Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-11-11
Kent Alibi
Shaken by
Testimony
Two Youths Testify to Seeing
Darkened Store at Time
Doctor" Asserts He Was
Tending Shop.
Shady Past Is Alleged

wv li-yedi-olu boys SpTanR tn
2lrprise and sensation of the da,
late yesterday in the Kent trial wilel
:hey swore ,hst on the night of Jul,
IS they saw the lights of the Ken
s,ore extinguished at 8 in the eve
ning and that the store rcn,ainet
darkened until late that night,
1t was the third day of the tria
OF DR." II. S. Kent, charged witt
attempted murder of two babs.
found in a we'll near Thirty -thirt
aud California streets. Unless Mt
torneys this morning learn of new
evidence they wish to introduce, tn,
case will go to the jury this after.
noon following arguments in tn,
morning by attorneys and instruc.
tiohs by District Judge Troup.
The two witnesses called to the
stand by the prosecution in rebuttal
following tf,e winding up of the de-
fense at 2:45 were John Rim anc
Harold Houston, both of whom were
working as delivery and soda foun-
tain boys for the California phar-
macy across the street from the
Kent confectionery store, Thirty
third and California streets, July
Is the day it is alleged Louise
boeke gave birth to twins.
Saw Lights Go Out.
"We always worked until 1890
during the summer" said the Rim
lad. Il remember the night of July
3 because it was the night before
the, babies were found in the well.
Il was at the front window at 8
aid saw the lights go out in Docs
place. 1t wasn't usual for any such
thing to happen, as Doc usually
closed at 10. half an hour before we
did. spoke of it to Harold Hous-
ton, who was working there with
me, and we looked at the clock and
4 lady working in the store also
talked to US about it.
The Rim boys father is "Pat"
Rim, desk sergeant at South Side po-
i've uSduQudl tSiS. HC OtuS4 UOy
lives at 4340 Erskine street.
The prosecution put great faith in
this testimony, backed by the Hous-
ton boy, who testified exactly the
same as young Rim. There has
''evcr been any testimony offered
showing where doc" Kent was
from about J on the evening of July
Is. Until between 1890 and II, ex-
cepting kest's statement on the wit
ness stand early in the morning.
Describing his actions at that time,
Kent said:
Said He Was at Store,
~ didn't go back to the Boeke
home until $50 for supper, my usual
time, stayed there short time and
went back to the store. | closed
tie store about 1880. l went from
the store to the Boeke home, arriv-
ing there about l0:35 to inquire
about Louise's health. / didn't re-
rlain there more than two or three
minutes and left by the front door.
II returned to the store, or
rather near the store, where l talked
to a group of boys. l was to meet
a man named Blanchard in regard to
loaning money on an automobile.
talked awhile and then went to
bed" @ ..a.
Testimony of other defense wit
nesses who saw Kent that night,
was to the effect that they saw
him between 1880 and II. the time
he admitted he spent talking in
front of the store and in visiting
at the Boeke home. No one except
ing Kent, himself, has offered any
testimony as to his whereabouts
from 7 until 1880.
Saw Kent With Bundles.
Mrs. Mary McElheny, next
door neighbor, has testified that
Kent went into the, Boeke home a:
1915, slipping out few minutes
later with two bundles in his hand.
Kert has testified that he called |
there few minutes about 1880 and
''7,carrying nothing excepting his !
cane. |
Copy of divorce petition filed in
the Office of the clerk of the dis
trict court on January, Is. 1914, in
which Rollo O. Haskins charged
hat Kent carried on illicit relations
III his wife, Emma Havila Has
IS, during the winter of 1918 and
!, was another bit Of last min
X = evidence introduced by the
Kent at that time was
working in a drug store at Twenty
fourth and California streets. Court
records produced showed that Dis
trict Judge Sears upheld the adultery
.harge in the petition and granted
Haskins a divorce on June IS, 1915.
Doctor Testi6es.
The prosecution also succeeded in
getting before the jury testimony
~ DR.. S. McCleneghan that he saw
he alleged evidence of childbirth
found buried in the rear of the Boeke
nome and that it indicated birth Of
twins. This testimony, the state an
,ounced, probably would conclude
is rebuttal and arguments were !
scheduled to open this morning. \
O'Sullivan in closing his defense
allied numerous character witnesses.
All spoke highly of Doc" Kent,
whom they described as a "charac-
er" around Thirty-third and Cali
ornia streets.
HE was always doing something
or somebody" George King, 3s22
-ass street. said.
O'Sullivan called Assistant Coun-
y Attorney Rosenblum to the
and. This move seemed to sur
Use the prosecution but Rosenblum
liked up to take his medicine. 4
Objection Sustained.
fDidn't you as one Of the prose-
Sarors subpoena Louise Boeke, Carl
,oeke and Helen Boeke?" O'Sulii-
an asked. *
"Yes." Rosenblum replied. =
Didn't you attempt to interview