Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-11-07
Says
He Will Be
Free Ss'l
Jury v md Me
Guilty, >SSs 'ctor Wait
ing TriaS Z Attempt to
Kill Babies.
Mystery Woman Involved
Mystery Woman Involved

Il expect to be free within a
week." said "Dr." H. S. Kent in the
county Jail yesterday. Il am inno-
cent"
II don't think a jury will find any
evidence on which to find Mr. Kent
guilty." said Eugene O'Sullivan, at
torney for Kent,
Deputy County Attorneys Sa-
baugh and Rosenblum have sum-
moned Is witnesses to testify for
the state, at the trial, which opens
tomorrow.
The celebrated case has divided
the residents of the Thirty-third and
California streets neighborhood into
two factions.
One faction, that which believes
in the innocence of Kent, has raised
a large fund of money for his de-
fense. To this fund Creighton uni
versity students and even members
of the university faculty have con-
tributed, it is said. Kent formerly
was employed in drug store at
Twenty-fourth and California
streets, where he made friends of
many students and professors. He
was always a quiet, inoffensive man,
inclined toward works of charity,
they say.
A Profound Student.
A most unusual case is that of
State against Kent.
Kent is unusual A man of 81
years, with the pale face and deep-set
eyes of the scholar, he has spent
most of his time reading during the
three and a half months he has been
in the county Jail. Fiction, science,
history and philosophy have abb
sorbed his attention. His manner is
gentle and soft-spoken. He has
luxuriant iron gray hair and beard.
He is charged with assault with
intent to commit murder and assault
with intent to do great bodily in
jury. For these crimes the law pro-
vides penalties OF two to IS, and one
to five years, respectively.
His alleged victim is Jimmie Wells.
Jimmie is now 31a months old. Jim
mic has twin sister, Betty Wells.
Jimmie was found in a bucket in
an abandoned cistcrn at 1hirty-third
and California streets the evening
OF July "a, when his feeble cries at
tracted attention -a--.i i---
Eyewitness Is Found.
Two hours later Betty was found
in the same cistern, also in bucket.
The twins were taken to the Meth
odist hospital, where they are thriv-
ing. The nurses named them
Wells" in commemoration of the
place where they were found.
Who placed the babes in the we'll?
Suspicion turned to "Dr." Kent. who
roomed at the home of Mrs. Helen
Boeke, 3041 California street. Neigh
bors said they suspected the twins
were children of Louise Boeke. One
woman, Mrs. Mary McElheney, told
police she saw Or" Kent carry two
baskets from the Boeke home and
proceed with them in the direction of
the abandoned we'll, which is near a
small confectionery store operated
by Mrs. Boeke and Kent.
On these representations Kent
was arrested. On July 2S he was
bound over in police court to the dis
trict court under $4,000 bond. This
sum was reduced to $4,000 and a
few weeks later to $4,000. But Kent
was unable to furnish it.
Mystery Woman in Case.
Both Kent and Miss Boeke have
denied the parentage of the twins.
Miss Boeke is among the witness
es subpoenaed by the county. But
the county prosecutors do not know
what she will say on the witness
stand.
"Parentage of the children is not
involved in this, case" said Deputy
County Attorney S1abaugh. THE
question of Kent's guilt or innocence
does not rest on whose children they
are. So that element probably will
not be introduced at the trial"
A mysterious woman" compli-
Gates the problem of who put the
children in the well. This woman
at the we'll in the dusk OF
the evening of July "a, just after the
second baby had been found. She
is reported to have uttered cry and
then to have disappeared into the
darkness again Nobody knows who
she was.