Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-08-08
consume more than a day In present.
ing Its side Of the case.
Kent ON the stand.

behalf and will tell his version Of why
he left home the day before the home
eide, and why he remained away. j.
G. Clark, r. M. Tuttle, 8. B. Seavey
and Mrs. Jones were recalled by the
state and questioned In regard to min.
or matters.
Mrs. Charles Wheeler, Of Fargo, tes-
tilted to having lived within mile OF
Kents parents in Medina county,,
Ohio, and that they were known by.
the name Of Pancoast and also to hav-
ing conversation with Kent In the
Morton county jail, in which he inquir-
ed after his parents. The opening for
the defense was made by Attorney
Hildreth, who consumed almost an
hour. He roundly denounced private
counsel, who he said had wormed into.
the case from far away Hennepin
county, Mimi, sent in revengeful
spirit for the purpose of taking away
the life Of defendant. He classed Hoy
as a thing not worthy Of notice, who
drew twelve hundred dollars year
for eoncocting stories to convict peo-,
pie Of crime.
The first witness called this after
noon was S. V. Seavey, who testi-
fed to the pleasant relations between.
defendant and his wife. Frank Wild
er testified along same line. w. e..
Martin had been with Kent at Bis.
marck the entire week before the.
homicide, and had returned to Man
dan with him on Saturday, night about,
10 o'clock. j. G. Clark testified that
Swidensky had told him Ehrlichman
was the attorney his brother sent him.
A. J. Smith, who was an inmate Of
Burleigh county Jail with Swidensky,.
was told by him that he did not think
they would do as much with him; that
Kent was the fellow they were after;
that they had told him so. Myron r..
Kent. defendant. was sworn in his
own behalf. and denied in detail the.
story Of the alleged job to kill Mrs..
Kent. Witness testified they were
married III Ao>,J anu uau alwa, Deen
very happy. He denied ever. telling
his wife she was damn fool and
only fit to live in a manure pile. or
that he ever told Tom or any one else,
that Mrs. Kent carried insurance on
her life, because she neven did. He.
denied he ever said Lairds has robbed
him OF money in mines, or that he had
ever invested money that way. The,
Monday morning before the homicide.
witness testified he had breakfast be-
fore 6 o'clock and that Earl did not
go out to the barn at, all that morn
ing. He. started away right after
breakfast and as he went down over
the hill in front of the house he turn
ed and waved a good bye to his wife
and little boy who were standing in
the doorway. That, he said, his voice
choking up, was the last time I have.
had chance to speak to my little
Earl and was the last time I saw my
wife. Kent was almost completely
Frustrated at the time and Judge Nc.
Cornell ordered an adjournment till
morning.
Fargo, N. D., Aug. 1.-The attend
ance at the Kent trial was larger
than usual this morning, a great many
ladies being in the audience. The d..
rect examination of Kent was COM
pleted and consisted in denial of the
statements made by Swedensky. On
cross-eElanination the witness testified
that his name was William Wiley.
Pancoast and that he was born in
Ohio. In 1873 he was cashier of the
First National Bank at Medina, and
left there suddenly, because of a diff
ticulty in the bank. He went to To-
rollto, and assumed the name of An
gelo Herrick, and afterwards went
to Europe. In 1875 he went to Gal
weston, Texas, where he was known
under the name Of j. G. Liant.
Then followed an account of his
whereabouts up to 1882, which includ-
ed visit to Europe and Australia.
He married in December, 1882, Julia
G. Laird, under the name of Myron r.
Kent. He took charge Of the Falls
Manufacturing Company, at Minnea-
polls, in 1884. During that time he
had heard that Laird had lost some
money in mines, but had not invest
ed any himself. He located in Man
dan in 1892. The witness denied ever
telling Swedensky his wife was get
ting suspicious. He said his wife had
never been suspicious of him, and
that he had told her all about his
past history in 1892.
A letter to Mrs. Kent, dated Living
ston, Mont. May 81, 1892, was shown
witness and identified by him as in
his handwriting. The substance of
the letter was that his past life had
been a spotless one.
Matte Martin, the little 14-year-old
girl, was called the first thing this af-
ternoon and testified that about two
weeks before the homicide she was at
the Kent place and saw Swendensky
slap Earl, and heard Mr.. Kent say IL
1t was done again he would slap him
(Swedensky), which made Tom very
angry. Mr.. Kent was recalled and
cross-examination continued. He tes-
titled that he had no personal know
ledge Of the fact that the Medina Bank
was embarrassed and that he did NOT
take $1,000 of bonds belonging to his
brother. He went to Steele the Mon
day preceding the homicide and then
to West Superior. where lie had the
conversation testified to by Seayey.
At Trenton, Neb., he was known un-
der the name of w. II. Strong. He
was arrested there by deputy sher-
lit on charge of grand larceny at
Mandan. The afternoon he left there
the sheriff told him unless word came
th,4 night he would not hold him anv
longer, OH that he turned and walker
down to the river md kon% X1,,vy,s.-