The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-05-02 00:00:00

EXAMINATION AT TROWBRIDGE.

On Wednesday morning Miss Kent was btought by
Inspector Williamson' to Trowbridge, by the first train.
The magistrates met at 11 o'clock in Petty Sessions.
The Court-house was besieged by a vase assemblage,
many of whom had some from a far distance, anxious
to witness this new phase of the ever-memorable
Road Murder Case. The magistrates, however, re-
mained in private consultation until half-past twelve,
when the Rev. A. Wagner having arrived, the public!,
and representatives of the press were admitted into the
Court. The prisoner was brought in by Superintendent
Han-is, of the Trowbridge police, and Sergeant Thomas,
of the Metropolitan force. The tnagitorates on the
Bench were—H. G. G Ludlow, Req., (who it will be
remembered was the presiding magistrate at the numerous
Investigations which took place immediately subsequent
to the murder), J. H. Webb, C. F. D. Caillard, J. P.
Stanscombe, Thomas Clarke, and John Sink ins, &qrs.
the latter a Somerset magistrate. The chief constable
of Wilts, Captain. Meredith, and Superintendent Woolfe
were also rites, nt—The Court, as may be 'opposed,
was quickly filled, and some hundreds wtre unable to
gain admittanoe. . .

- The prisoner entered the court, accompanied by the
Lady Superior of the Home at Brighton, of which she
had been an inmate. She walked with a firm step to
the dock, whither she was closely followed by her
religious adviser and friend, whoseemed to bestow upon
her almost maternal care and attention, and for whom
• seat was provided besidethe prisoner during her exam-
ination. Miss Kent was neatly dressed in mourning,
wearing a mantle of black cloth, small white-worked
collar, black kid gloves, fashionable black bonnet,andelom
thick veil Though she does not appear to have grown in
height knee last we saw her, she has from a delicate,
lady-like yet healthy-looking girl of seventeen
developed into • buxom, sturdy woman, with ruddy
cheeks, which might be looked for in a dairymaid or
village girl, but would scarcely be expected in:oar:row
vizi who had just coma from a life of a
In a " religious house," where she had resided
for nearly two years. She, in fact, presoak
a stout, robust appearance, and is evideogl
in the full vigour of health. She observed • calm but
dignified composure, sad her demeanour throughout
the inquiry was of a MOO hemming character, exhibit- I
log no boadmatio or Mall* attitude, tip:awls lie

bdtii narg:dt
preserved a coolness and self-possession which, nuke
the circumstances, were turprising. Upon the eom-
mencement of the inquiry she was requested to
examinationremained
sitnaimendaourp,waiundiams.h.e.,
ill
ovAedvinegarettepro-
file end of the examination. In the course a
meet which the prisoner had written, and when speaking
of the murder to which she had oonfessed, she suddenly
sank to her seat, and appeared overwhelmed with grief.
She shed tears copiously, and leant forward to Miss
cured, which she used, and a glass of water was
proffered her, but she declined it. The Lady Superior
eGnrdeeeant:ouwrhedo tOrasconhaeomle herself
and whe
was habitat' in that style of costume which is usually worn by Sisters of Mercy, but it was not of
so extreme a character as is sometimes met with. She sat almost motionless during the inquiry, but
a quivering of the lips was frequently observable,
which we at one time attributed to silent prayer,
and at another to an endeavour to suppvala ha.
emotion. When raising her hand to her face her cloak was
oast aside, and we observed that she had a large bruen
crucifix hung upon her breast.. Her condolence with the
accused in her ead position was of the most unobtrusive
character, and sKa appeared to watch over her charge with
the tenderest solicitude. The picture presented in court,
the centre of attraction being the dock, in which went
seated the prisoner and her companion bearing every
outward semblanoe of belonging to a religions order,
was strange indeed, and suggestive of many reflections as to the manner in which the conieusion had been
made.
The Chairman said : Constance rent, yen are brought
here on • warrant issued from Bow-street Pohoe Court,
and the evidence given against you there wilt now he
read over to you.
The Clerk to the magistrates then read over the eel.
deuce of the Rev. Arthur Wagner taken at Bow-street,
on Tuesday, before Sir Thomas Henry. The PIM gen-
Heinen now affixed his signature thereto.
The prisoner declined asking Mr. Wagner any
question.
Inspector Frederick Williamson was then called. He
said : I ani Inspector of the Detective Form of the
Metropolitan Police. On Tuesday afternoon, the 25th
April, I went to Bow-street Polioe-oeurt, where I found
the prisoner. She was under examination before Sir
T. Henry, the chief magistrate. A paper was handed
to her by Sir Thomas, which I produce. She was
asked whether it was her handwriting, and she said it
was.

The prisoner asked Inspector Williamson no questions.
The Chairman : Constance Kent, have you any
reason to give why you should not be remanded to meet
the evidence which might be brought against you?
The prisoner very faintly said "No,
The Chairman: Then you are remanded until Thurs-
day next, the 4th of May, at 11 o'clock, and in the
interval you will be taken to Devises gaol. The
prisoner was then removed.
Some difficulty will doubtless be experienced in
obtaining the attendance of the various witnesses neces-
sary to be examined. Elizabeth Gough is said to have
emigrated to Australia, but we were on Wednesday M.
formed by one of the county police su perintende nte that she
was respectably married, and residing in London. Other
witnesses have also left the neighbourhood, whilst one at
least, Mr. Superintendent Foley, ii long since deeeased.
The evidence will all have to be gone through afresh, se
the magistrates cannot commit the prisoner for tri.l
upon her own unsupported confession. The Rev. Mr.
Wagner was, however, bound over to attend and give
evidence against the prisoner upon her trial at the next
'wise for th 3 county of Wilts.
Miss Kent wrote a letter to her father on Wednes.
day. Mr. K.arslake, Q.C., is retained for the pro-
secution. It i now thought by some that the murder
was not committed with a carving knife, as was
generally believed, nor, indeed, with any knife at all,
and that material matter for the prosecution will turn
upon this point. A letter sent to Miss Kent cm
Thursday evening is said to have come from her father.
Her demeanour has not changed. She is extremely
reserved, and passes her time principally in doing plain
ne Ale work.

_
The circumstances from which the opinion was formed
by some in 1860, that Miss Kent was guilty, are these:
—The improbability of Mr. Kent having left his wife's
bed-room to visit that of the maid, which was separated
from the former by a small dressing-closet only, and so
situated, in fact, that the one room oould be seen into
from the other, compared with the fact of Miss Kepi
being up and dressed earlier than usual on the mot-Ling
of the murder; of her witnessing the consternation to
which the discovery of the absence of the child first
gave rise without apparent concern; of the night-dress
upon which there were blood steins being stuffed into
the oven, and of its subsequent disappearance; together
with the further fact of there being but two out of three
night-dresses (the number Miss Kent said she possessed)
found.

Inspector Williamson was at Road and From* last
Friday, and had interviews with several persons who
previously gave evidene in this cage. We ha % e good
authority for stating that he has obtained important
information. The case will occupy some weeks, at least,
to complete.
The Dads News says :—"Further light is wanted on
this matter. The law does not favour the indiscriminate
reception of confessions; and even out of the &tines-
nhere of religious houses, girls of the age of Constance
Kent have been known to accuse themselves wrong-
fully of terrible crimes. As a rule, the public
would sooner see a prisoner attended into court by her
legal than by her spiritual adviser, the director of
her conscience ; and this is a wholesome jealousy.
Constance Kent is the daughter, and grand-daughter,
and niece of persons afflicted with lunacy. Here-
ditary disease may have impelled her to violence,
or it may explain • delusion. Should the unhappy
young woman be convicted of the terrible crime
of murder, we may expect that it will be because
her confession will elucidate, harmonise, and oompaot
the external circumstantial evidence yet extant, rather
than because it is eonaidered ulsijesg In Niel".