The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-04
OFFICER cHADwIcK,s AssArLANr
Was Arrested Yesterday In Bruins
wick County-He is John Reb Potter,
q white Mantle Was Brought to
the City Last Night.

Captain JOnn j. furlOnS, CQleI OIL
police, received a telegram yesterday
afternoon from a point on the Atlantic
Coast Line of South Carolina saying
that police sergeant c. S. Burnett had
succeeded in capturing John Reb Pot
ter, who sho. and afterwards brutality
assaulted policeman E. r. Chadwick
with the butt end Of his pistol and hia
own club while the officer was attempt
ing to arrest him Saturday night for
firing in a woman's house on Fifth
street near Wright street. Sergeant
county and arrived here last night at
11:45 o'clock with his prisoner in irons.
At first it was supposed that the re-
gro Charlie Fisher who was arrested
Saturday night had done the shooting
but it developed hat Potter was the
man. After committing the deed he
kept out of the way of the police and
when they got hot on the trail he went
over into Brunswick county, where he
was raised. Chief Furlong and Ser
geant Burnett and other officers went
into Brunswick county on Monday n
have since been hot or Potter's trail.
The chief returned to the city and left
Sergeant Burnett with instructions to
keep up the chase until he got his man.
Sergeant Burnett was tired n worn
out when he got back to city last night.
He had Travelled nearly IS miles in
hunting down the culprit. On Monday,
after the attrack on officer Chadwick,
he tracked Potter down below Green
field pond and ascertained that he a
been trying to get some body to Put
him across the river. Failing to get
over in a boa he circled around the
city and crossed over on Hilton bridge
at 3 O'Clock Sunday morning.
-A No into
Brunswick Monday n accompanied
by Deputy Sheriff Bob Skipper of that
county got on the track of Potter
twelve miles from the city. A man
named Tom Potter saw him pass his
house, and from there the officers
tracked him four miles further on TO
Sam Potter's house but he hadn't stop
ped there. There the train was lost
and after wandering all around the
county. the officers riding sometimes
and walking most of the time, finally
got on the trail again. They found
that Potter had stopped at the house
of a man named Raven, twenty miles
from the city. There he got dinner
and shaved off his moustache and left
or forgot to take with him the police
mans club that he had taken away
from him on the night Of the assault.
The trail was again lost and the off,
GERS raveled over a wide scope of
country as far as Freeman's Cross
Roads. They then went to Green's
swamp twenty-five miles from the city,
and got on the trail again. The swamp
is an immense wilderness and the road
through it is full of water and very
%tortuous. 1t is also covered for a great
distance. While driving through a
road that is rarely ever Travelled they
met Potter face to face. He came upo
them before he could see that one Of
them was Sergeant Burnett, as he wore
citizens clothes. When Sergeant Bur-
nett called on him to throw up his
hands, he obeyed but seemed awfully
put out hat he had been caught. He
said he had no idea any n knew
where he was or was on his track. He
was carrying some clothing in a grip
but had no pistol, saying he had Tossed
it. In the grip he had a razor. He ac-
knoWledged that he shot officer had
wfSk and asked if he was dead and if
not how he was getting along. He said
he had shot the policeman because he
was determined not to be arrested. He
said he told officer Chadwick not to
come on him and when he did so he
shot him. Sergeant Burnett took the
prisoner to Brinkley's, eighteen miles
from the city, and took the Wilmington
bound freight train there last night,
arriving here at 11:45 p. m. Potter was
wearing hand cuffs when he was deliv-
cred at the city hall last night.
Potter is a man of 80 years OF age
and is a married man but does not live
with his wife. He is dreaded in Bruns-
wick and is wanted there for several
offences committed in that county. 1t
is said he almost killed a man in Bruins
wick county several years ago. He
boosted to several parties in Brunswick
that he had shot policeman Chadwick.
The preliminary examination of Pot
ter will not be had for several days.
officer Chadwick is doing very well
but is still in the hospital and can't
attend the hearing yet.
Potter is the man who a few weeks
e knocked West Oldham in the head
at the same house into which he was
shooting when the policeman Chad
wick ran up on him.. A warrant was
out for him for la deed n he has
been keeping under cover, saying he
would kill any policeman hat would
attempt to arrest him..