Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-09-22
Rape md Murder OF nm Indian Girl.

Rape md Murder OF nm Indian Girl.
An Indian boy named Billy Potter,
aged seventeen or eighteen years, was ar
rested yesterday morning by Harvey N.
Rice on a charge Of rape and murder, un-
der circumstances which leave scarcely a
doubt as to his guilt. A party Of per-
haps a dozen Digger Indians has lived
during the Summer about the city, camp.
ing sometimes On the leyee near l or J
streets, and sometimes further up the
river. At present they are located in the
willows just north of the Water Works,
opposite Mrs. Gibson's store. Among
the party were three or four children.
On Tuesday Billy Potter, who is q " civ
ilized" Indian, from Mendocino county,
took dinner with them. At 8 or o'clock
he andla girl named Caroline Rossaria,
aged ten years.. with two boys, six or
eight years old, strolled of beyond the
Gas Works. The three Indian children
were all very small Of their age. In a
short time the two boys returned, saying
that Billy Potter had sent them back.
Night came on, and the girl failed to re-
turn. The mother and the other Indians
searched for her a considerable portion OF
the night. They had traced the trial OF
the two persons by the shoe prints OF Pot-
ter across the old bed Of the American
river. Further search disclosed the TACT
that among the bushes near the banks OF
the Sacramento river, some twenty, or
thirty yards north Of the old channel OF
the American, there were evidences OF one
or more persons lying on the ground, near
which spot wal a pool Of blood. In ad-
dition to these u~nfavorable signs, the In
dian found buried near the edge OF the
water a portion of the clothing which the
child wore when she went away.
The Indians continued their search, and
at about daylight Yesterday morning q
hand aud arm were discernable on the
surface Of the water, near the shore, about
opposite the center Of the old river bed.
The body was recovered, and was found
to be that of the missing child. It was
entirely Invested Of clothing, and had evil
IDENTIFY been carried down stream about
one hundred yards from the point at which
it was thrown into the river. Informs
ton Of the fact was left at the station-house,
and Harvey N. Rice and s. s. Baldwin
visited the spot, saw the body, and exam
ined the boot tracks along the bank OF the
river. Rice subsequently, arrested Billy
Potter while driving a dirt wagon, engaged
in hauling earth for the street grading
purposes. He at first denied all knowl-
edge Of the fact that the girl was dead. He
afterward admitted to Rice that he had
had carnal intercourse with her, and stated
that he had gone into the river to battle,
and was followed by the girl, who jumped
on his back that they both sunk, and
before he could recover his self.possession
the girl was out of his reach. Coroner
Con6oie held an inquest over the body Of
the child. Several physicians made an
examination of the body and found that a
a had been committed, and that death
had resulted from drowning. There were
no marks Of violence upon the body ex-
cept those resulting from the violation of
the person. A full report Of the inquest
will be found in another column. Billy
Potter was raised q. Potter's ranch, Men
docino county. He came to the city
about FIVE months ago, since which time
he has lived with E. P. Figg, whose team
he was engaged in driving at the time of
his arrest. He claims to DO but fifteen
years old, but has the appearance Of being
two or three years older. The remains Of
the murdered girl were buried yesterday
in the City ::Cemetery.-Sacramento Union
1871.