Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-01-22
JURY TAKEN To
VISIT SCENE Of
DENTON MURDER
Witnesses Are Called by the
State in the trial of Mrs.
Peete, Charged With
Causing His Death

Los Angeles, Calf, Jan. eli
Testimony purporting to establish
the identity of the slain man and
the cause of his death was given
today by seven witnesses called by
the state in the trial of Mrs. Louise
l.. Pete, charged with the murder
of Jacob Charles Denton.
The judge and jury during the
afternoon accompanied the defend
ant and prosecution and defense
counsel to the house in which the
body was buried. This visit was
to acquaint the court and the jury
with the architecture of the house,
width of stairs and doors and 9TH
er features which will be important
elements in the trial, according to
Superior Judge Frank r. Willis,
who ordered the inspection,
Performed an Autopsy.
DR., A. f. Wagner, county au-
topSy surgeon, testified he per-
formed an autopsy over the body
taken from the home formerly oc-
cupied by Denton and, aided by
X-ray photographs, found frag-
ments of metal, which he charac-
tcrized as parts of a bullet
Il found the man had come to
his death from a bullet wound in
the neck" said DR.. Wagner (which
fractured the second vertebrate and
severed the spinal cord. | think
death must have been instantane-
Gus"
The fragments were admitted in
evidence,
William T. Aggeler, acting public
defender, heading defense counsel,
drew from the witness in crOss-ex-
animation the admission there was
to show the bullet could
not have been fired after death.
In response to questions by Ag-
geler, Dr.. Wagner also admitted
there was no sign of possible
exit Of the bullet from the body, |
although the entrance was discov-
cred. The surgeon said this was
due to decomposition.
May Have Been Stranglcd.
DR.. Frank Webb testified to hav-
ng performed autopsies on the |
body, in which the cause of death |
vas not shown. He stated the con-
lition of the body led him to the
belief that death possibly was due
o strangulation. He found, he tes-
flied, a fracture in the right fore |
urn The probable date this fac
ure was received could not be |
liked, the witness said.
90 ha hn1Ky n q
hat of Denton was claimed in the
estimony of Edward L. Half, a |
who testified he was well |
acquainted with Denton.
Il was able to identity the body |
positively by the general contour,
fracture of the right forearm
which Denton' suffered several
ears ago, and by a gold tooth"
Iaff testified.
X-Ray Photographs.
A gold tooth was admitted in
as having been taken
rom the body The prosecution
lso introduced in evidence, for
purposes of identifying the body,
gold ring, collar and cuff but
ons and a belt buckle having the
initial ID" A series of X-ray pho
raphs were admitted in evidence,
n motion of the state, by which it
vas planned to show the jury the
ature of the wound in the neck.
Earl Plat, an undertaken, Police
Detective Sergeants sydney Hickok
nd Louis Canto, and Clarence
ones an X-ray operator, also gave
eSUm0ny. Jones as to taking the
ray photographs and the others
8 to the removal from a small
DOM in the basement of the Den
on home.
When the. defendant left the
curt room, crowd surged about
Ter, which was kept back by the
'olice. An evangelist, appearing
rom the nearby headquarters of
religious sect, addressed the
rowd., urging them to "go home"
nd calling them "hypocrites, and
hameful hypocrites."