY, Thursday.—The Salisbury swims opened
this rooming in the Court Moose, in the Market.
plaoe.
Mr. Justice Willeepresided in the Crown Court.
The standing seventh on the calendar, de-
- as of no occupation, and well in
received iuto the custody of Mr.
- of the House of Correction, at
of May last, charged with the
Francis Saville Kent, at North
or 30th of June, 1860.
graad jury having been called, and
appointed foreman, they were
to deliver hie
calendar was
- the more
he, with
Bill • case
with the
of her

to bison corn-
otthit 29th June, 1860.
remarks upon that
they be useful to you
in your room and
you will Bad • true bill
.... I do not think it would
become um to enter into any general rse'
marks. upon • cam which has caused so mush,
ft would be unwise and imprudent on my,
pat lb Sims@ eertaiin questions which may arise in Ilks
cowls of the trial, but whisl do not appear by Wei
deposit:lona to have arisen before the magistrates im
such • form as to render it necessary that I should"
an inion upon them. I shall !imply inform
Ii •cl in which the boy who was
Inestim yby some one—was taken in
to icor out of the -- he was
maid

tinker

Evil

House, on the 30th of June, 1860. How say you, are
YOU guilty or not guilty?
The prisoner, in a tone of voice scarcely audible, said
—Guilty.
Mr. Justice Wilke, pausing—Are you aware that you
are charged with having wilfully, intentionally, and
with malice, killed your brother?
Prisoner, holding down her head, and still in a low
tone of voioe—Yee.

Mr. Justice Willes.—And yon plrai guilty to that'
The prisoner here hesitated.
Mr. Justice Willes, after waiting some momenta amid
the breathless gleam of the Court, said, "What is
your answer?'
..

" The prisoner still remained silent.
The Judge.—l must repeat to you that you are
charged with haying wilfully, intentionally, and with
malice, killed and murdered your brother. Are you
guilty or not guilty
The prisoner. raising her voice e little, replied, Guilty.
Mr. Justice Wiles: Let the pie* be recorded.
A profound silence then ensued in court, which was
broken by
Mr. Coleridge, the prisoner's counsel, standing up and
saying—l desire to say two things before your lordship
pronounces sentence. First, solemnly in the presence
of Almighty God. as a person who values her own son!,
the prisoner wishes mete say that the guilt is her own
alone, and that her father and others, who have so long
suffered most noted and and suspicions, are wholly
and absolutely innocent; and secondly, that she was
not driven to this act, as ban been asserted, by unkind
treatmeLt at home, as she met with nothing there but
tender and forbearing love; and I hope I may add, not
improperly, that it gives me a melancholy pleasure to be
the organ of these statements for her, because on my
honour, I believe them to be true.
The Deputy Clerk of Arraigns said—You have con-
fessed yourself guilty of the murder of Francis Saville
Kent. Have you ssithingto say why sentence of death
should not be passed upon you?
Prisoner muttered " No."
The Judge, with much emotion, then said —Constance
Kent, you have pleaded guilty to an indictment
• you with the wilful murder cf your brother,F.
ant, on the 30th of June, 1860. It is my duty
I theltilea which you haveldeliberately put for-
end it is a satisfaction to me to know that it was
laded until after havingthad the advice of your
who would have freed you from this dreadful
'you could have been freed thereof. I can
—sinew doubt, after haying read the evidence with
depositions, and considering that this the third cou-
rt of your crime, that your plea is one of a really
• person. The mender was one committed under
mtances of great deliberation and cruelty. You
to have allowed your feelings of jealousy and
have worked in our breast, until at last they
overyou the.i aence and the power of the
On&
The • became
Nor '

I-
to

assumed

_ charge, -
scribes the prisoner
stiacted. She Wig it
A. Alexander, keeper
Devisee, on the 4th
wilful murder of F
Bradley, on the 29th
Tb 4 names of the I
Lord Henry Thynoe
TIVWOIII.
The reed :edge then proceeded
charge. He expressed his regret that the ix
along and heavy one, and after referring to
sarions oases in the order in which they stood,
reference to the case of Min Heat, said —" This,
in whieh Octane Esnilie Kent is charged w
murder d her brother by the second marriage
datber, which murder is alleged to have le-
nifitteed as far back as the night otthe
ri shall abstain from making any
wage exempt titbee which I think
'whoa you Omit to consider it
tO detentitte' whether
• cie *Weir oat the bill.
- here