BX July 9, 1917

Brantford Hero Brings Back Bride – An Albany, N.Y., Newspaper Weaves Romance Around Lieutenant Harry Dent – Is He From Brantford?

ALBANY, N.Y. July 5. – Clear from the trenches in Belgium and France, Lieutenant Harry Dent of the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles, scarred by poison gas, came to Troy in search for a bride and found her, in the person of Miss Arshiuys Nigelian of 2311 Twelfth Street, according to the Knickerbocker Press.  Lieutenant Dent and Nigolian obtained a marriage license from James L. Cronin, deputy city clerk and were married in the Armenian Congregational church, Ninth and Eagle streets, Troy by the Rev. Mihran Taladlian, Pastor

The story told by The Press is as follows:

When the war broke out Lieut. Dent was a member of the Canadian Mounted Police, stationed in Brantford, Ontario. He answered the first call for volunteers and was enlisted with the rank of Sergeant.  The Fourth Mounted Rifles were recruited almost entirely from the Canadian Mounted Police, called the most efficient police body in the world and it was one of the first Canadian outfits to be sent across.
 
Lieutenant Dent was in the trenches for 23 months.  After the second battle of Ypres he was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in action, being one of the three Canadian soldiers to be honoured.

It was at Ypres that Lieutenant Dent’s command first encountered the deadly German poison gas and more than half of his company was asphyxiated.  He was in three hand-to-hand conflicts with the enemy and in each of these close quarter battles he succeeded in saving his regiment’s colors and it was for this he was given the Victoria Cross.  He has been wounded by shrapnel three times, once in the forehead, where he bears a deep scar, and once each on the right leg and left arm.

When Lieut. Dent was furloughed home on sick leave he was assured he would be assigned to recruiting duty in Brantford and he decided he would marry.  There is a big branch factory of Cluett, Peabody and Company in Brantford and he hard such praise of Troy girls that he decided he would pay one visit to Troy.  He came, he saw and was conquered.  He met Miss Nigelian at a party given in the parlors of the Armenian Congregational church, being introduced by the Rev. Dr. Kiladjian. 

Lieutenant and Mrs. Dent will live in Brantford.

Note:  The 4th C.M.R. was not at the second battle of Ypres.  Harry Dent was not awarded the Victoria Cross.

BX November 24, 1922

Death Penalty is Paid by Dent This Morning – He Went to the Scaffold Without a Tremor and “Felt Fine”

Harry Dent, Armenian, was hanged at the county jail this morning for the murder of Peter Egoian last April.

Promptly at 6 o’clock Dent left his cell, and accompanied by the Rev. WG. Martin, walked to the scaffold, where his legs were pinioned by Arthur Ellis.  Eleven seconds after reaching the scaffold and at the words “Forgive them their trespasses,” the trap was pulled.  Death was instantaneous.

According to the guard at the jail, Dent slept well and was wakened at 5 o’clock, on the arrival of the minister.  A member of the Salvation Army spent the first part of the night with the condemned man.  On leaving his cell Dent remarked that he felt fin and saying “Good-bye boys,” walked without a tremor to his death.

The coroner’s jury returned a verdict of “legally hanged for the commission of murder.”  The body was cut down at 6.10 and take to the undertakers, after having been viewed by the jury.

The crime for which Dent was hanged this morning was one of the most revolting in local police court circles.  Last April Peter Egoian, wealthy Armenian and Dent landlord, was murdered and Dent was found throwing portions of the dismembered boy into the canal.  The murdered man had been butchered into about 20 pieces, all of them recovered.  Dent and his wife were arrested and charged with the murder, but only the man was brought to trial, Mrs. Dent going insane and being sent to an asylum.  Three children of Dent are being looked after by the Soldiers’ Aid Commission.

The jurors were John McCann, foreman; W.H. Shellington, R.J. Eacrett, Thomas Ion, Reginald Martin, Roy Horsnell and Frank Thomson.  Beckett and Son undertakers called for the body shortly after the execution.