The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-28
DID SHE USE MORPHINE?
PLEA FOR 4 NEW TRIAL FOR HIR-
RIS, CONVICTED OF MURDER.
A Number OF AGidavits Declaring That
Helen Potts, the Alleged Victim, Was
Addicted to the Habit.

NEW YORK, Feb. 27.-Recorder Smythe
this morning heard argument Of counsel
for Carlyle w. Harris for new trial.
The application was made on the ground
Of ewly-dIseovered evidence
Harris. as Is we'll known. wes convicted
of the murder of his wife. Helen Neil
son Potts Harris, by sending to her pills
containing morphine and telling her to
take them.
Mrs Frances McCready Harris. his
mother, was In the courtroom. armed
with a batch OF nfidaYits which allege
that her sons wife was addicted to the
morphine habit.
District Attorney Nicol asked His
| Honor not 10 allow the affldavits TO be
real, as they were not authenticated.
Those swearing to The afIidayits were all
In Pennsylvania. be said and ne there
fori objected 10 them.
The Court however, allowed Mr. Howe
to read them.
The first affidavit read was that Of
Mrs. Mary NJ Frenet. 1t stated that
Helen Potts in 1889 often called at her
home on a visit 10 her daughter Ethel.
y
daughters room and found her asleep
and breathing heavily
When she was awakened she at first
refused to state the cause Of her sound
sleep. but afterward admitted taking a
pill given TO her by Helen Potts.
Ethel NJ. Harris, nineteen years old, OF
413 Lexington avenue, swears to an afti-
davit. in which she says that I'm 1859 she
complained 10 Helen Potts OF passing
sleepless nights. and that she then gave
to her a pill which she told her 20 take
before retiring. She cautioned her against
speaking OF the pill. She states that
Helen told her she was in the habit Of
taking these pills herself.
Miss Harris further says that she took
the pill and slept for twenty-three hours.
In July. 1889, she says, she went TO visit
Helen at Asbury Park and when she
complained of a headache Helen offered
her another pill.
Mrs. f. Il. Jackson. principal of the
seminary which the deceased attended,
says that Helen told her she was in cie
habit OF taking morphine, which was
prescribed by her physicians. Helen often
told her she visited Or. Robert Lewis, of
Al west Eighteenth street.
Dr. William S. Searle, OF 1872 Henry
street, Brooklyn, deposes that at various
times he prescribed morphine In small
quantities for the deceased.
Mary A. Lewis, of Scranton. Pa, In
an affidavit, swears that she worked
for DR. G. w. Treverton, OF Scranton
Pa, and that she saw Helen Potts there
almost daily and conversed with her.
She frequently saw her take pills from
a box which she carried in her pocket,
and that Helen told her she used NOR
phlne.
other affidavits allege that the actions
OF the deceased indicated she was ad-
dicted to the morphine habit.
A deposition from Joseph II. Leffert, a
druggist Of Asbury Park, states that on
several occasions he sold her gram of
morphine. He says that he had not Of
fered his evidence at the trial Of Harris
because he was afraid 1t would injure
his business if II became known that he
sold the poison to the deceased.
With the reading Of an affidavit from
the defendant. in which he prayed the
recorder 10 grant him a new trial, Mr.,
Howe closed his argument.
After a brief speech by District At
torney Nicoll, I'm which he opposed the
application Of counsel, he said that while
the case was one that occasiOned much
sympathy, the request for a new trial
should be denied from point Of law
Afdavits of the mother and father OF
the deceased were read. in which they
deny that their child was in the habit Of
using morphine. They say that the at
tempt in Mrs Jacksons affidavit TO make
II appear that she was unhappy in her
home and unwilling 10 return TO II is
cruel 10 the last degree.
Mr. and Mrs. Potts swear that during
the last three years there have been two
families by the name OF Potts. They
contend that the effort now being made
by Harris TO escape the consequences Of
his crime by imputing to their daughter
the habit Of eating morphine is bastard
ly attack upon her character.