The Dickinson press., 1896-08-29
KENT Is SENTENCED
NOV. II IS THE DATE SET FOR THE
EXECUTION.
The Twice. e.Convicted Wife Murderer
Death, but So Large and lnfluen-
tial Are the Petitions for Execu-
tive Clemcncy That Gov. Allin
May Commute the Sentence.

Fargo. n. d.. Aug. 23.-To-day N.Y.
ron X. Kent, alias William Wiley Pam
coast. twice convicted of murder of
his wife in Mandan, three years ago,
was brought into court before Judge
w. Il. Mcconnell and the third date
for his execution was set. The court
the date for execution.
The case has twice been appealed to
the supreme court and the only hope
now left is executive clemcncy. Pc
titiOns are being circulated all over
man, and State Attorney Vose has
been legally notified that the defense
will seek IL commitment of the SEN
tcnce. 1t is said that 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 lie
was coerced into bringing in n ver-
dict for the death penalty by the
threats Of other jurors. and w. ].
Price of Fargo is named as one of the
men who assisted in forcing his vote.
1t is the general opinion that Gov.
.tllin cannot disregard the large pc
ttions, so intlcntally signed, as will
be presented to linn, and that Kent
will not hang.
History Of the Case.
The conviction of Kent was. in both
trials. on the unc0rrobOrated testi-
mony of Thomas Swidensky, supported
by the circumstance of Kent's not re-
turning to Manlan after the murder of
Mrs. Kent. All the testimony bearing
l,nt
and his wife were to the effect that the
couple lI;d always lived happily to-
getllcr. and even Earl Kent, who was
supposed to he one OF the star wit
n"Sses for the prosecution. testified
that mamma and papa never used to
quarrel. Swidcnsky claimed that
Kent promised him $4,000 to murder
Mrs. Kent. The famous little black
book was presented in evidence, in
which Swdensky alleged lie wrote the
plan Of the murder at the dictation Of
Kent. The writing Of the book was in
bohemian. and was very elaborate in
detail. A very remarkable feature in
the ease is that the alleged confession
and true version, as given by the ac-
complice on the witness stand, bears Il
striking similarity to the tale con-
thlllctl Ill inc DlitcN DOOk. LC uetcIlSc
has always claimed that Kent is the
victim OF Il conspiracy, and that the
| 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 cmlIcZzled the funds Of several in-
sulancc companies, whom lie repre-
sentel. and it was on this charge that
he was originally placed under arrest.
He has always claimed that he kney
nothing Of the murder until more than
a 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 Swidensliy
on tllat fatal night. and that the MUIR
der was committed to hide his crime,
but this has never been made promi-
ncnt because of the entire llOpeleness
of proveing the claim.