The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-01-27
TILL'S STATEMENT
MAY FREE kent
MAN RECENTLY FREED From
STATE PEN sWEARs CONFESS
SION or INNOCENCE WAS
MADE TO HIM.

/, | Ute NclibEAEb utl n charge OF GOfnptGElIs
in the murder of Mrs. Myrou r. Kent
Is innocent. The affidavit was made
before Ernest Malmberg Of Fargo al
the instance OF Asst. u. s. Atty. w
III. Barnett and sets forth that Thomas
Swedenski, THIS celImate, now de-
ceased and the man upon whose testi.
mony Kent was convicted Of first de-
gree murder and sentenced to prison
for life, confessed to him that Kent
was innocent Of any completely In the
murder. Till In now In Europe VISITING
his mother. but is expected to return
to North Dakota.
A certified copy Of the affidavit that
Til has sworn to was forwarded to
Kent at Bismarck and subsequently
turned over to parties at Mandan,
who have started a movement to bring
about Kent's release from prison. The
affidavit Is a matter of common talk
here and has awakened a deep interest
among many I'm Kent's behalf.
Just hew Till came to make the afr
davit to District Attorney Barnett is
not known but an accompanying let
ter from the well known Fargo at
torney in which he evinced a pro-
nounced interest in aiding Kent to
| freedom gives emphasis to the impor-
lance of the affidavit
| Tilrs statements before the notary
at Fargo are clearly those of a man
who out Of a sense of Justice to the
condemned Is endeavorinI to awaken
an interest in behalf Of one whom he
believes to have been unjustly impris.
oned. A striking coincidence OF THIS
affidavit is that his pardon from
prison was obtained after a relentless
| fight by his friends after he had served
fourteen years of a life term and who
always insisted that he was innocent
of the murder During THIS confine-
ment at Bismarck, according to his
affidavit, he became acquainted with
one Thomas Swedensk, who was serv~
ing a life term for killing Mrs. Myron
r. l.. Kent in her home on the out
skirts of Mandan. The tragedy oc-
CURED i'm 1898. Till Dwears that
Swedenski talked to him upon many
occasions Of the crims and would
punctuate these talks with 20, why
didn't I tell the truth. Why didn't
tell the truth" The affidavit then
goes on to describe the manner in
which Mrs. Kent was killed. Swe-
denski, who was living with the Kents,
was asked by Mrs. Kent to make an
examination Of the premises as she
believed that someone was prowling
about the house Taking a gun with
him Swedenski went outside but saw
nothing to substantiate the woman's
fears. Swedenski came back In the
house and in some manner the gun
was discharged, the load taking effect
in the side Of Mrs. Kent's head and
causing her death. Till further says
that Swedenski swore to him that af-
ter his arrest on the charge of muir
der prominent person who formerly
lived at Mandan and now deceased
promised him 5000 and agreed to get
him discharged from custody IL he
would swear that Kent proposed to
him to kill Mrs. Kent. The foregoing,
Till affirn1s, was told to him by
Swedenski before he had heard Of the
crime that Kent was convicted of.
Swedensk died in prison. Till
swears that he died OF guilty con-
science. Swedensk told Till that the
knowledge that Kent was innocent and
that he was instrumental in accom-
plishing his conviction was killing
him.
The part the item of 5000 plays in
Till's affidavit is another substanti-
ating feature connected with the re-
peated efforts that have been made to
get Kent out of prison. Persons who
have been prominent in the case are
agreed that the person who offered
Swedenski the 5000 was one of the
parties that received a share of $1,000
that a cattleman south OF Mandan
passed around in order to save him
self from a term in prison for cattle |
stealing. Kent knew Of the deal and
threatened to expose ii. The death of
his wife gave the others the oppor-
tunity they were seeking to seal Kent's
lips and many persons In this city
openly avow that the charge OF muir
der against Kent was trumped upI
against him to that end.
Kent's trial resulted IN his conyic- |
ton and the presiding Judge sentenced
him to be hanged Attorney Hildreth |
of Fargo conducted Kents defense.
Shortly before the dag of execution
arrived Swedenski is reported, conn.,
United himself TO the extent that Ii |
was deemed advisable to commute
Kent's sentence to life Imprisonment.
Patrick McGillic. who was mayor
of Mandan at the time OF the Kent
tragedy, when seen by representa-
tive. OF The Forum, stated that the
Minnesota congressman whose SER
vices was enlisted by the states at
torney to convict Kent, remarked 10
him the day the case went to the Jury
that he believed Kent was innocent
MIR. McGillic said further that at the
time that the Effort was being made
to get the sentence of death com
muted he met brother of Mrs. Kent
and he offered him a sum of money IL /
he would use his influence with Gov
ernor Allin to dfssuade him from ex-
ercising executive clemency.
Another person informed your rep
resentative that the late Bishop shan
ley. of the diocese of Fargo, was the
person who more than anyone else
was responsible for saving Kent from
the galiows.. He said that when the
day was getting Internationally close
for Kent's execution, SWedenslgi sent
for Bishop Stanley and made a con-
fession to him. The noted prelate af-
forwards went to Governor AlHn and
afterwards Kent's SEN
tence was committed to life irnprison-
tnent
Mayor McGillic said that he wanted
1t known that he would be proud OF
the distinction of being the first per-
Son to sign KenfsS nnnItrnftnn fnt.