Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-12-12
BRATTLEBORO LOCAL NEWS.
HIS SKULL CRUSHED
Escaped Prisoner Jumped from
Narrow Gauge Train.
He Had Been Drinking and Knew He
Was Responsibilities Of Wood
and Splintered Bone Taken from
Skull-Will Probably Recover.


Elroy Kent. with broken skull re-
poses once more behind the bars of
the county Jail at Newfane. Elroy
is young in years, about rs, but he is
old in crime, and has been arrested,
according to his own boasts. six or
seven times for burglary and has
served three terms of Imprisonment
Elroy has not a heavyweight brain.
and the paucity of gray matter with
which he Ia endowed seems to be of
the kind with a propensity for crime.
He escaped from the county jail last
August, after he had been there less
than ten days. He tore up the floor in
the water-closet, thus reaching the eel
lar, and then tore out the stonework
of one partition so that he could crawl
through a window to liberty.
The officers felt sure they would
eventually recapture him. but he
seems to have played directly into
their hands. Probably the influence
of liquor. under which he was laboring
when he bought a ticket at the rail
road station in Brattleboro for West
Townshend Saturday night, may ac-
count for his present situation.
He took seat in the little smoking
compartment of the baggage ear, but
the train had not proceeded far when
he was recognized by people on board
and addressed as Kent He indig-
nantly replied that his name was Cole
man. At the Williamsville station he
left the baggage car but boarded the
train again as it was starting, taking
seat near the door in the rear car.
AS the train approached what is known
in
ly thought he was being watched, and
becoming alarmed made a hasty exit
through the door and jumped from the
railing to the track. He executed
somersault and contortion act, but the
train was an hour late and it kept on
under full head of steam without stop
ping to inquire about Elroy's physical
condition
Kent says that he must have laid by
the track insensible some time. When
he regained consciousness he walked
| back to Williamsville station and then
to Mr.. Temples farmhouse.
DR. White was summoned from Will
! Evansville and he operated upon Kent
at the house of l.. o. Morse, consta-
BILE He found that Kent's skull was
crushed. and the cavity directly be-
hind the frontal bone was filled with
pieces of wood, indicating that Kent
struck head first upon tie on the
railroad track. and that pieces OF the
| tie were pushed through the opening
in his skull. Having no anesthetics
with him it was impossible for DR..
White to do his work thoroughly on
account of the pain to Kent. and the
| patient was taken to the Jail at New
fame village by Constable Morse, after
being made as comfortable as possible
under the circumstances.
The next day Drs. White and Rob
erts made more careful examination
of Kent's injury, and removed pieces
of wood and of the skull. The open
ing into the skull Is said to have been
an inch and half by a half inch In
size. Kent was etherized while the
physicians were at work upon him. but
he recovered quickly and seemed to be
in good condition. II is believed he
will fully recover
He says that since he escaped from
the Jail he has been in New York and
Hartford a large part of the time, al
though he was recently at his old home
in Brookline.
| Kent had nearly completed three
years term in states prison for burg
larry in Milton when he was released
on parole last January by Gov. Stick
ney. He came to Brattleboro an(
within few days stole money from
his cousin and skipped. He was ar
rested in Manchester, this state, an(
taken back to Windsor to complete thu
term there. When he was released
from Windsor he was brought to New
fame in August to await the charg,
J against him for stealing in Brattleboro
but he escaped in a few days. Ken
was shot and seriously wounded II
Milton. this state, while burglariznl
a store.
One passenger says Kent took from
: his pocket while on the train a pin
bottle half full of whiskey and that h
absorbed the entire half pint at on