The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-07-27
LUNAT|C
THOUGHT TO Be
MURDERER
East WalIingford Crime Charged
to EIrOy Kent
ESCAPED FROM ASYLUM
Got Away at Same Time as John
Keenan, Who Afterward Gave
Himself Up.

Rutland July 27.-That Miss Della
b. Congdon, who was brutally murder
ed at her home in East Wallingford
last Friday morning, was the victim
Of Elroy Kent, an insane man who es-
capped from the state asylum at Wa
terbury, July IL, Is the belief of the
authorities as the result of the in
yestgation. Frank Rogers, a farm
hand, who was held on suspicion,
will now be released, 1t is thought.
The autopsy Saturday, conducted by
DR.. b. II. Stone of the state labora-
tory, assisted by DR.. William Stick
ney OF Rutland, showed that the wo-
man, who was deaf and dumb was
outraged and strangled to death then
pounded on the head with an instru-
ment used to cut thin wood, consist
ing of wooden handle and a long
blade, six cuts being inflicted on her
head none of which pierced the skull.
Kent, who is 33 years of age, was
born near Sugar Hill pond, dis
lance of less than two miles from the
house in which Miss Congdon was
murdered He was sent to the insane
asylum about four years ago from
the east side of the mountain, where,
II is understood. he attempted to cut
his uncle's throat He with John
keenan,, a murderer, escaped by using
a key which had been made by an
other inmate.
He was first seen in the vicinity of
East Wallingford week ago last
Tuesday and remained In the neigh
borhood until the murder was commit
ted He had talked with several per-
sons, but no one recognized him and
although they saw that he was men
tally unsound he seemed to be harm
less and nothing was done TO deter
mine who he was or where he came
from He asked for work and when
told that he could probably secure EN-
ployment from some of the farmers
during haying he said that he would
do nothing but pitch hay, that he
would not assist with the moving,
raking or other work His strange
talk led the residents to believe that
he was a half-witted tramp who had
drifted in.
Yesterday the authorities found
that he had been sleeping in aban-
doned buildings in the vicin-
nifty. and in the old house on the
Buffum farm on Sugar Hill where he
was born, they found where he had
stayed one or more nights. and on
the door he had carved the follow
ing: "E Kent. July %, 1905" 1t is
believed that he slept in Miss Cong
don's barn on the night before the
f11nrHnrs and On hn i,g g -
door he cut the initials IL. K" the
letters being identical with those
found on the door of the Buffum
farm house. Through a crack in the
barn he could see into the woman S
bedroom from where he lay, the mat
ted hay showing where he had slept.
1t Is believed that when Miss Cong
don unlocked the door Friday morn
ing he stole in when her back was
turned and grabbed her by the
throat, the imprints of his fingers
being plainly visible. After outrag.
ing the woman he killed her with the
weapon and fed.
Her body was found about II
o'clock in the morning by the two
sons of Mrs. Mary Sprague, who had
been sent to the house by their
mother to see If Miss Congdon was
i'll, Mrs. Sprague noticing that the
mail had not been removed from the
box or the milk taken in from the
door step.
States attorney r. A. Lawrence
and Deputy Sheriff e. S. Whitaker
of this city and Deputy Sheriff A. A.
Leonard of Wallingford spent yes
terday afternoon at East Wallingford
working on the case He secured a good
description of him which is as fol.
lows: Age, 3S years. height, FIVE
feet four inches; weight, 10 pounds,
light short hair, blue eyes and with
deep scar in his forehead.
Mr.. Lawrence, with DR.. Don ID.
Grout of the state asylum and Depu.
ty Sheriff A. A. Leonard will 60 to
East Wallngford this morning and
attempt to locate the man.