The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-02
.b|GAM|ST AND
= .".'X0RC|DE ALSO
Killed Wife No. 2 to Prevent
Marital Complications
With Wife No. 1

Chicago. Oct .2.-Dr. Harry Elgin
Webster. a Rush medical college
graduate and inferno at the Polyclinic
hospital in remarkable confession
to the police late yesterday. admitted
that he murdered one of his two
young wives. Bessie Kent Webster of
Chicago. in the woods of Ogle coun-
ty. ten miles from Dixon, ILL.,. septem-
Der 16. The police declare that the
motive for the crime was Webster's
desire to hide from his first wife. Zoe
varney Webster of Cedar Rapids.
iowa, the fact that he was a bigam-
ist. He had married the two women
"iInln one week last January.
ine accidental discovery of Bessie
kent's body Friday, almost two weeks
after she had been killed, was fol-
lowed by Identification Saturday and
the arrest at o'clock Sunday morn
ing Of Webster.
Inc young medical student was ar
rested at the hospital shortly after
he had left Zoe varney Webster,
VIE No. l. at down town hotel,
where he had spent troubled night
attempting to explain his marital du-
plictty to his first wife. She had been
greatly shocked by her husbands
revelations. but had convinced her
tnat he knew nothing of the murder
near Dixon.
Mrs. Webster's bolstered confidence
IN her husband, however, was short
hNed. Rarely has a complex police
case with so many complications, un-
folded with more rapidity. Mrs. Web
ster No. l, was waiting at the Chicago
and northwestern railroad station at
O'Clock Sunday for train to Dixon,
where the police found her.
With her arrival under escort of
deectives at the Chicago avenue po-
lice station little later, the struc-
ture Of evasion and deceit that Web
ster had been eercting for months
began to topple about his shoulders.
IN rapid succession, and at 8 o'clock
IN the afternoon. just twelve hours
after the doctors arrest, the police
had stripped bare the story Of the
murder.
Webster declared that he was mar.
ried first to Zoe Varney at Cedar Ra.
ptds. January 4. He said that he
was greatly in love with his bride
and expected to return to Cedar Ra-
pids to practice medicine. Then he
returned to Chicago to continue his
hospital work and found complica-
tions arising from love affair Of his
college days. He stated that he was
forced into marriage with Bessie
Kent, January IL, under threats that
his alleged relations with her would
be exposed and he would lose his hos
pita1 position.
II married Bessie Kent under her
promise that she would divorce me
Immediately after the wedding took
place." said Webster. "She then re-
fused to get a divorce and that was
the beginning of all the trouble"
Webster's arrest revealed that he
had married woman from Cedar
Rapids. Iowa, few weeks before his
was found. The first wife Is being
held and questioned. Mrs. Mabel
Sexsmith, a nurse. was arrested
charged with knowledge of the mur-
der.
Webster stated that he told his Sec
ord wife of the marriage at Cedar Ra
pids, but she still refused to agree to
a divorce In August he brought suit
for divorce in the Chicago courts. The
case was thrown out because of in
sufficient evidence.
Following this unsuccessful attempt
to end the affair. related Webster, he
met his second wife on September II
at the hospital as he was preparing
to go to the home Of his parents at
Dixon for his vacation. He said that
she begged to go with him, but that
he did not want her to meet his pa
rents.
The prisoner then said that he
spent the night Of September II with
wife No. 2 at a north side rooming
house The ext afternoon he started
for Dixon.