The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1895-08-03
but for the purpose Of publication, but
could not remember if it was ever

Dr. Reed was recalled and examined
Is to the extent Of the muscular ac-
ton after death. Thomas Swidensky,
the accomplish, on whose testimony
hinges the states case, was then
called. Before the witness vas sworn
Attorney Hildreth objected to the tes-
timOny while sentence was hanging
over witness head as a threat; de-
manded that the state enter a nolle
PROSE-, and for the further reason that
his name was not Endorsed on the in
formation. Objection overruled. Swi-
densky testified to the fact of being
employed by Kent and with having a
conversation with Kent In February
about his wife.
Court adjourned to 9 o'clock on Fri
day morning.
Fargo, N. D., July 26.-The story Of
~Swidensky, the alleged accomplice of
ening details to-day. Swidensky testi-
fes that Kent agreed to give him
$4,000 If he would kill Mrs. Kent.
At first the witness refused because
h4 was afraid he would be. hung, but
Kent .told. him he. had it all planned
out~ff:3here was no danger. Kent
approached4him several times, and on
March 9ahe. agreed to commit the
crime. He was to meet''s Kent in
Prairie City, after getting out Of Jail,
and get his money. Kent Went away
On Monday, telling Swidensky to go
to the postofice Tuesday and get a
letter for Mrs. Kent. He got the let
ter and Mrs. Kent told him it was
from q priest who had seen Kent 60
ing to Minneapolis. Then she began
to cry and said no more.
Tuesday night about II he called
Mrs. Kent up and told her there
burglars around the house. The lit
tie boy, Earl, looked out Of the win
dow and said he could e them, and
while Mrs. Kent was looking Swi-
densky got the gun. When she
started to go to the sitting room he
raised the gun and fired and Mrs.
Kent fell dead. Swidensky then went
to the Hankey farm and told them
that burglars had been around the
house, that he wanted to go out but
Mrs. Kent wouldn't let him. He had
his gun in his hand and it had been
accidentally discharged and Mrs. Kent
killed. In company with Hankey he
returned to the ent house and then
went down town. He told the same
story Of accidental shooting to other
people.
The defense objected to the testi-
mony Of witness as to acts subsequent
to the homicide Is not binding on de-
PENDANT. The jury was excused from
the room and the law point argued.
The ruling on the question was
postponed by the court.
Swidensky identified the book taken
from him at the time of the arrest,
which contained the whole story he
was to tell before the coroner's in
quest. Witness stated the contents
were written before the murder at
Kent's dictation.
The attendance was larger this after
noon than usual, the audience listen
ing intently to the account of the hor-
rible crime as it fel frlom the lips of
Swidensky. A lady tainted in the
court room, overcome by the story of
the accomplish. The gun with which
Mrs. Kent was killed was identified
by the witness, who said the shooting
was not accidental, but that the shot
was fired with the intent of killing
Mrs. Kent. He did 1t because Kent
told him to. The book in which the
plot was alleged to have been written
by Swidensky at the dictation Of Kent
was introduced in evidence and the
witness spent the greater part of the
afternoon in TRANSMITTING the story,
which it was arranged he was to tell
after the homicide. During the recital
of the actual committal of the murder,
Kent cried like a child. The cross
about 5 o'clock and before adjourn
ment he went completely to pieces,
and Mr.. Hildreth was obliged to wait
for him to recover. The witness tes-
tilted that he saw Detective Hoy in
the Mandan jail and that Hoy talked
nice and kind to him, and when the
detective left he told him to come
again and he would tell him all.
Ehrlichman came in August and in
stead Of Hoy and he told him part Of
the plot of Kent, and the next day, at
Ehrlichman's request, he told ]: in the
presence of a number of witnesses.
Since being brought to .Cass county,
Swidensky has been sick and has been
taking medicine. The defense made
q demand for the bottles, they con
tending he has been given a strong
stimulant to carry him through the
trial. The cross-examination of Swi-
densky will be completed tomorrow
and at the request Of the defense
Judge Mcconnell has ordered that he
be allowed to. see no n until after
the complst1m Of his testimony. +.
-. -