The Waupaca Post, dated August 11, 1904, reported: "Ed Kent takes the life of his son, Walter, as a result of a quarrel and straggle between the two men. Due to the elder Kent’s age and military service, he was not charged." This report was wrong. Edward Kent was charged with first-degree homicide. After further investigation, on March 29, 1905, the district attorney tried to change the charge to second-degree homicide, however the judge would not allow it.
On August 5,1904, Edward was arrested by William Ward, deputy sheriff, and was charged with murder of his son Walter. On Saturday, August 6th, after further investigation, Coroner Boston held an inquest. "After hearing the testimonies the coroners jury brought in a verdict that the ‘said Walter Kent came to his death by means of a knife wound inflicted by his father, Edward L. Kent, in the town of Belmont, Portage County, Wisconsin, on the 5th day of August, 1904."’ (The Gazette - Aug. 10, 1904) Edward was brought to Stevens Point and put in the county jail Justice G. L. Park, accepted the plea of not guilty to the charge of murder and the case was postponed to August l9th’.
Edward L. Kent came to the United States when he was seven years old from Portsmouth, England, where he was born on May 19, 1831. He worked on a farm and attended school in Ontario County, New York and Oakland County, Michigan. Eventually he entered the lumbering business in Saginow County, Michigan. In 1854 he came to Milwaukee as a fisherman. Here he married Sarah L. McGwin who was born on November 26, 1832. In the summer of 1854 Edward ran the Mississippi River with lumber to St. Louis, while his wife taught school. In the fall they came to Marathon County where he worked in the lumber camps, while she cooked for the men. At the end of the lumber season they came to Belmont Township in Portage County. Here he purchased eighty acres in Section 20 of that township and began farming by clearing the land and building a log cabin. The family started living at this location in 1856. Here Edward and Sarah raised seven children, the first arriving in 1856 and the last, Walter I. Kent, was born on November 19, 1873. Winters were spent working in lumber camps and farming took the rest of the time. From December of 1861 to March 16, 1865, Edward served in Company E, 18th Wisconsin Volunteers. He was slightly wounded at Shiloh. After the war he returned to his family and farm continuing the farming profession till the end of his life.
Walter I. Kent was born in Belmont and lived there his thirty-one years of life. He was married to Josephine in 1895 and they had four small children, the oldest being six years old at the time of his death. The father and son quarreled, Edward had raised a stove poker against his son and on two occasions the elder Kent threatened Walter with a knife. The father had objected to the "habits of Walter" and quarreled over the final disposition of the property given to Walter by his mother whose name was on the documents indicating that she owned the land. Walter farmed the land with his father and got two-thirds of what was raised. Edward and Walter lived on opposite side of the road from each other, "according to some of the neighbors, bad blood existed between the two men for some time past".
On April 6th, 1905, the case came to trial presided over by Judge Webb. District Attorney G. M. Dahl and George B. Nelson appeared for the state, Byron B. Park and Fred J. Carpenter for the accused. The original panel of thirty-three man jurors was exhausted before a panel of twelve could be chosen; so twenty-five more were impaneled for duty. This was necessary since the state was entitled to twelve peremptory challenges, while the defendants were privileged to twenty-four. The state did exhaust eleven and the defendant twenty, before a jury was impaneled and sequestered. After jury instructions by the judge, informing them of the alleged facts, the state indicated that the only witness to the tragedy was the widow, Josephine Kent. The defendant admitted being responsible for the death of his son, but claimed self-defense. It seems that Walter Kent was a hard drinker and abused alcohol for a number of years. While under the influence, he often physically abused and threatened his father to the point that Edward who was seventy-four years old, feared for his life. The claim of the defense, that the killing was justifiable, was based on this fear. Was it then murder or self defense? The jury will have to decide.
On the 5th of August 1904, Walter went to Almond to attend an Old Fellows’ funeral. He hoped to return by 1:00 p.m. instead he arrived at home at 10:00p.m. under the influence of alcohol and a sleep in the buggy driven by Charlie Butolpf. Edward took care of the team, by which time Charlie walked Walter home. Edward soon followed to Walters home with a pail of milk for the baby. The front door was jammed; as a result, the back door was opened by Josephine. Here the story takes two different tracks.
An argument started between father and son. Whither it was over the comment; "All right Josie, let the drunken brute in" or as Edward claimed; "Open the door and let this drunken pup in", or other perceived insult is difficult to determine. A pushing match ensued. Walter wanted his father to leave him alone and "go home", while Edward claimed that he pleaded for his life, "Walter do not kill me, for God’s sake, do not kill me". "When he got me down, I commenced to holler and he then got me by the throat and shut my wind off, putting his knees on my stomach and holding me until his wife took him off." Edward then left to go home. For some reason he returned, after reaching into his pocket and pulling out a knife, which he claimed he could not remember. On reaching the screen door of the back porch Walter pushed Edward demanding to know what he was doing there. It was at this time that Edward stabbed him. "That is what you are trying to do, you are trying to kill me" Walter exclaimed. When his wife, Josephine asked what was the matter, Walter responded, "father stabbed me" and he fell in front of the stove. Josephine ran for help to Edwards’s wife, passing Edward on his way home, she said - "you have killed Walter". He responded, "I guess not". Edward quickly returned to Walters house and found him dead. "Walter’s exterior jugular vein was nearly severed, and the interior jugular vein was about half cut off. The cause of death was severing of the jugular vein and the victim bled to death." (Gazette - April 12, 1905) Edward hurried home from where he called the doctor, the sheriff and a neighbor to come to his home and then went to lie down. He later surrendered to authorities and was jailed for trial.
The jury retired and after deliberation found Edward Kent no guilty of first-degree homicide. There is no information whither the verdict was based on the evidence, the age of the defendant, his service and reputation in the community, or that the District Attorney charged him incorrectly. It does not matter, the jury found him not guilty. At the time of the trial Edwards’s children were present. His son Frank and son-in-law James McInroe came from Walla Walla, Washington. Cora Hamel was also there. Family members and courtroom observers congratulated Edward on his acquittal. Edward Kent shook hands with the District Attorney and told them; "I have no hard feelings against you; you did your duty like a man." (April 13, 1905 - Stevens Point Journal)
The homestead at Belmont was rented out after the trial and the parents moved to Plainfield. The family of Walter was provided for by Frank and other relatives. Another chapter of tragedy was closed in the history of Portage County.