The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-12-08

way W MT. WeDSJeI Ol OWdlJOn 10
make a motion that John ID. Spellman
of Rutland, one of the counsel for
Kent, be permitted TO speak In the
cause of the prisoner under Rule 25.
Mr.. Martin of Brookline did not
understand that the Attorney General
presented the case but simply ans
wered questions and did not review
the whole case. The motion was car
ried by q vote Of 14S TO 36. Mr.. Spell
man briefly reviewed the case and
said there was a doubt in his mind
regarding the guilt of the prisoner.
He read abstracts of the testimony
of the medical experts showing that
DR.. d. d. Grout, superintendent Of
the Waterbury Insane Hospital, con-
sidered Kent a moral imbecile or de-
generate, a man not Of sound mind.
DR.. WATSON of the same institution
considered Kent not Of sound mind,
but not insane.
DR.. Alexander Shiras, a Montreal
expert, believed Kent was a sane man
but a degenerate of low intelli-
gence, who had decisions and hallu-
cinations. Mr.. Spellman called Kent
an insane man of insane family. He
read a notice printed regarding
Kent's escape from the Waterbury
Hospital calling for his detection and
calling him a dangerous man to be at
large. He said a grandmother was at
the Brattleboro asylum and a great
grandmother was %deranged. A young
er brother had been confined in the
Waterbury asylum and another bro
Their was now in that institution un-
der observation charged with the
murder of his father.
He asked the members IL they
would permit the news to be flashed
throughout the world that they had
sentenced to death a man believed to
be insane, a man not ordinarily res
ponsfble for his acts. He said his
last dying hour ne would have no
pangs of conscience that he had not
done his duty and he had done this
duty without receiving a penny of
any mans money in this ase He ask
ed If the members would tell their
wives, their sons and their daughters
that a man of unsound mind had been
sent to his death.
Mr.. Peck Of Burlington asked Mr..
Spellman il the State had not pro-
vided witnesses for the defense and
he said that it had. He hardly re-
ro ,-Jol M Chiroc nc nm in1rNn tfi n |
witness.
Mr.. Howard of Whiting at this
point resumed the floor and asked the
Judiciary Committee if officers of the
State prison had been consulted with,
or if Kent's counsel had been noti-
fed before this bill was reported un-
favorabfy, and Mr.. Peck said they had
not. Mr.. Howard believed the mem
Ibers would stand up as men and be
counted. An appeal to them not to go
home with the disgrace resting upon
them that they had not had the cour-
age to meet the issue like men was
made by him. He rehearsed instan-
ces of the trial and alluded to rela-
tives who had beer insane or OF
weak mind.
He understood that the prisoner
had once jumped from a train, struck
his head and received an injury which
made 1T necessary to remove part OF
the brain. He thought the jury might
have been wrong and that no man
was absolutely sure Kent was sane
or that he committed a crime. He
asked that the prisoner be given the
benefit of the doubt. He regretted
that many members should cry Cru
city him, cruelty him?' and asked
that they think of the fatherhood OF
God and the brotherhood of a He
closed by saying Shall we rise vi
and cry for the blood of this weak
and degenerate man? Can we do it?'
Mr.. Peck of Burlington considered
this session was a continuation OF
Fridays session so far as this case
was concerned and wanted to ask the
Attorney General a few questions
Mr.. Howard of Whiting objected. The
Chair ruled that Mr.. Peck had the
right to query the Attorney General.
Mr.. Peck then asked if all the
funds had been provided that the de-
Tense asked for in the case and Mr.
Sargent said they had. The Attorney
General understood that DR.. Shiras
had been employed because the res
pondent's counsel wanted some EN-
inent authority from outside the
State.
When asked what beside circum-
lstantial evidence had been furnished
he said there was Il great deal o.
direct evidence. The Attorney Gen.
eral then entered upon a statement
in regard to the case, saying he de-
sired to make some remarks or the
proposition that the court had made
a mistake and considered it his duty
to discuss this phase of the matter
He told how the cast was tried.
A prisoner Is supposed to be in
nocent from the beginning to the end
Under the law of Vermont there are
actions that 4 considered to be
right actions. There was but little