The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-31
OFFICER KENT
ExONERATED.
Finding Of Coroner Lincoln in
Case Of Walchman Casey.
SHOOTING WAS IN SELF-DEFENCE
Careful Review Of the Testimony Taken
Made In Coronsrs Report.
THE WATCHMANS STORY WEIGHED.
Evidence Showed Thai He Had Been Drinking on
The Night Of The Shooting, and Had Not
Acted as He Usually Did,

Coroner Eugene II. Lincoln today
filed his report in the clerks office OF
the Common Pleas Division of the SUI
preme Court on the inquest held by
him on the death of Matthew Casey
who died i'm this city on January 18th
of the present year. The coroner finds
officer Kent fired the shot that caused
Casey's death i'm self defence.
The coroner says that after taking
testimony he finds the following facts:
That Matthew Casey was watch
man at what is known as the Ladd
Watch Case companys building on the
night of December 9th, 1895; that he
had been such for three years and had
been faithful TO duty up to hat time:
that on the morning of the 2Sth of De-
cember he had an alteration with
Patrolman William $. Kent in which
both men discharged their revolvers at
each other in a duel to the death; that
both were severely wounded and
Casey subsequently died at the Rhode
Island Hospital. 1t is charged that
Casey made an unprovoked assaulcA'
upon the officer and that the latter was
forced To defend himself. On the other
hand. IL is alleged that officer Kent
spoke insultingly and struck Casey
with his revolver and the latter fired
i'm his own deferice. Which story is the
true one can only be determined by
the testimony. officer Kent says, in
brief, that on the morning in question
he was walking near the door OF the
building where Casey has charge, when
suddenly the latter sprang from the
doorway and rapidly discharged three
III srsts~ AffI If.lts'
pistol was i'm his pocket at the time and
it was difficult for him to draw IL, but
as soon as possible he returned the
fire of Casey until a blow from the
night stick of brother officer felled
Casey to the ground. Kent was at tho
time on his beat and attending TO MS
duty. The officers story is substanti-
ated by at least three persons VINO VIII
messed the affair and allege II to have
been an unprovoked assault by Casey,
and that the officer did not strike Casey
first.
'What. then, was the cause of the as
sault by Casey? j find from the testl-
mony they had always been friendly
and until the night of the shooting, no
i'll feeling or grievance had been SHOWN
by Casey For three years Casey hau
been faithful to his duties and had been
recommended by former employers as
"A man who did not drink. But on this
night he seems TO have done strange
things He is known and IL is so tes-
titled 10 have left the building two or
three times during the night. The hrst
time he visited saloon on Plne street
where ne drank several glasses of ale.
He seemed 'mulled, one witness ex-
pressed il, when he came in and he was
there about 40 minutes. Later he left
the building again and was gone lV OF
IL minutes and still later he appeared
upon the sidewalk flourishing broom
and calling the attention Of officers IN
the neighborhood TO his shillelah. Sew
eral persons testified 20 the fact that
each time they saw him during the
night he appeared drunk. not reeling,
but having, as they expressed IL. all ne
could carry. This state OF facts shows
him to have been i'm a dangerous condi-
ton. Another part of Caseys duty was
TO wind his time watch each hour OF
the night and by that watch his en-
ployers could tell the following day
whether or not he was attending to his
duty and was i'm his proper place each
hour Of the night"
The coroner considers that in view
of the testimony of Mr.. Carr or IN"
Ostbey a. Barton firm IL Is evident
Casey did not attend To the time watch
and was not where he should have
been on the night OF the shooting. At
tention is called to the testimony of re-
liable persons that Casey told them
while I'm the hospital that Kent used
vile language TO him and he tCasey)
simply defended himself, and to the
fact that his statement is uncorrobor-
ated. The proponderance of evidence
is found 10 be against the truth or
Casey's statement.
In conclusion Coroner Lincoln finds
that death resulted from a bullet fired
from "A pistol i'm the hands of officer
William s. Kent on the night Of De-
cember 2sth 1897. and that said Kent
fired in defence OF his own life.