Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-07-21

"A most interesting story Of how an
unprotected boy was arrested for q crime
which he did not commit. sentenced To
Imprisonment for a term Of years,
allowed to escape on account of hl
tender years. rearrested after sixteet
years as an escaped convict and final,
discharged and acquitted a free and hon
orablc man, is told in a recent number OF
the Chattanooga Times. The details i'm
this story furnish ample pointers for "a
novel founded on facts and will doubtless
sometime be used by some enterprising
fiction writer proftably.
During the late war a confederate SOL
dier named Denton died in prison, He
left q widow and several children living
at Bristol. Tenn. Denton was a work.
ingman and his family was left in indi-
gent circumstances Among the children
thus left was Cam rs he was called.
Being a sprightly boy he attracted the at
tcnlion OF a contractor, who lived in
south Carolina and finally on The promise
OF the contractor to do & good part by the
boy, the mother consented for him to go
70 Sout Carolina, He wentand remained
with the contractor two wears, during
which time he vas very badly beaten ana
at the end Of that time was thrown out
OF employment. A lad, with no friends.
hundreds of miles from home. the poor
boy didn't know what to do.
Finally he got employment and prom
lses OF wages from IA liyerymln, He re-
manned in this place for q month or two.
and on asking for pay he was kicked ana
cuiled and cursed out. The poor fellow
becoming desperate, got up one night AT
midnight and going 10 the stable hooked"
a horse and started for home. he rode
the horse some distance and then turned
him loose and star ed on foot.
In the meantime the livery stable man
found that a horse was missing and inn
mediately took out q warrant. charging
him with horse stealing and put an officer
on the track OF the missing boy. AS u
matter of course il was not long before
he was overtaken. He was arrested,
hauled back, indicted in the courts and
brought to trial, one of his friends or
family being informed of his needs or his
trouble. He was convicted and sentenced
to fivey ears in the state peniientiary.
Owing to his tender years the judge con
muted his sentence to two years.
The boy went to the p~enitentiary, and
!here. by his bright ways and attractive
manners he won The hearts of all, and
after he had been there about six months
he was given to understand that he might
get out Of the way, and he did, making
his escape and going back home TO Bris-
tol. tie at once apprenticed himself to
learn the hPirk nosnp'S traHa md IN
short time he became n proficient work
man, and gained many friends by his in
dustry and careful attention TO work.
He soon made the acquaintance Of "a
charming lady on the Virginia side, and
the acquaintance ripened into love, and
the two were married, the lady being Of
one Of the finest families of southwest
Virginia.
Young Denton soon became widely
known az a brick mason. He was en-
ployed on important works in Bristol,
Knoxville, Cleveland and Chattanooga.
While at work here be took up a quar-
rel in which another man spoke dispar-
agingly Of a lady and gave the traducer "A
~trouncing. This was not relished and
the party knowing something Of the
south Carolina affair Informed the au-
of that state where Denton could
be found. The record of the prison
showed that he had escaped, consequent
y a writ was issued, cxtradition papers
were obtained, and on the nth of April,
sixteen years after the South Carolina in
cident, he was taken back TO tina state
and again imprisoned, leaving his wife
almost heart broker. He was employed
on the building Of the new water works
station when arrested.
But he made hosts Of friends through
ont east Tennessee, and hundreds OF let
tiers were sent 10 the governor Of South
Carolina through Allamont Moses, a mem
Der of the South Carolina legislature, pc.
titioning Denton's pardon.
The governor extended his clcmency.
and d telegram received by Mrs. Denton
from her husband announced that he was
at Augusta, on his way home a free man.
He subsequently arrived OF a Western
q Atlantic train, and there was great re-
joicing at his residence on Flynn street.
lie will at once secur employment, as he
is considered one of the most efficient
workmen in the city.