The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-01-25
LIFE TERM GIVEN
WIFE SLAYER BY
ILLINOIS JUDGE

otO6ohs Ais Sdh. So.-bT. larry Gs
Webster, Of Chicago, was today
sentenced to life imprisonment by
Judge Richard s. Farrand for the
murder Of Bessie Kent Webster last
October. In pronouncing sentence the
court reviewed the crime and declared
that mo greater continuing punish
ment could be inflicted on a young, in
telligent man than to imprison him for
life" The court said:
Harry e. Webster, On the anniver-
sary of your bigamous marriage with
Bessie Kent, you entered a plea of
guilty to the charge of murder. 1t
then became the duty Of the court to
hear n consider such testimony as
might be offered in mitigation Of or
a%ggravation Of the crime committed.
None was offered that would in the
least mitigate the offense. Your at
torneys have spoken their last words
in your behalf and 1t only remain for
the court to impose your sentence.
Grief Of Mothers.
During the progress Of your hearing
two mothers sat before us. The heart
Of one was bleeding as memory re-
called the suffering and death of her
daughter. The heart Of the other was
wrung to agony because Of the acts Of
lie lNllB SOh. WHlCU VI uc lWo was
suffering the greatest grief, only moth
ers that have been down in the dark
valley of gloom and despair can an
swer. All this has come because OF
you cruel. act. Surely 1t causes one to
think deeply Of the tragedy Of life and
the mystery and sorrow Of death.
1.-The crime Of which you plead guilty
was a cruel and cowardly one. Under
the name Of husband o beguiled
Bessie Kent to a lonely spot where in
childhood days you had passed hours of
pleasure, and there in the quietude you
took her life. The brain that con-
ceived and the hand that inflicted that
mortal wound was trained and skilled
in the use of the knife. With n blow
the weapon ~pentrated a vital part and
almost in an instant her life went out,
and / believe that while the warm
blood was still flowing from the gaping
wound you denuded her person and al
lower her body to lie on the cold
ground and the fall rains to peat on 1t
during the long days and lonely nights
for two weeks until by accident the
body was found in a desolate ravine-
her bed Of death-which 0 selected
for her.
Sought to BIacken Woman.
"Tn your bill of divorce. which was
dismissed as a fraud and imposition
on the court, you sought to blacken
the character Of the dead. Aside from
the language in the bill. so filed, there
Is not a scintilla Of evidence in the
record justifying the conclusion that
Bessie Kent was other than a sweet
pure girl up to the time you put your
d%ebauching hands on her.
1.-THE peoples representatives, those
who have done all the ardous labor in
securing your confession and In pre-
pairing the case for trial, are not ask
ing that the extreme penalty be in
ficted upon you. This meets the ap-
| prevail of the court. You no longer
| stand in defiance of the law, but come
before the court confessing your crime
and asking for mercy. Much leniency
in this case would not be a virtue, but
| rather a conformation Of the crime. I
shall spare your life n be more mer-
ciful to you thai you were to your
victim.
Means Greater Punishment.
1T know of no greater continuing
punishment that can be inflicted on a
young intelligent man than to inn
| prison him for life. When the iron doors
Of the pe1'tentiary close behind you,
you must abandon all hope of freedom
on this earth. Within those gray, cold
walls, with the dark memory Of your
wretched crime before you. you must
remain until by death you are called
to approach the silent shores of etern-
ity. and IL the light which then breaks
on you from the farther shore is ra-
! dent with hope, and you hear the voice
Of peace, 1t will be only because an
| offended all wise and merciful God has
forgiven o your awful sins.
1T Is the sentence Of this court that
you be imprisoned In the penitentiary
at Joliet for and during your natural
life. the first day Of that Imprisonment
to be In solitary confinement, balance
Of the time at hard labor and that you
| pay the costs OF prosecution"