The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-22
POINTS TO KENT'S GUILT
MURDER OF NOAH KING DESCRIBED
IN MARTJNsvILLE COURT.
GEs-BeIt Electric Line Expected to De
Completed Before Christmas-J.
Il. Gray's AssaiIant.

Special to The Indianapolis Journal.
.,1AklINSVlLLE, Ind, Sept. 21.-The
people of this county are very much inter-
ested in the trial of Bedford Kent for the
murder of Noah King, which began to-day.
The murder occurred at the Willow Grove
schoolhouse, about seven miles north of this
city. Nov. s. 1898, during religious services.
Just as the meeting adjourned Kent and
King were standing on the outside, when
Kent noticed William Quin, 1ifteen-year-
old boy standing near by. and asked him
to take a walk" The boy did not walk,
and Kent repeated his command King told
Kent the boy had as much right there as
anybody. Kent then began to carve King
with a razor. Some one caught Kent, but
Milton Ferrand came rushing from the
schoolhouse and made the people release
Kent. King was again struck with razor
and cut from ear to ear and Kent's friends
claim that Ferrand did this last cut
ting, but others believe that Kent did it.
King died within an hour.
Kent and Ferran1 disappeared and were
mot heard of until last March, when tele-
gram was received that Kent was under
arrest in California. He and Ferrand had
travelled together through Tennessee and
Mississippi, and had separated i'll Missouri.
From there Kent wandered to California,
stopping on the way and working a farm
hand. He was arrested in Sacramento,
where he had been begging about the
streets for several days. lie disclosed his
identity and said he was wanted back in
Indiana for murder Sheriff Hinson, of this
county, was sent after him, and on the
trip back Kent made several unsuccessful
efforts to escape Nothing further has been
heard from Eerrand
At the opening of the trial this morning
the attorneys for the defense asked that the
Indictment be set aside on the plea of
abatement. but failed in their effort. The
first witness was Noah Kings father, who
had to perform the sad duty of identifying
his sons torn hat and blood-stained cloth
ing. After the coroner had given his teSti-
n.ony Charles Wilkins of indianapolis, took
the stand. lie had gone to the vicinity Oh
the schoolhouSe to go coon hunting and had
attended the meeting there that night. lie
gave a clear account of the murder and
says that he did not see Ferrand strike
King at any time. -Four other witnesses
were examined, among whom was William
Quin, the boy over whom the light mad
started. So tar the evidence all points to
the fact that it was Kent who struck he
blow. which killed King, none OF the wit
nesses having seen Ferrand assault him.
Sixteen witnesses in all were examined
to-day. G. w. Shelton, j. 5. White and
DR.. Il. NJ. Sweet were examined as to how
deep the wound was made in the neck OF
Noah King, the murdered man. 4hey all
testified that the neck was cut to the wind
pipe, and that the jugular vein was severed.
DIR. Sweet could not remember whether or
not the windpipe was severed. This test-
mony was important, for the defenSe Will
probably try to prove that the murdered
man was not able to speak after being car
ried into the schoolhouse. The bulk or Iues-
day mornings testimony went to prove that
King was alive and did speak while lying
wounded in the SchoolhouSe.
No 10th rxyhi nh
wore on that fatal night was shown to the
jury. The hat was slit open from crown 10
brim, and the coat cut in various places,
and the shirt and trousers We're all tnlckly
covered with blood.
Sheriff Hinson took the witness stand and
said that after the murder ne nrst
saw Kent in Sacramento, Cal. Kent
asked the sheriff as to the result OF the
fight on the night of Nov. ., 1898 claiming
that he had never heard whether KING was
killed or not and on hearing that It ter
minated fatally exclaimed God knows
never intended to kill anybody. Inc sher-
if said that on one occasion henl az
ing brought back, and also once on the way
back from California. 3. r. Lewis; VINO
went with the sheriff after Kent 10 Sacfac
mento, gave a more complete description OF
the attempt to escape. The SheflH, MI
Lewis and the prisoner had gone 10 a res
taurant in Ogden, Utah, for meal, ana
cashiers desk to pay their bill, and the
sheriff stepped around to the rack 10 get
his hat when Kent made a break Ior I'D
erty The dining hall was crowded. Luckily
the cashiers desk was near the front door
for Lewis, on hearing a commotion looked
about in time to see Kent running for the
door Lewis barely had time to grab the
prisoner before he reached the door. a.,
In the afternoon, on cross examlnatlon
certain parties that during the fight at the
schoolhouse Noah King. had Kent down.
and if he (Northern) did not grab mold OF
Kings coat and pull him off. Northern re-
n1ied that he did not make any such state
rnents After some testimony as TO the
amount of blood on the schooInouse moor
the testimony for prosecution closed.