The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-30 00:00:00

The Derby Murder.

Yesterday (Thursday) at noon James Potter, who mur-
dered his wife at Dcrby, between 12 and 1 o'clock on Fri-
day morning, by statbing her through the heart with a
sword cane, was brought up on remand, before the local
magistratep, at the county gaol, for examination.
'The magistrates present were the Mayor (Mr T. Roe) Dr
Heygate, Mr Bainbrigge, Mr Pegg, Mr W. T. Cox, and
Mr T. B. Forman.

The prisoner was brought into the room in the custody
of a turnkey, and appeared to be calm and collected, and on
being told the nature of the charge against him, he made
no answer.

Sergeant Thorpe repeated the evidence which he gave
before the coroner, as to his meeting Potter near his home
on the morning of the murder, going home with him and
finding the body upon the bed. He described searching the
prisoner, and during this portion of his evidence was in-
terrupted by the prisoner, who said, "You don't Elay any-
thing about the 4s I had in my pocket."
The Mayor—Have you any remark to make?
Prisoner—Yes. I had 3s 101 d, and four keys fastened
together on a ring, and four silver buttons fastened to a
ring, a penknife with two blades, a pocket knife, and a
whistle. That was about all, I think. Stay, there was a
spectacle case. I could not find my waistcoat, but it was
sent to me yesterday.
The Bench—Anything more ?
Thorpe—A knife with a broken blade.
Prisoner—Yes ; that's right. The blade was brokenthe
day I had it. Will you let me have a chair ? I am very
weakly.

A chair was handed to him, and the Court took the evi
deuce of

Benjamin Fearn, detective inspector of police, who had
not been previously examined before the coroner. He said
—I received the prisoner into my custody at his own home
about 20 minutes alter one o'clock on the morning of the 22d
inst. He was in the bedroom where the corpse lay when I
first saw him. When I got him into the street I said,
" Potter—l charge you with the murder of your wife." He
replied, " She has run me into debt. That man we met on
the stairs did it." We had met no one on the stairs, and I
said so to him. Just as wo went out of the house a man
named Stone, who lodges there, came down behind us. As
I was leaving the house I told the constable in charge of
the premises not to leave until daylight, as prisoner might
have thrown the weapon into the street. Potter, who heard
the remark, said "He will not find it there." I then took
him to the station and locked him up.

By Dr Heygate—Stone was partly dressed ; he had no
coat on, and seemed as though he had just got up.
Prisoner—Stone was fresh washed, was ho not ?
Fearn—l don't know.
Prisoner—You ought to know then.
Fearn—He looked to me as though he had just got out of
bed. He did not appear to have been fresh washed.
By the Bench—Prisoner appeared to be sober. He spoke
in a similar way to what bo does now. Ho appeared to be
very low, much as he does now.
Viz Abeth Clements, the prisoner's daughter, gave the
evidence which has before appeared.
Prisoner asked his daughter whether her mother had not,
when in a bad state of mind, lifted up a carving• knife and
threatened to take his life.

Witness replied she had not.
Prisoner—" Oh, dear I it is base of you to say so." He
then put up his hands to his face and began to cry.

Henry James Potter, grandson of the prisoner, who was
not examined at the inquest, said ho had lived all his life
with the prisoner, Went to bed on Thursday night at seven
o'clock. Was awakened at one by hearing his grandmother
cry out "Murder !" teveral times. He heard no other voice.
Was frightened, and lay still for about an hour, when his
mother came to him. Tho dagger produced is his grand-
father's, who kept it in his bedroom, against the drawers.
He saw the dagger on Friday morning bent as it was then.
Other witnesses who gave evidence at the inquest having
been examined,
Stone, the lodger, was called—He denied any improper
intimacy with the deceased. He was a warded man, and his
wife was a nurse at the Derby Infirmary.

Prisoner—You have. I caught you with her on the
squab last Sunday.
Stone denied this, and said his wife was with him, as it
was her Sunday out.

The depositions were then completed, and the prisoner,
after having been charged and cautioned, said, " I shall be
ready with a defence."
He was then committed for trial at the March Assizes.