Warren sheaf., 1898-12-08
A BROTHERS CRIME.
Wfllinm Kent's Cowardly Murder 81
His Brother ON Rail- 4
way Train.

Z; Springfield, ILL.,, Dec. 5.-After pay
ing a 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 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 revolvers. 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 off. 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 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-
manned at home when he reached mans
estate and took care of the farm, but
his brother led ii rowing life. The reck.
nessness of NOBLE eliminated II his ar
rest on severa! petty charges and .e-
suited in his complete cstrangement
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 Girard and demanded share of the
estate. Being refused, he declared that
lie would kill his brother William, and
soon afterward he made the attempt
by shooting the latter, firing through
window at 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 an1 was again 1T large.
Worn with avoiding the officers, Noble
finally decided 10 attempt reconcilia-
ton, and he returned to Macoup1u
county for that purpose. This terrified
his mother, who gave the alarm and
warned William that Noble had come
home 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.
y crowd soon collected, but Noble had
disappeared. That night he was cap
tured in this city as he was getting off
a train and locked up
The local police refused to turn the
prisoner over 10 the Macoupin county
authorities unless the reward was paid
and in order to hold him they made
number of petty charges against him,
of carrying concealed weapons and
| alightirg from 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. ac-
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.
s. Virden, ILL.,. Dec. 5.-The remains Of
Noble Kent were brought to this city
Sunday and taken to the Kent farm
about one mills west of this city, where
resides the aged mother. The scene,
when the old lady saw the mangled re-
mains of her son, killed by his onl
brother, was affecting in the extreme
The murderer was a man of peculiar
traits. After graduating from the
| high school in the class of 1892 he went
| to New York and graduated from a
school, Of phrenology. Prior TO his Ia
| TIERS death.in March be made several
attempts to gain a livelihood by its
L. E.. A /
officers have net been able to capture