Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-10-09
The Potter Tragedy.

mako things ring again. So much for
fanatioism."
The Potter Tragedy.
A everything relative to the recent
,ragical death Of A. X. Potter. late OF
this town, Is Of interest to his numer-
u friends In this section. we give to-
day in addition to u copious kilograms
Of tho past two days. the following &C.
count Of the sad affair. copied from the
San Francisco Aiia Of yesterday:
Angel knight Potter was born In
Massachusetts,. At the time OF his death
he was about forty years OF age. He
taught school In Missouri. and travelled
over Kansas. In 1860. he appeared in
Gold Hill, Nevada. and went into the
lumber trade. In course Of time he BE-
came well and favorably known, and was
thrice returned by tho Republicans to
the Legislature. where be made 4 rec
ord for good ability. and fair. firm and
upright action. His business quail
dcations were good, and he prospered.
but had no such wealth o. rumor has
placed to his credit.
TIE srRASoE WOMAN.
Some three or four years ago. Potter
took n trip to San Francisco with q com
pany Of friends from Gold Hill. II was
"warpaih' party. The date Of that
excursion Is tho beginning Of his down.
fall. At q certain notorious bagnio he
saw and was infatuated with a fasein.
ating half-casto Mexican roman. Her
name was Nina Minnie Mercedes, but
abe was then n married woman. separ-
ated from her husband. whose name was
Dachman. She was o native OF Marys-
Vile, in this State. For about throe
a following this meeting. Potter
kept up an intimacy with Mrs. Bach
man, and finally married her. when. as
containing her legal status, he got her q
divorce and married her over again.
This was a year ago. He took her TO
Gold Hill. Nevada. His business went
down. He got two thousand dollars
from his father. Ho had
souANDERED MoSEY UroS HER.
(His friends think about ten or twelve
thousand dollars), and was paid with
domestic infelicity. She throw . knife.
a Ratchet and n lamp at him. He got q
divorce from her In Nevada, and she
came 10 San Francisco to open q board.
inc house OF tho corner Of ksarny and
Bush streets. During her separation
she behaved with shameless inhdelity.
but he followed her as an insect returns
to the flame which has sinced its wings.
Il is supposed she made up with him in
hope Of bleeding him further. ~ sho
had told persons that sho would n 4 all
he had. because he had deceived her
about his wealth. The boarding. house
business not proving a bonanza. II was
abandoned. and last Monday Potter and
his whilon wife took room No. -. at
the Nucleus House. second door. corner
Of Third and Market streets. They
whore heard to quarrel, but nothing was
thought Of IL.
TEE IMMEDIATE rRoyocAToS
Il thought to have been the woman's
defiant determination to visit the Fair
with another man. Il Is known that
such an arrangement had been ncgotia-
ted, adversely TO Potter's wishes,to come
OF last night. Potter must have
summed everything up, and concluded
that this was the last straw that must
break the canel's back. There Is no
doubt that he planned the bloody deed
for q day or two. His pistol. an ivory
handled ivc-shootsr. he redeemed from
pawn. and left his watch instead. On
Wednesday night. dodgers at the Nu-
cleus heard the occupants at room ~
quarrsling again.
TIE KILLING
Took place OF ten minutes to G o'clock
Yesterday morning. and the surround
ing facts were shown al the Coroner's
inquest, held at 4 O'Clock In the alter
noon. The witnesses were I. ii. Jacobs,
a lodger, and Joseph McCardell. porter
and night watchman. From the testi-
mony OF these men. who were startled
by the shots, and were the first to arrive
al the room, II Ii certain that Potter
first fred q shot into tho woman's right
ear. and another into her abdomen, .
third into his own mouth. and q fourth
probably at random. into the ceiling.
While the house was rousing. the des-
perats .Jeio dc Sc charged his revolver
with fresh cartridges. and when the door
was finally forced. ho was seen on the
edge OF tho bed. holding
Tux PISTOL Al HIS MOUTH.
Fnntically elutching the chamber. try
ing TO revolve its nipples square under
the hammer. Jacobs sprang In and
wrenched the weapon away from him.
when he fell back. He tried to speak.
but no sound was articulatc. and he o
passed into conn. and died about 8
o'clock. The woman was instantly
killed.
THE MORAN LErrERs.
AIR. John Moran, Of 73l Harrison
street testified that he knew Potter well,
aud was the person for whom the sui
cide left 4 letter written In lead pencil.
Ono paragraph read: "Oh! I an half
crazy, and have boon for the year past"
Anoiher-"writs to T. s. Pafkman
Bachmanl. Mollie's natural father.
Grass Valley. Nevada" A third
Telegraph Il. N. Potter. Danielson.
vile. Connecticut; he willpay all reason
able charges"
The "Mollie'' alluded TO hers is sup
posed to lie tho woman's daughter by
her first husband. Tho girl lived with
her mother at tho boarding-house in this
city, and visited her the day before the
murder. The woman's nother lives in
Virginia City. Tho friends Of Potter
express their belief that be was really
trying to get along. and was looking
for some means TO retrieve his shattered
fortunes when the woman's unprincipled
profigacy. right under his nose. pro-
voked him TO terminate his troubles
and avengs his wrongs. Tho Coroner's
jury found q verdict in substantial 40
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