The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-13
CARLIN'S TRAGEDY.
Further Light Thrown Upon the
AtrOci0uS Murder.
FAWCETT AN OLD SALT LAKER.
The Attempted Boiling of the Body-The
Corpse Cut and Hacked to Pieces
The Murderers' Stories.

that the Miles E'awcStt, VINO was murdered
by the Potts at Carlin, Ney., and for
which husband and wife recently. paid the
death penalty at Elo, was at one time
resident of this city. He was an uncle of
Robert Aveson, of the Deseret Nelcs Office.
That gentleman has recently received the
following communication from the district
attorney of Nevada, and from it will be
seen that the murder was one of the most
brutal and atrocious that ever disgraced
the west. The letter of the attorney
throws considerable light on the bloody
deed, which the newspapers have as yet
failed to give:
Robert Aveson, Esq, Salt Lake City:
Dear Sir-On the last day of December,
1889, your uncle Miles Fawcett, came into
the town of Carlin from a little ranch
Which he owned, about five miles distant,
and went to the house of Joseph and Eliza
beth Potts to get his wasting and bread.
Mrs. Potts did his washing and baking,
and he went there twice d week to get
them. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon,
one John Lineberger came into the house,
when Mrs. Potts produced a bottle of
whisky, and insisted on all drinking.
Ltneberger, and Fawcett took one drink,
and Mrs. Potts and her husband took
three or four. Fawcett got up and said he
must go home. as it was storming heavily,
and he might get lost if he waited until
dark. Lincberger said, "Do not go out
tonight Miles, come and stay with me''
Mrs. Potts insiste upon his staying at her
house, and he said he would if he had any
thing to iced his horses. Lineberger said
Il will give you feed if you will come with
me-" Fawcett and Lineberger then went
to Lineberger's place for the feed. While
talking together Fawcett drew out his
purse to pay Lineberger 50 which he had
owed him tor some time, and omptied the
contents in his hand. Lineberger saw that
he had quite quantity of money, among it
number of S2O pieces as well as smaller
change, and told Fawcett not to go back 10
that house that night; that the woman was
a bad woman, and was getting on one of
her sprees, when she was dangerous. E'aw-
cett replied that was the very reason
he was going there, that she had owed
him considerable sum of money for
long time; that Potts had Just been
paid off, and the woman lad the money;
that if he did not collect some of it that
night, she would spend it all, and that in
stead of he being afraid of her she was
afraid of him, as he knew enough to hang
her, and that ne intended to tell her if she
did not pay him the money he would ex-
pose e.. About three or four weeks be-
fore tnis time F'awcett had gone to a
lawyer to see if he could not collect some
notes which he held against the Potts, but
as the Potts had nothing, the lawyer told
hun he could not
Fawcett returned to the Potts house
with his horse feed about dark, and that
was the last ever seen of him alive except
by those in the house. The next night
New Year's-atter dark, and during a
violent 81 orm, Potts and his son Charlie
were seen driving Fawcett's sleigh and
team to Fawcett's ranch, but the party
who saw them thought it was Fawcett and
companion. On January Potts APP
peared upon the streets of Carlin
with bill of sale. written in Mrs. Potts
hand, selling the ranch, horses, sleigh and
wagon and all his personal effects to Potts
and his wife, in consideration of debts
which he owed to the Potts. The bill was
signed Miles F'awcett in a different hand
Beneath the signature was written, also
in Mrs. Potts hand, Il sell this property
because | have been suddenly called east to
attend to some property that has been left
me' When Potts was asked why Faw-
cett did not bid his friends good bye:
he replied, he didn't know; that Fawcett
had left his house and gone down and taken
the night east bound train.
Lineberger, and some other of Fawcett's
friends had their suspicious aroused and
drove to Fawcett's ranch and found the
cabin completely Quilted and deserted.
Nothing vas lone, however, and the mat
ter ran on for year. In January,
| 1889, l took the Office of district at
| torney and was almost immediately
telegraphed that the remains of Miles
Fawcett had been found buried three feet
deep in the cellar of the Potts house, which
was then inhabited by family named
| Brewer, Mrs. Potts having left on the
oath OF January, 1855, and remained away
three months. when she returned, and
shortly after the Potts sold out, and the
whole family went to Wyoming.
AS soon as | heard of the finding of the
body, had the governor of this state make
requisition upon the governor of Wyo-
ming and had the Potts arrested, went to
Carlin and had the earth around the body
sifted. The head and feet were gone, and
the body had apparently been cut in two,
about the knees and about the middle of
! the back bone, and wrapped up in a pair
of blankets. On sitting the earth, we
| found about hand full of the skull, and
about the same quantity of the
foot bones, and an old pocket knife.
Some of the bones were not
larger than a quarter of dollar We
found no money, pocketbook, or papers of
any kind; to pieces of the skull the hair
still adhered.
When the Potts were brought back they
asked for an examination, which was given
them. put in barely enough evidence tc
hold them without letting them know how
much was known, when they demanded to
make their statement, which was allowed
but they We're not allowed to make it in the
hearing of each other. Their stories diff,
fered in many particulars, when questioned
by lawy er, but 1t was evidently one which
they had concocted after their arrest, the
gist Of which was that about three months
before January /, 1855. Mrs Potts had
caught Fawcetb in an open barn, in broad
daylight, attempting a criminal assault
upon her four year old daughter Edith;
that, Notwithstanding this, she con
tinued to do his washing and baking
for him 10 the time OF his death. ana per
mitted him TO make her house his head
quarters when in town, but had written &
letter stating the fact TO the deputy sheriff
Geo. Mcintosh, but did not send the letter
because Fawcett had told her if she did. ht
would kill her; but put the letter, sealed
in her trunk. That on the night of Faw
cett's death. her husband went To her trunk
TO get u book, and saw the letter and tore
lii opec ana read it; that this was about
nine o'clock at night: that up TO that time
Fawcett, Potts, Charley and herself ha(
been sitting around the fire talking ant
singing, and Charley and Edith had JUS
been sent TO bed. That as soon as Poit.
read the letter. he came into tie reom
where she ana Fawcett were talking, ant
charged Eawcett with having attempted tc
rape his little girl, and said that ht
would GO down town and have hin
lynched. That Fawcett begged him not K
\ do 1t, and got down on his knees anc
begged for mercy, and said IL he would le
him off ne would give him all his property
: and leave the country That Potts ther
hesiiated and Fawcett got up TO write iii.
bill of sale, out was 50 agitated that b,
could not write, and asked Mrs. Potts Il
write IL ont FOR him ard affnr il was writ