Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-25

tracted 90 much attention ia England demands
more than a passing notice. for it involves many
very interesting topics connected with testimony
in cases OF murder. Some Of our readers will
remember the circumstances OF the MURDER in
question IL Is now some I've years since il oc-
Cured Mr. Kent resided a. ROsdhil House
He had living seven ehildren-Constance and
Der two sisters, and a brother. children OF his
hrst wife and another son aud two daughters b.
his second vile. Who vas also living. On the
night OF tho murder the nurse was sleeping 10
the room With The younger son. boy OF four
years old. vbo lay ia crib When the nurse
woke in the morning the child was missing
Search was made. and bis BODY was found ia the
privy. a. some distance from the house. a stab IN
the side, the throat cut from to ear. a deep
cut 10 The spinal column, and black marks about
the face indicating sufocation. Here was q mys-
terry indeed The two questions, who did Il, aud
how Il was done, were equally pulling Was
the child sufocated. or noti If not. how was
the murder committed without noise OF any
kindf The surgeon said the stab 10 the side was
made with long, sharp pointed instrument. and
the throat cut with sharp razor. What a
stock Of murderous intent. as we'll as weapons,
was required for the three several methods thus
suggested by which life was takeni Every at
tempt to trace the murderer failed. Suspicion
fell on various persons 10 succession, but all
alike were discharged by public opinion, well
s. by the officers of the law No clue was 90
tanned 10 the terrible mystery. and though sus
picion was directed toward Constance, then a
school girl of sixteen, at home for her vacation
yet the idea was soon abandoned as preposterous,
nor was there a circumstance elected which
justly cast suspicion on her. a missing night
dress belonging TO Der was never accounted tor,
hut il was proved that 1t had been sent 70 the
wash, and had no blood on il when It was so
sent These were the only facts IN the case.
The child was murdered. and that was all.
Years passed, aud public feeling seemed to
settle down against Dir. Kent the father, 81
that at length be was obliged 20 remove 10 a dis
tant part of the country, still followed by the
dark suspicion, which rested on no foundation
and was perhaps all the more bitter for that very
fact.
Now comes Consta9ce Kent, in 1865 a yonng
lady of twenty one, AID makes a confession IN a
few words, brief but full, and then seals her lips
Here are her words:
Il, Constance Emile Kent. alone and unaidod
on the night Of the 29th June, 1860. murdered
at Roadhil House, Wiltshire, one Francis Saville
Kent. Before the deed no one knew Of ms in
tention, nor after il of my guilt. No one
assisted me in the crime, nor in the evasion of
discovery"
This she wrote out and signed, and accom-
panied BY religious adviser. went TO a mags-
trate and voluntarily handed il to him. She
gives no other explanation. bu: goes TO prison
silent and apparently satisfied The mystery
instead of being cleared by this startling COMES
sion, becomes darker than ever. In point of
fac, there seems now TO be just reason for very
grave doubt whether she is guilty, or whether
she is not yielding herself 10 a mental delusion
There is no help given by the circumstances
under which she makes the confession. Rev
Mr.. Wagner, the clergyman who accompanied
her, belongs to the Church of England ar2 Is
one of the order of imitators of the Catholic
customs. la his parish he has established the
confessional system as practiced in the Roman
church Miss Kent was a member of House
for Religious Ladies" known as st. Marv's
Home, at Brighton, which is also, we believe,
one OF the new inventions of some persons 10 the
Church of England. She has been leading a
religious life" there for some time, aud on the
formal examination before the magistrates in the
country to whom she was transferred after her
confession, she was accompanied by lady call
ing herself the Superior of this House. Both
this lady and the Rev Mr.. Wagner claim that
their communications with Miss Kent have been
under the seal of secrecy, and Mr.. Wagner de
clines testifyiag, on toe ground that the seal OF
the confessional protects him. With very great
proprety. courts in England and America
recognize this protection in the case OF
Catholic clergyman, where the confes-
sional is part Of the established order
in the church But the question seems to
excite doubt in England whether a clergyman
of the established church can claim any such eI
emption from duty TO communicate the truth
and the whole truth. These facts, however, en-
velop the case in doubt Here are two persons
who have bad charge OF this young lady in re-
| treat from the world. and who now accompany
her to the magistrate. where she lays down this
written confession, and the public are left to in
agine the influences that have surrounded her.
and the effects produced on her mind during her
secluson The fact that there has been insanity
in her family has its Importance too. Her grand
mother and an uncle are known to have been in
sane, and she herself, when quite young, once
ran away from home dressed in boys clothes.
But if insane, to which act shsll the insanity be
applied explanatory, the murder the con
| fession7 Is it any the less Likely that this con-
fes-ion is the result of diseased mind, delu-
sion cherished In convent life. and encouraged
by foolish people like the Rev. Mr.. Wagner,
than that it led girl of sixteen to murder boy
of four. and remain cool. calm and free from sus-
| picIon for years after? On the whole athe case
| is one of the most remarkable on record, and
| great interest will attach to the trial which is
now set down for July .-New York Journal OF
| Commerce