The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1888-07-20
A Romance.

a 0A0 Romance.
A most interesting story Of how an
unprotected boy was arrested for a crime
which he did not commit, sentenced to
imprisonment for . term Of years,
allowed to escape ON account of his
tender years, feafrested after sixteen
years as an escaped convict and finally
discharged aud acquitted . free and hon.
orable man, is told In 4 recent number Of
the chattanooga Times. The details In
this story furnish ample pointers for a
novel fouiiscd on facts and will doubtless
sometime be used by sonic enterptising
fiction writer profitably.
During the late wal a confederate SOL
dier named Denton died in prison. He
left 4 widow and several children living
at Bristol, Ysnt. Benton was a work
ingman and his family was left IN indi-
gent circumstances. Among the children
thus left was Cam" Is he was called.
Being a sprightly boy he attracted the at
tention Of a contractor; who lived in
South Carolina and finally on the tfo1piee
OF the contractor to do a good part by the
boy, the mother consented for him to go
to South Carolina. He went and remained
with the contractor two years, during
which time he was very badly beaten and
at the end of that time was thrown o,it
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 rom
ises Of wages from u liveryman. He re.
maincd in this place for q month or two.
and on asking for pay he WIS kicked and
cuffcd and cursed out. The poor fellow
becoming desperate, got up one night ut
midnight and going to the stable .hooked''
a horse and started for home. He rode
the horse some distance and then turned
him loose and started on foot.
In the meantime the livery stable man
found that a horse was missing and i'm
mediately took out q warrant. charging
bin with horse stealing and put an officer
on the track of the missing boy. AS a
matter of course it was not long before
he was overtakcn. He was arrested.
hauled back, indicted in the courts and
brought TO trial, none of his friends or
family beiiig informed of his needs or his
trouble. He was convicted and sentenced
to tivcy ears in the state tcnitentiary.
Owing to his tender years the Judge com
muted his sentence to two years.
The boy went to the pc~nitentiary, and
there, 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. He ut once apprcnticcd himself to
learn the brick mason's trade, and in O
short time he became a proficient work
man, and gained many friends by his in
dnstry 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 as a brick mason. He was en-.
ploycd on important works in Bristol,
Knoxville, Cleveland and Chattanooga.
While at work here he took up a quar-
rel in which another man spoke dispar-
agingly of n lady and gave the traducer a
IOuuSAuSs AAio Woo uOI TcllSucu anu
the party knowing something of the
South Carolina affair informed the au-
thorities of that state where Denton could
be found. The record of the prison
showed that he had escaped, consequent.
ly a writ was Issued, c~xtradition papers
were obtained, and on the 18th of April,
sixteen years after the South Carolina in.
cidcnt, he was taken back to that state
and again imprisoned, leaving his wife
almost heart broken. He was employed
on the building of the new water works
station when arrested.
But he made hosts of friends through
out east Tennessee. and hundreds of let
tiers were sent to 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 clemency,
and a telegram received by Mrs. Denton
from her husband announced that he was
at Augusta, on his way home a free man.
He subsequently arrived on a Western
& Atlantic train, and there was great re-
ioicing at his residence on Flynn street.
He will at nee secure employment. as he
is considered one of the most e~flcien,
workmen in the city.