The Sentinel=record., 1911-10-06
JOE DENTON GETS 5 YEARS
FOUR YEAR SENTENCE UNDER ONE cHARGE-PLEA OF GULL.
 " UNDER ANOTHER.
Jury Was Out But a Few Minutes and Reached a Verdict of Con-
 viction On First Ballot.

lue StdNc pcHlteHltdIS dt HdTu ldDol as the result of two cases of grand larceny which had been brought thru the circuit court after indictment by the grand jury.
 There were two cases of grand
 larceny and one of petty larceny against Denton The case yesterday tried in circuit court was one of rob- ping a blind farmer who resides near the river of gun. blankets, knives and forks, and other household arti. cles valued at sufficient to make a charge Of grand larceny.
 The case was given over to the jury late in the afternoon, and they were out but a few minutes. There was an agreement reached on the first ballot that Denton was guilty, and it took but a short while there after for the jury to assess the punishment. The verdict was tha' Denton be sentenced to four years hard labor in the state penitentiary
 When the verdict was returned 2 council was held between AttorneN Long, who had been appointed by the court to defend Denton, and Pro- secutor Wood, with the final result that Dentn enter a plea of guilty in in the second charge of grand lar ceny and receive a sentence of one year, and that the charge of pett larceny be dismissed against him.
 Denton was charged at the last term of court with a first degree murder charge, in connection with the assassination of B. c, Green. South Hot Springs merchant, who was shot from the stoop of his store while he was playing guitar. Denton and Green had trouble before the trag. edy, and circumstances pointed to Denton as being the assassin of the merchant, but there was no positive evidence, and the state lacked one essential feature in it's chain of cir. cumstantial evidence, in that the shot gun with which the tragedy was committed, could never be accounted for.
 through Prosecuting Attorney Wood was in effect that s. l.. Simmons. [ blind farmer residing near the river. had his home entered and goods amounting to enough collectively to create grand larceny charge, had been taken therefrom. Simmons went on the stand as the first wit ness, and testified to the articles he had lost through theft, and as t their relative value. He knew noth ing of who had taken them. but they had in part been returned to him by persons who said they had been talk en from the home of Joe Denton.
 Tim Vanderberg was a valuable witness. He had entered the house of Joe Denton on the authority a search warrant while looking for other stolen property, and had foun5 the articles which had been taken from the home of the blind farmer. They had been returned to him.
 It was difficult to keep the evi- dence Of this charge of theft separ- ated entirely from other charges which Benton will have to answer, and for which he stands indicted.
 The defense was dual one, an alib as to the time the theft took place from the bind mans home, and defense of having purchased the goods found in his house from an other party who has since left the country.
 Denton went on the stand and swore to the alibi feature of the de- fense, and then took up the matter of relating how he came into pos session in his home of the articles which had been stolen from the Premises of the blind man. He claim ed to have purchased and traded for them, and gave dates and places where the alleged trades were com pleted.
 The jury was composed of James Martin, Waiter Halsey. Frank Joplin, J. NJ. Elza, M. A. Coppeak. c. W. Patten, P. 4. Newquist, w. l.. All sup. J. R. McJunkin, H. T. Kohlen- berg, Frank Kellar, C. A. Wilcox.
 ATTENTION MEMBERS LOYAL