, 1908-06-17
BILLIE KENT
WAS KILLED
FORMER LARAMIE NEWSPAPER
MAN MEETS DEATH WHEN
STRUCK BY A TRAIN.
Was the First Editor Of This Paper
and Known All over West as All
Around Newspaper Man and Rea-
dy Writer@conceived the Idea Of
the Present siberian Railroad.

The Omaha Bee of yesterday had the
following of more than passing inter-
est in this city, where MI. Kent labor
ed for many years and where he earn
ed reputation as a splendid newspa-
per writer:
William Fl. Kent, a well known
former newspaper man of Omaha, was
killed by a Burlington train near Wat
son, Mo-, last Monday. The body was
badly mangled and was not identified
until Saturday, when it was recognized
and taken to Topeka, Kas., where the
family lives. Mr.. Kent was sitting on
a tie, apparently asleep, and was struck
by the southbound flyer from Omaha.
The engineer did not see the man UNI
til almost on him and too late to even
check the speed of the train.
University Graduate.
BILLY Kent was a native of Indiana
and was well pact SO years of age. He
har a long and varied experience on
newspapers of the west. A graduate
of Depauw university, he vas destined
for the law, but preferred newspaper
work. During his career, which began
back in the 70s, he worked all the way
from Omaha TO the Pacific coast. In
Omaha he was employed chiefly on the
Bee, and was for a time city editor
of the paper. At Laramie, Wyo., he
was for a time associated with Bill
Nye in the publication Of the Boone
rang. Last winter he was employed in
Topeka, and later in st. Joseph. He
came to Omaha a few weeks ago and
spent some time in the city. It Is sup.
posed he was on his way to st. Joseph,
as letters were waiting for him at that
place, when he was killed"
Was Editor Of This Paper.
William H. Kent, who was killed at
Watson, Mo-, by a Burlington train, as
told by the above clipping from the
Omaha Bee of Tuesday was for many
years a Laramie newspaper man, but
was never associated with Bill Nye,
coming to Laramie after the departure
OF that gentleman for other sections
of the country. Kent was for a time
connected with the Boomerang, but his
real newspaper experience in this city
was as the editor of The Republican, he
being the editor Of the paper when it
made It's appearance August IL, 1890,
remaining on the star for a couple of
years.
Conceived Siberian Railroad.
Mr.. Kent was one of the best all
xn,,pI nnxuepona- a In f1,n Wacf Hn
was a writer of no ean attainments
and as a story gatherer he was in a
class by himself. To Kent belongs
the credit for having started the agita-
ton for a railroad across Siberia and to
be connected with this country through
Behring's sea. 1t was a hobby with
him and he believed 1t could be done.
He lost no opportunity of saying so,
and the matter grew and grew, Kent
fiving long enough to e a part Of his
pet ideas crystallized into a certainty.
Left Seven Years Ago.
Kent served his last week in the
newspaper field in April, 1901, as city
editor of the Boomerang. Later he
and his son issued a city directory,
which is still in existence, one Of the
best ever gotten out here. From here,
in that year, the Kents went to st.
Joseph, Mo-, both being employed on
the newspapers of that city and neither
having ever revisited the city. He has
many friends here yet who yil read
the notice Of his death with sincere re-
greet. He was erratic in some respects,
but his friends are many, and his &C
q~uaintances do not hesitate to acknow-
ledge his ability as a newspaper man.
AT no time since his departure has the
Boomerang found his superior.