The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-10-02
Trial of William $. Potter for Murder.

! Seldom before has the community in his
/ neighborhood been SO greatly excited rs
during the first three days of the present
week. 1t has been many years since a trial
for murder has taken place in our Court
and not within the recollection of any one,
where the crime itself was perpetrated i'll
this county, The one or two trials which
have taken place. have been of cases re-
moved from other counties, and therefore
no such interest was excited as in the case
Just closed.
On Monday last, in the Circuit Court,
the case of the State cs. William 5. Potter,
indicted for the murder of William Flam-
mer, (colored.) was called. 1t being known
that this was the day previously set for the
trial. the Court room was crowded long be-
fore the trial commenced.
The circumstances connected with the
murder are briefly these:
On Friday the 25th day of June last,
Potter the accused, rode up on horseback
to the house of Mr. Francis B. Crukshanks,
situated in Sassafras Neck, in the First
Election District, and inquired at Mr.
Cruikshanks if a colored man by the name
of Bill Flammer was working on his place,
and if so, whether he had any objection to
his taking him away? Mr.. c. replied that
he did not know if there was any hand by
that name there, but that there was a
stranger in one of his fields harvesting and
if he was the man he had no objections to
Potter's taking him away. Potter then
left the house, re mounted his horse and
proceeded towards the field designated
Riding up to the fence he dismounted and
fastened his horse to a tree. He then
sprang over the fence and walked up to
the farthcst end of the field, where the de
nod
respectfully Aaron Benton, James Jones,
Samuel Jenkins and John Byard, were at
work harvesting wheat. The first person
he met was Byard, of whom he asked if
Flammer was i'll the field to which Byard
repiicd that he was. Potter then walked
on, passing Jones and Jenkins, and finally
came to where Benton and Flammer were
engaged in binding, they being about eight
feet apart. He stepped up to Flammer and
said to him, "Why did you leave my tield?'
and before the last word was out of his
mouth, or Flammer had time to reply, the
report of Il pistol was heard and Flammer
fell dead at Potters feet, the ball having
entered the right side of the head just
above the temple. Death was instantane-
Gus. Potter then turned to Benton and
told him to pick the dead man up and carry
him to the house, which Benton refused to
was hitched. re-mounted and rode back to
Mr. Cruikshank's house, and calling him
out, said to him: - have been very unfor-
tunate: fear have killed that man.
lie then consulted what he should do, and
upon the advice of his friends, the next
morning came to Elkton and delivered him
self into the custody of the Sheriff. He
was taken before Justice Brown who de-
clined to receive bail and remanded him to
Jail where he has been up to the day of his
trial.
The murder was as unprovoked and un-
called for an act rs ever was perpctrated.-
Potter and the deceased were about the
same age, not being yet quite twenty-one
years old. The murdered man was form
erly slave of Potter's up to the time of
the war, when he was freed, but had been
living with Potter as hand on his
farm, and there had always existed be-
tween the two the best feelings. The de-
ceased had left Potter, however, few days
before the occurrence to seek work else
where, which was the only excuse attempt
ed to be offered for the crime.
The prisoner was brought into Court
at about four o clock on Monday afternoon,
and being arraigned before the Clerk,
pleaded 8 not guilty"
The defence entered by his counsel was
% -IccidentaL Uomicide.'
About an hour was occupied in obtain
ing jury. In anticipation of the trial the
Court had last week drawn from the box
a panel of thirty jurors in addition to
those on the regular panel, but these were
found insufficient and it became necessary
to summon twelve more jurors by the
Sheriff. The following gentlemen were
oh oil fba