The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-02

Chicago, H.. October DIR. Harry
Elgin Webster. u Rush Medical Gel
lcgc graduate student and inferno at
the Polyclintic Hospital, in remark
able confession TO the police to-day,
admitted that he murdered one of his
TWO young wives, Bessie Kent Webster
OF Chicago, in the woods ten miles
from Dixon. Ill. September 16 The
police say the motive for the crime was
Websters desire TO hide from his first
wife, Zoe Narncy Webster, of Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, the fact that he was a
bigamist. He had married the Two
women within ono week last January
The accidental discovery of Bessie
kents body Friday, almost two weeks
after she had been killed, was followed
by Identification Saturday and the ar
rest this morning of Webster.
Wiring Stor. From Him.
With the arrival of wife No ! at
the Chicago Avenue Police station, the
structure of evasion and deceit which
Webster had been erecting for months
began to topple about his shoulders, and
Just twelve hours after the DOCTORS
arrest the police had stripped bare the
story of the murder.
webster said h" was married first to
Zoe Narney at Cedar Rapids, iowa. Jan
nary !. He said lie was greaty in love
win MS bride and expected to return
10 Cedar Rapids to practice medicine.
Il married Bessie Kent under her
promise that she would divorce me i'm
mediateiy after the wedding" said
webster. She then refused to get a
divorce and that was the beginning of
all the trouble"
Following this unsuccessful attempt
to divorce his second fife. Webster
reiated' he met he" on September IL.
and he spent that night with her MT a
North Side rooming house. The next
afternoon he started for Dixon.
webster insisted that he believed
until he reached Dixon that he was
making the trip home. Then. his con
lession relates, he discovered that
| l5essie Kent had made the "trip on the
. same train. He declares that she re-
! FUSED TO return TO Chicago, and tho two
| went to the Dixon Inn that night.
Inc next morning Webster hired a
horse and buggy. and with Mrs Web
stcr NO. :, drove north oil Dixon ON
'hls drive the two auarreled and the
physician alleges that the wife struck
MIN and then jumped from the buggy
CRYING that she would see his parents
and expose his life with her.
I When my wife jumped from III.
! buggy, said Webster, II threw n suit
d; ease al her and then Jumped from TN,
buggy and gave chase ran after
her for several hundred yards. whe,
she stumbled near ravine and fell.
i pulled out my pocket knife. :
pearl handled knife. and stabbed bel
four or tite times in the back OF til,
I neck as she lay on the ground.
! Covered Body With Leaves.
! she died immediately after / hat
/ severed the jugular vein. then rolled
/ her body several yards into the ravln.
( and covered ii with leaves.
! Il don't remember whether dts
| robed her or not. 1 was so excited tina
| almost lost my mind. But know
that 1 covered the body SO CAREFUL,
| that no one passing would sec it,
| After returning the horse an,
buggy. Webster went back to Chicap,
without going to see his parents. n.
continued his work at the hospital. AN,
three or four days afterwnrd repor,,
10 the police that his Wife was miss
ing During the next ten days h,
made frequent inquiries of the polio,
ana took up the matter of his wife;
disappearance with her relatives
Throughout this period he rename,
unrufled and the police did not sus
pect him until after tho body had bee,
identified at Dixon