Solomon W. Denton (1816-1864)

Solomon W. Denton (1816–1864)

One of two men allegedly sent by Joseph Smith to kill Grandison Newell in 1837.

In 1837 Wilber worked with a Mr. Davis in the church printing office just as things were heating over the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company. In late May, Grandison Newell—an inveterate enemy of Joseph and it seems just about everything Mormon—charged Joseph Smith with sending Wilber and Mr. Davis to assassinate him. Wilber's testimony—with that of apostles Orson Hyde, Luke S. Johnson, Hyrum Smith, Sydney Rigdon, and Reynolds Cahoon—seems to have established that killing Newell had been discussed, perhaps even planned. But the evidence was insufficient to convict and Joseph was acquitted.

Born	Solomon Wilber Denton, "Wilber," 1816 in Fitchville, Huron, Ohio.
Died	1864 in Pontiac, Oakland, Michigan.
Baptized	1831
Summary	Met Joseph in New York, 1830.
	Zion’s Camp, 1834. Member of Joseph's party that began returning to Kirtland on July 9, 1834.
	Mission with Don Carlos Smith to Pennsylvania and New York, spring and summer 1836.
	Worked in the church's Kirtland printing office. Return, 1 (August 1889).
	Testified Joseph wanted him to kill Grandison Newell, June 1837.
	Co-editor of the Pontiac, Michigan Jacksonian, 1838–1844.
	Pontiac Postmaster, 1844–1848, 1853–1860.
Spouse	Fanny M. Stanley, md. 1835.

	Journey with Joseph
Returns from Zion's Camp with Joseph and Hyrum, others, in 1834.	On the 9th we started on our return for Kirtland. The company comprised Joseph, Hyrum and William Smith, Frederick G. Williams, Orson Hyde, William E. McLellin, Ezra Thayer, Lorenzo Booth, Martin Harris, and his son, Solomon Wilber Denton, Jedediah M. Grant, Jenkins Salisbury, Almon W. Babbitt, Seth Johnson, Cyrus Smalling, Harvey Stanley and myself. We had two two-horse wagons, a one-horse buggy and two extra horses. We drove about 18 miles, crossed Fishing River at the Ford. I and some of our party waded through both of the streams in our boots. We estimated the height of the banks as between 40 and 50 feet. We put up for the night at the same place where the camp breakfasted on the 19th ultimo. Our host treated Joseph with respect and generously furnished us with milk, bacon, corn dodger and such other luxuries as he possessed, for which he would receive but a small compensation.	My Diary, 81:287.
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