Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-21
CALIFORNIA AND COAST.
Josiah and Elizabeth Potts Expiate
Their Terrible Crime.
AN INDIAN CRUELTY MURDERED.
Prescott Vegetable Eaters Given a
Rather Unpleasant Surprise
The San Quentin Rumors.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE REcoRD-uMos.l
EXPIATION.
Mrs. and Mr.. Potts Meet Their Death at
the Scaffold.


Mrs. and Mr.. Potts Meet Their Death at
the scaffold.
ELKo New, June 20th.-Elko has been
In a great state of excitement all day.
Crowds of people poured into town from
all directions.
1t was absolutely impossible to interview
Potts the past forty eight hours, and up to
the execution the death-watch was vigilant
and all newspaper maneuvers proved
fruitless. The spiritual adviser, DR.. Porter,
was the only one admitted. He claims
that within the past hour and a half the
Potts have experienced a great change of
heart and accepted Christian salvation.
Mrs. Potts suddenly became docile and re-
signed, who never was in church but on
the day of her marriage.
THE DEATH WARRANT READ.
At 1920 o'clock this morning the Sheriff
read the death warrants to Josiah and
Elizabeth Potts. The reading of the war
rants took place in the doorway of the lat
ticed cell which Josiah has occupied for so
long period. He stood in most de-
aponoent 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 a neat, soft,
muslin suit, draped in black. with bright,
red rose in her bodice She was pale. but
had most determined aspect in every
feature of her countenance. During the
reading of her own warrant only once did
she show any emotion whatever, and then
she convuisively clutched her throat
When her husbands warrant was being
read and the words changed by the neck
till you are dead were reached, she gave
hysterieal gasp and seemed TO exhibit
much feeling.
The reading of the warrants was finished
at twenty minutes to II o'clock, and both
the condemned emerged from the living
tomb in which they have been engulfed for
eighteen long months, and proceeded out
of the side door to the yard between the
Court. house and the Jail in which the
scaftold had been erected. During the
reading OF the warrants, and evidently ow-
ing TO the intense nervous strain on every
one, the Deputy Sheriff was so overcome
that he had to call for glass of water.
AT the conclusion of the reading Mrs.
Potts earnestly calculated: II am innocent,
and God knows IT." and Josiah Potts re-
lterated, God knows we are innocent
ON THE scAFFoLD.
The mournful procession led the way
through the fateful side door, and. with a
bravery unexpected by the sixty odd specta-
vided on the scatfold, while the deputies
speedily proceeded to bind them with the
leather straps, Mrs. Potts helping to adjust
them herself, and Potts sitting in all stold-
ity.
When everything had been properly ad.
Justed they were directed to rise, and all of
the attendants shook bands with both of
the victims of the laws inexorable de.
mands. As they stood after shaking their
hand, the last attendant held the strap at
tached TO Mrs. Potts manaced wrists and
Potts made several most earnest endeayors
to clasp the hand of his wife without ac-
complishing it.
Finally touch on her wrist caused her
to turn her eyes toward his, and the mute
appeal of the love between them that one
or the other is dying on account of the
partners transgressions caused their lips
to meet in an almost spontaneous embrace.
As the rope was stretched around Mrs.
Potts neck she clasped her hands together,
and lifted her eyes toward her last earthly
sky, exclaiming, God help me, am inno-
cent" Like voice from a Memphian
Sphinx, her husband reiterated in hol-
low tone, God knows we are innocent"
THE DROP FALLS.
As the black caps were drawn over their
heads shutting out their last light of day,
the solemn words of the clergyman. who
had remained with them to the last broke
the silence, Put your trust in God and he
will see you righted," and then the drop
fell. 1nstantaneously Mrs. Potts was a
corpse. Her heavy weight and flaccid flesh
caused rupture of the carotid artery, and
stream of blood as large as lead pencil
burst forth from under the chin of the
hanged woman, staining her white raj
msnt, and dropping in fakes of clots on
the soil beneath the scaffold.
To the great surprise of all who had seen
Potts and his emaciated condition his vi
tality was very strong, it being fraction
over fourteen minutes as counted by an
Associated Press reporter by the watch
before life was pronounced extinct by Drs.
Meiggs and Petty.
AT ll:0S the body of Mrs Potts was cut
down, when il was seen that her excessive
weight on the 81 foot drop had almost dis
severed the head from the trunk, the rear
neck muscles alone supporting the con-
nection.
About nine minutes later Josiah Potts
body was cut down, and the body of him.
self and the wife, to whom he was devoted
in the absence of any claiming friends
were deposited in the Potters Field ol
Elko graveyard half an hour later.
After the interment of the bodies of Mr.
accompanied by an Associated Press re.
porter, placed in the same Potters field al
the mortal remains of the murdered Faw,
cett, known 10 exist above earth. The box
of bones have lain in the District Attor.
ney's office at the Courthouse from the
time when he first started the search fol
the criminals.
THE CRIME.
The crime was a peculiarly atrociou.
one. the motive being mercenary, coupled
with fear upon the part of Mrs. Pott.
that Fawcett might give information o
another murder of which he had hintec
that she was guilty, but of the circum
stances attending which nothing is known
Josiah Potts is IS years of age, and hi!
wife. Elizabeth, is 43. Both are natives O
Manchester, England. They have beer
confined in the Elko County Jail sine,
January. 1889, for the murder of Mile
Fawcett at Carliu, on the lst of January
1855
The Potts family formerly lived in Sac
ramento, where Potts followed the occupa
ton of machinist in the Central Pacih
Railroad shops. Upon their removal 4
Carlin he went TO work in the rairoat
shops there. Prior to the murder be Dor
an excellent reputation, being man O
quiet demeanor, sober habits and of 8 gen
erous disposition, ,.and won the esteem O
the whole community. His wife was uni
versally disliked, as she was disagreeable
quarrelsome and boisterons and frequentl
intoxicated.
Miles Fawcett, the murdered man, wa
about 20 years of age. He lived on hi
ranch, in the vicinity of Maggie. creek,
few miles from Carlin, where he had
few horses and cattle, the implement
necessary to run the ranch and severa
hundred dollars. He was a bachelor an
had few associates except the Potts, whom
he had known before he went to live j
Carlin, and with whom be was very int
mate.
afrs Potts did his washing and baking