Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-21
TWO LIVES FOR ONE.
The Murder of Miles FaWcett
Avenged.
The Guilty Potts Couple Meet
Their Doom.
Mrs. Potts Almost Decapitated by
the Fatal Drop.
Death WAS instantaneous in Her Case,
But the Husband Died Hard.
Other Hangings.
Associated Press Dispatches.

ELKo, New, June 20.-Elko was in a
ferment of excitement this morning.
Parties were pouring in from every di-
rection to witness the execution of the
Potts family, for the murder of Miles
Fawcett, in January, 1888. Many
women applied for permits to witness
the execution, which were refused. The
conduct of Mrs. Potts during the last
five days was an alienation of hysteri-
cal crying and screaming and swearing
at her husband, who moped the time
away at solitaire. A few days ago the
husband was still anxious to screen his
wife. He told visitors that he alone was
guilty of the crime "You lie p' she ex-
claimed. "You know you lie;" apply
ing to him at the same time vile
epithet. A constant watch had to he
kept on her for months past She told
visitors that she intended to make a
four-hour talk on the scaffold, evidently
with the idea that she could exceed
the time allotted for the execution,
and allow her lawyer to. introduce
technical law points. In view of this,
OF execution was kept profound secret.
Attempted Suicide.
Yesterday morning at 5 O'Clock she
attempted to commit suicide, gashing
her wrists and trying to smother her
self. The vigilance of the death watch
prevented further injury, but she
tainted from loss of blood. The guilty
pair retired early last night in highly
nervous condition.
This morning their spiritual adviser,
DIR. Porter, the only person admitted to
the prisoners, stated that within an
hour and half they had experienced
great change of heart, and accepted the
Christian plan of salvation, Mrs. Potts
having suddenly become docile and re-
signed.
Reading of the Death Warrants.
At half-past 10 o'clock the sheriff read
the death warrants to the culprits. The
reading of the death warrants took place
in the doorway of the latticed cell which
Josiah occupied for so long period. He
stood in respondent attitude, with his
head bowed down against the iron bars,
and never once during the reading of
the warrant did he lift his head or eyes.
His wife stood erect, clad in neat, soft
muslin suit, draped in black, with a red
rose in her bodice. She was pale, but
bore most determined aspect in every
feature. During the reading of her own
warrant only once did she show any
emotion whatever, and she convulsively
clutched her throat when her husbands
warrant was being read, and the words
changed by the neck till you shall be
dead" were reached. She gave an
hysterical gasp and seemed to exhibit
much feeling.
The reading of the warrants was fin
ished at twenty minutes to II, and both
the condemned emerged from the Jail,
where they had been confined for eigh-
teen months, and proceeded to the yard
between the court house and Jail, in
which the scaffold had been erected. The
sunshine relieved in measure the grue-
scme surroundings.
During the reading of the warrants,
and evidently owing to the intense ner-
vous strain on everyone, the deputy
sheriff was so overcome that he had to
call for glass of water. At the conclu-
sion of the reading, Mrs. Potts earnestly
calculated: II am innocent, and God
knows it," and Josiah Potts reiterated:
"God knows we are innocent"
On the ScaffOld,
Tho gloomy nrOoocciop 1ad tba WOW