The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-12-08
A BROTHERS, CRIME.
Wnlian Ke.t's CowardIy Msr6er Of
His Brother ON . Rail-
way Train.

His BFother ON . Rail-
way Train.
Springfield, Ill, Dec. 5.-After pay
ing reward Of 5000 to secure his rel
ative's surrender to the authorities of
Macoupin county, William Kent on
Saturday shot and killed Noble Kent.
his brother. The tragedy was enacted
on a Chicago & Alton train at Girard,
while Noble was in the custody of Ma
coupin county officer, ON his way to the
Carlinville Jail.
Noble Kent was handcuffed and pow
erless at the time he was killed. He
was sitting in the rear Of the smoker
with the sheriff, when his brother Will
liam entered from another car and
opened fire with two reyolvers. At the
first shot bullet entered the brain Of
the prisoner, and seven more shots
were then fired by the murderer. Five
OF the bullets entered the head Of the
victim. At the first shot the officer
sprang from his seat, but Kent turned
one of the pistols on him and COM
manded him to keep his hands of. So
close was the officer to Kent that he
was burned with the powder from the
revolvers. After committing the crime
the murderer ran from the coach,
sprang from the train and disappeared
in a corn field. The sheriff followed for
some distance, but soon lost track of
him. Tonight posse is searching for
the murderer.
The story leading up to the tragedy
is long one. William and Noble Kent
were the sons of Macoupin county
farmer living near Girard. William was
steady and Industrious and Noble was
wild and reckless. The former re-
malned at home when he reached mans
estate and took cage of the farm, bat
his brother led Il rowing life The reck-
nessness of Noble eliminated IL his ar
rest on severa! petty charges and .e-
suited in his complete estrangement
from the other members of the family.
His father, particularly, was bitter, and
when he died, several months ago, it
was found that he had disinherited No
be. The farm was given to Mrs. Kent,
with the provision that it go to William
at her death. When Noble Kent heard
that he had been disinherited he went
to Glrard and demanded a share of the
estate. Being refused, he declared that
lie would kill bis brother William, and
soon afterward he made the attempt
by shooting the latter, firing through
window ut the farmhouse.
When William recovered he offered
reward for Mobiles Apprehension and
the young man was afterward arrested
at Wichita, Kan. Before the sheriff of
Macoupin county could reach the Kan
sas town, however, Kent had secured
his release and was again at large,
Worn with avoiding the officers, Noble
finally decided to attempt reconcilia
ton, and he returned to Macoup1n
county for that purpose. This terrified
his mother, who gave the alarm aud
warned William that Noble had come
Rome to kill him. Noble, however. dis
avowed any such intention and offered
William his revolver as an earnest If
his good faith. William, believing that
his brothers protestations were ONLY
for the purpose of securing another op-
portunity to shoot him, ran from the
house and sent to Girard for assistance.
A crowd soon collected, but Noble had
disappeared. That night he was cap
tured in this city as he was getting of
train and locked up
The local police refused to turn the
prisoner over 70 the Macoupin county
authorities unless the reward was paid
and in order to hold him they made a
number of petty charges against him,
OF carrying concealed weapons and
alighting from a moving train. To these
charges Noble pleaded guilty and I'M
til Saturday he was in jail here, serving
out the fines that were imposed. No.
ble's time in Jail was out Saturday after
noon and Macoupin county officer. sc-
companied by William Kent with the
reward money, came here to get him
The reward was paid and the prisoner
was turned over to the officer. He left
for Carlinville with the prisoner on the
four o'clock train.
F1rden, Ill.,. Dec. 5.-The remains Of
Noble Kent were brought to this CITY
Sunday and taken to the Kent farm
about one mile west of this city, where
resides the aged mother. The scere,
when the old lady saw the mangled re-
mains of her son, killed by his only
brother, was affecting in the extreme.
The murderer was n man Of peculiar
traits. After graduating from the
high school in the class Of 1s9a he went
to New York and graduated from
school of phrenology. Prior to his 90
Tiers death in March be made several
attempts to gain livelihood by its
practice, but foiled. At this writing the
officers have net been able to capture
him, although his escape is not con-
sidered possible. It is r,lmored that he
secured Saturday nearly $4,000 in
money from his mother.
Noted River Captain Dead.
louis noo