RELEABE OF CONSTANCE KENT.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7529, 19 April 1890, Page 5

RELEABE OF CONSTANCE KENT.

A 1181-__J_--AB_E MURDBR. {>__ _-BBS ASSOCIATIOH."] ' Received April 19th, 1.25 _m, Londokt, April 18. Constance Kent, who was sentenced to death ia 1865, and subsequently commuted to imprisonment for life, on a charge of murdering her brother, four years old, at Road, near Frome, Somerset, baa been released. At the time of tbe murder Constance Kent Was sixteen years of age.

The murder in question, which took place on June 29th, 1860, was of a most remarkable character and excited tremendous interest iv England at tbe time. The murdered child was a half-brother of Constance Kent and was discovered in an outhouse wrapped in a blanket taken from the nursery and its throat cut in the most shocking manner. Suspicion was first directed to a nursemaid who was brought before the Magistrates, but discharged. Mr Kent himself lay for some time under suspicion, DUG finally a Loudon detective, sent aowa to iavestiga:e the case, arrested Miss Constance Kent on tbe charge of having murdered her halfbrother. There was really no c vide ace to convict her, and she was discharged. Five years afterwards, however, Constance Kent, then a " visitor" at St. Mary's Hospital, Brighton, openly confessed to the Hey. A. D. »agner, of St. Paul's, Brighton, and afterwards to the Magistrate at Bow street. She subsequently gave a very detailed account of the way in which the murder ..was committed. Mo motive ever came out except that she had a strong dislike to her stepmother, bhe apparently had no ill-will against the little boy except as one of the children of the second Mrs Kent. A doctor who examined her expressed the opinion that at the time of her trial she was sane, but thought that, owing to the peculiarities of her constitution, it was probable that under prolonged solitary coanneoieat she would become insane. As stated in the telegram the prisoner was sentenced to death, but thenentduce was afterwards commuted to imprisonment for life. The convict is now about forty-six years of age.