The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-09-25
DENTON MURDER
CASE MYSTERY
Plumber Found Who Nailed
Up Space Beneath Cellar
Stairs Where Body
Was Found.
DETECTIVES ARE BUSY
One Theory is That Body is Not That
Of Wealthy Man, Although ReIa-
tives Have identified
Il
DETECTIVES ARE BUSY

! [United Press Leased Wire Service
| LOS ANGELES, Calf, Sept 25.-
/ Efforts to solve the mystery surround
[! ing the murder Of Jacob Charles Den
ton, wealthy mining man whose body
was found buried in crude tomb"
in the basement of his home here, to-
| day centered around statements of
james C. Crowhurst, plumber.
| When questioned late yesterday by
the police, Crowhurst took affidavit to
an account of what he knew about
circumstances surrounding the case.
/ He was not under arrest. 1t was ex-
pected he would testify before the
grand jury today.
! Crowhurst in his statement said he
had been engaged to make repairs at
Denton's home by Mrs. r. G.. Peete,
now in Denver Among other work as
| signed to him, the document in the
hands Of the police recounts, was nail
/ ing up the strange compartment be-
meath the basement stairs in which
Denton's body was found.
while looking over the water heat
Ter in the basement, Mrs. Peete said to
me now it will not be necessary for
me to go into that little room, will
+, it?' indicating a small crtdely con-
structed room under the stairway,
/ the alleged statement said.
| She questioned him about mailing up
the outside entrance to the cellar, he
said but this plan was later abandon
ed.
Crowhurst's statement said he had
been told there was quantity OF II
Quor in the compartment.
The plumber was located by police
through a real estate company. he
listed the Denton home for sale with
this company, under instructions from
Mrs. Peete, according to the police ac-
count.
Private detectives working on the
case today advanced the theory that
the murder of Denton. was sinister
plot to gain possession of his prop
erty. They said a secret deed for the
Denton home, valued at nearly $780,
600 had been made. Another report
being investigated was the statement
that $4,000 in bonds which Denton
was said to have kept at his home
have disappeared. o.
A second line Of investigation today
was on the theory that the body was
not thai of Denton although positive
Identification has been made by two
nephews here. Statements of Mrs.
Peete TO Denver police that Denton
had been wounded and had lost an
arm had not been verified, police said
Mrs. Peete Will Explain.
DENVER. Colo, Sept 25.-Mrs. r.
e. Peete, Denver woman who was a
tenant in the mystery house" owned
by J. C. Denton, Los Angeles capital
ist whose body was found in the
basement of his home Thursday, will
60 to Los Angeles in few days and
Voluntarily tell authorities her rela-
tions with Denton. g
When told that J. w. Crowhurst,
plumber, had been questioned in Los
Angeles. and who is alleged to have
boarded the small room where the
body was found, Mrs. Peete today
said she had hired Crowhurst to do
some work at Denton's request
THE plumber was hired to install
a water heater, but as for the fact
he was directed to board up the
small room at my bidding, I have
nothing to say" Mrs. Peete declared.
Mrs. Peete declined to talk as
volubly as she did when first inter
viewed by newspapermen, saying
police had advised her to "go slow.
Mrs. Ida L. Gregory, attache of
Judge Ben Lindsey's court who lived
with Mrs. Peete in Denton's home for
several weeks, declared she was GER
tain the small room had not been
boarded up while they were in the
house. The plumber, she said. spent
several days on the job and was very
anxious to get one of Denton's suits
which he had discarded, but that she
didn't know whether he got the suit.
Los Angeles police, local authori-
ties said, expect to get more tan.
gible clue if it is found that Grow.
hurst obtained Denton's suit, as
shreds of clothing were found near
the dead mans body.
Brothers in Missouri. ,-
LAWSON, Mo-. Sept. 25.-Ioel N.
Denton, farmer living here, stated to-
day he would prepare Immediately to
go to Los Angeles to aid in the inves-