The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-10-21
KENT SURE OF FREEDOM
Interviewed by Journal Reporter Yes
terday-Says People in Montpelier
Know n Little Something's Con-
fident That Supreme Court VIII Set
Him Free.

Know Little Something's Con
fident That Supreme Court VIII Sc
Him Free.
A Journal reporter called at tn
county Jail Friday afternoon an,
interviewed Elroy Kent, the convict
ed murderer of Miss Della B. Cong
don, whose death occurred at Eas
lWallingford in the summer of 1908
Kent was sitting at a small tabl,
scribbling on a sheet of paper wher
the reporter entered and upon belns
asked what he was doing Kent replied
that 1t relieved his mind occasionallJ
to put his thoughts down on paper
He handed the slip to the Journa
man who, upon examining it, fount
a countless number of more or less
straight lines, probably Elroy's secret
code.
Kent told the reporter that he liked
the Jail here much better than the
Rutland county Jail, saying:
THE people up this way seem tc
know a little something, and there's
no noise here; no marble shops graf
ing and grinding all the time and nc
crazy women prisoners screaming all
the time. And there amt so many
prisoners here and what's here amt
no big criminals, just DRINKS, and the
likes of that, and it don't hurt you so
much to associate with them.
I'm that Jail in Rutland there's the
biggest rascals in the world, mostly
all of them murderers and footpads
and burglars and it used to make me
feel awful to be near them. No." he
added, in answer to a question, Il
didn't get fair trial there-even the
newspapers threw it into me good and
strong. Nobody would believe any
thing that l said and they wouldn t
take the word of either my father or
my sister Say, l was sorry to hear
about the old mans death, and don't
believe that Fred killed him, either.
Fred and the old man and me were
always great friends; never had no
words and always had great times to-
gether No, sir. Fred didn't kill my
father, and l think that they say he
done it just to show me up a little
more.
They hae always been after me
fn1 Inv h,,t Ia
never give me any peace and when
ever they arrested me they didn't give
me the chance I'd give dog. O'Brien
is good lawyer and he's got strong
case and when he goes before the Su-
preme Court I'm sure to get out of
this. And why can't 1? l didn't MUIR
der Della Congdon. l knew her faith
er, Jim Congdon, as we'll as / knew
my own; always liked him and he al
ways liked me. l want to see O'Brien
before he goes to court when he
comes up here. I've been thinking a
whole lot since I saw him and I've
got few points l want to tell him
about which will help me out. l want
this thing settled right away
I'm glad that John Spellman has
stepped out of the case. I didn't like
his argument in County Court and
don't think he was on my side, any
way Wish | had Tom Maloney in his
place. know Tom well, and he and
ORripn could % fraa6 mo
Kent informed the reporter that
some of the other men around the
Jail had told him of the troubles Of
States Attorney ]. c. Jones, of Rut-
land county, who prosecuted him in
the lower court.
I'm sorry for JONES'" said Kent;
he made great plea for me-" The
reporter informed Kent of the part
played by Mr.. Jones in the lower
court and he replied:
Il don't care what he was in Coun-
ty Court, he was on my side, just the
three times after the trial was over
and | know he was a friend of mine.
It's Spellman who helped the other
side. His plea before the jury was
what sent me back to Jail. ! don't |
know how he got into the case, any
way. / never hired him and I'm pref
ty glad he's out of it, He'd make q
better blacksmith than he does a law
yer"
Elroy told the reporter that he was |
financial difficulties of n
serious nature, but that he hoped to |
recuperate his fortunes as soon as |
he was released.
Kent said he would like to be a
farmer and have waving green fields
and kind-faced COWS standing in sill
very streams.
Kent appeared to be restless yes
terday afternoon and it was with diff !
ficulty that the reporter got him to
stick to any one subject for any length
Of time. The layman would probably
describe. him as very peculiar or re-
eccentric, while physicians
after listening to longitudinally de-
veloped hypothetical interrogations, a
la Thaw, might be of another opinion,
but the facts remain that the jurors in
his trial in Rutland County Court NV