Imperial Valley press., 1921-01-19
L0NGAVA|TED
MURDERCASE
STARTED IN
L0SANGELES
Trial of Mrs. Louise Peete
on a Charge of Killing
Wealthy Mining Man Be-
gun with Both Sides Con-
fident.
(By Associated Press)

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19.-With
both sides confident of the outcome,
the long awaited trial Of Mrs. Louise
Peete for the murder of Jacob G.
Denton, wealthy retired mining man,
will start this morning before Judge
Willis in Department II of the Super
ior Court. Arrangements have been
made for handling the crowd that is
expected to attend the daily sessions
of the case and Bailiff Martin Aguirre
has installed row of temporary seats
for the newspaper representatives.
1t is expected the trial will consume
at least two weeks and it promises
to be bitterly fought between District
Attorney Thomas Lee Woolwine and
his assistants, Ray Turney and A. H.
Van Cott, and Public Defender w. T.
Aggeler, aided by Assistants Vercoe
and Scott for the defense.
The prosecution is said to have one
of the most complete cases of cir
cumstantial evidence in the history of
Los Angeles county and is counting on
its imposing array of witnesses to OBJ
tain conviction.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
James Charles Denton, well-to-do
mining promoter, disappeared June 2,
1920, and on September % following
detectives found his body under pile
of dirt in bearded in enclosure of
the basement of his home here, near
he center of an exclusive. Mrs. r. c..
Peete, who rented the house from
Denton for time later was arrested
and charged with murder.
Denton had been married twice. His
first wife and daughter, aged 16, live
in Phenoix, Ariz. Denton's second
wife died early in 1929. Soon after
her death he advertised his home for
rent and Mrs Peete leased the place
with the understanding that Denton
should retain room for his own use.
She occupied the house until August
8 when she sub-leased it and moved
to Denver.
Between June and August 10, the
district attorney, Thomas Lee Wool
wine, charged, Mrs. Peete disposed of
clothing belonging to Denton and,'
through friend, pawned diamond
ring Of his and also turned over his
automobile to a friend. 1t was also
charged that she cashed checks to
which his name had been forged. 4
Mrs. Peete returned to Los Angeles
after Denton's body was found, de-
claring she was ready to tell the dis
trict attorney everything she knew
about the case. She expressed the
belief that Denton was killed by :
relative of a Spanish woman who, she
said, had visited him.
Mrs. Peetc said she saw Denton
subsequent to June and that he had
his right arm in sling. He signed
checks with his left hand, she said,
and gave them to her to cash. He
also authorized her to sell his ring
and automobile she declared.
Declaring they were not satisfied
with the explanation members, Of the
district attorneys staff took the case
to the grand jury which on October
27 returned an indictment against
Mrs. Peete charging murder.
Up to this period Mrs. Peete had
five attorneys successively represent
ing her. Then it was announced she
was unable to pay the cost of prepar-
ing her defense and w. j. Wood, pub
Tic defender, Yves assigned to handle
her case, and the trial postponed to
January 10. In the meantime MIR.
Wood became superior Judge and
Deputy Public Defender w. T. Agge-
ler became her attorney. =