The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-07-10 00:00:00

THIE IN4UICBT.

The inquest on the body was held on the Monday
following at the Red LUI2 Inn, Rot I, by IS. Si'vaster,
Eaq., coroner, and the following evidence was adduced :
Sarah Ga. housemaid to Mr. Kent, deposed : thin my
duty to fasten the front of the home, mid in the evening
of F May, the alth of June, I fastened the windows and
shutters and door of the drawing-room. The window*
could not be opened (ruin the outside without thinagnig
the glair and stood-v.4k. There has helm no disagree-
ment between iiiyiielt or any of my fellow•aervants and
Jur mistress. On Saturday morning, the Alth June, I
came down Astir* at five minutes pout All and loumni the
drasing-room door open, and the shutter,' and window
slightly no. When I w-iit to bed on Friday 'oda I
lett my master and mistress up. When I iliecovered
the door open in the mormag I informed Mr. Kent, and
he Collie dOrrli stairs.

Elisabeth Gough cab! 1 have lived with Mr. Kent,
as nurse, for the last eight months. The iteceued child
was a cheerful, happy Loy, and slept in • child's crib in
the same room as myself. I put him to bed oil Friday
week at 8 o'clock ; he RSA then well and happy.
went to bed at five minutes atter 11, but previuualy
looked at deceased, who was asleep. Mrs. Kent came
and kissed the children before I was in laud. 1 awoke
at 5 o'clock in the morning ; the nursery door was •
little oi.eii, end I iminesipitely iniosed the deceased fruiu
his crib. The impression of hia body still reineined,
and the bedclothes were placed neatly, is if 1 or his
mother did it. The night-shirt and flannel waistcoat 1
put the child to hod in were gone ; the piece of flannel
produced does not belong to the house. On mooing
deccsaied 1 went to his mother's room, expecting she hail
taken hien while I was Wheels. Not finding him there,
I *torched through the house and grounds. In the
drowing•ruum I noticed impressions it lootmarks like •
mon's boot with hobnails, nut [could not discover any
footmarks on the loon outride. I sun a light sleeper,
and generally hesr any movement of the cliihlren or
cries. Mr. and Mrs. Kent slept on the saine floor an
myself, and the deceueil and a little girl in iny room.
On the second floor slept two elder girls in the same
bed, and Conotance, another girl, in a room by herself.
The cook and houatinaid also dept in one bed, and
Saville, a boy about 15 years of age, in a moo,
by Mooed. A watch-dog is loose at night, and can
nom round the hack of the house; I did not hear the
dug bark on Friday night.
Thoniu Render, yeulinui, of Road, said : On Saturday
Imbruing last I went with others to 11r. Kent's pr.:-
1111 SM at 8 o'clock ; I searched through the shubbery
for the deceased child on passing the privy, I noticed
some blood of a dark colour on the door end went in ; I
raised the lid of the privy and sent fur • light ; on pas-
sing my hand iii the opetiin4 I felt a blanket, which I
pulled out, and then discovered the body of the ilecesiaeil,
iire.ae.l in a night shirt, and lying mimics the splash
board on his side ; the board prevented the body fallieg
down lower; 1 ohserved • wound in decease l's tliroat,
and blood and soil over the body; we wrapped the bs.ily
in the blanket and carried it into the sitehets ; I and
some other men emptied the fall of the privy, but found
nothing 111.1COMUJOS in it.
Stephen Millett, butcher, of Road, depoaed : I am
parish co:bitable of Road ; haring heard of the murder
of the deceluied, I went on Saturday morning to the prs-
WIWI of Mr. Kent, and made a search with the •iew to
find anything that the deed inieit have liven com-
mitted with, but wan not successful; outside the privy
I found the bloody piece of paper produced ; on the
floor were about two table•apuous full and some spots of
blood.

Itr. Joshua Persona, snrgeon, of Beckington, deposed:
On examining the body of the deceased, I found two
imperticial CUL/ on the left band. The throat was cut
from ear to ear ; every structure down to the opine wan
severed. I abio found a stab made by a lung and strong-
pointed instrument, winch ;sowed through the cartilages
of two ribs, the diaphragm, and wounded the external
coat of the stoiliaeh. I should say death had taken
idoce quite live hours before I saw the body (shortly
after 8.) _ .

_ ,
The Jury, after the customary summing up of the
coroner, returned an open verdict of " Wilful Murder"
againet some persou or persons unhiseels.
Mr. Kent's two eldest children, a boy and • girl, it
may be rsmensbere.i. for the story gut into the news-
papers, mart d off about two years ago for Liverpool, to
gu to sea but were stopped. The girl had cut off her
hair, and was diaguised in her brother's clothes. The
boy is about 15 year. of sec and was hrielly questioned
at the inquest when he asserted his inability to elucidate
the mystery. Up to Moods , only the pariah constable
Ibed been engaged is ism the mime, and the