The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-08-28

nov l2gIS NH FoR Ia1
EXEC TIOla Ii
The 1srise-C onvicted wife murderer
s.:s Of North Dakota 4 ssntenssd g
Death, but Go Iarse go Ia .ill i I, Y!
thai Are the Pstitions Tor Exeeas
tive Cleneacy That Gov Ant AZ Y 4
s5 Nay Comnute the Sentence,

Far&Os ~. -, aug. go V-O1 Y - -
ron r. Kent, alias William LEY Pan
coast, twice convicted OF murder OF
his wife in Mandan, three years ago,
was brought into court before Judge
w. b. Mcconnell and the third date,
for his execution was set. The court
named Nov. II, at g o'clock p. M, as
the date for execution.
e. The case Las twice been appealed to.
! the supreme court and the only hope
now left is executive clemency. Pc
titions are being circulated all over
the state on behalf of the condemned
man, and State Attorney V0se has
been legally notified that the defense.
will seek commitment Of the sen.
tence. It Is said TINT Juror Newman,
who held out for more than fifty bal
lots against the death penalty, will
personally appear before Gov. Allin in !.
Kent's behalf. He will claim that he
was cocrced into bringing In ver--
dict for the death penalty by the.
threats of other jurors, and w. j.
Price of Fargo is named as one of the
men who assisted in forcing his vote.
It is the general opinion that Gov.
Allin cannot disregard the large pc
titions, so infiuentially signed, us will
be presented to him, and that Kent
will not hang.
9 History Of the Case.
The conviction of Kent was, in both
trials, on the uncorroborated testi-
mony Of Thomas Swidensky, supported
by the circumstance of Kent's not re-
turning to Mandan after the murder Of
Mrs. Kent. All the testimony bearing
on the relations existing between Kent.
and his wife were to the effect that the
couple had always lived. happily to-
gether, and even Earl Kent, who was.
supposed to be one of the star wit
nesses for the prosecution, testified
that mamma and papa never used to-
quarrel. Swidensky claimed that
Kent promised him $4,000 to murder
Mrs. Kent. The famous little black
book was presented in evidence, in
which Swidensky alleged he wrote the
plan of the murder at the dictatton Of
Kent. The writing Of the book was in
Bohemian, and was very elaborate in
detail. A very remarkable feature in
the case is that the alleged confession
and true version, as given by the ac--
complete on the witness stand, bears a.
striking similarity to the tale con-.
tanned in the black book. The defense,
has always claimed that Kent is the
NASsAAAA Va - NOAASIAAsANJs anu SAuG SAO
writing was done long after the arrest.
Of the cold-blooded assassin of Mrs.
Kent, and was from the original story
told by Swidensky at the coroner's in
quest.
Kent explains his absence from home
for the months following the murder.
of his wife, by the statement that he
had embezzled the funds of several In
surance companies, whom he. repre-
sented, and It was on this charge that
he was originally placed under arrest.
He has always claimed that he knew
nothing Of the murder until more than
Q month afterwards, and that. then
It would have been useless for him
to have returned.
The theory of Attorney Hildreth is.
that rape was attempted by Swidensky.
on that fatal night, and that the muir
der was committed to hide his crime,
but this has never been made promi-
nent because of the entire hopeleness
Of proveing the claim.