The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-16
CRIME WAS PICTURED
ASSASSINATION OR BoURQUIN MADE
CLEAR TO GRAND JURY.
FATHER AND SON INDICTED.
TRUE BILLS RETURNED AGAINST
PoTTERs FOR TWO MURDERS.


quin and Fred Taylor Just Two
weeks AEO-JofntIy Indicted on
Two Counts-Omcers Worked Up
Strong Case of CircumstantiaI Evil
dence--First Shot Believed TO Have
Been Fired by Gwyne POtter-Had
Gun Owned by the Man BOurquin
Killed Ten Years AgO-Potters
Were witnesses Before the Jury.
westcott and O'COnnOr Presented
Word Picture of ShOOting-Judge
BARROW Recalls Murder in Colo
NAL Park That Is still UnnvenEed.
If the theory Of the state is correct
Eugie Bourquin was killed on the
Dean Forest road, just two weeks ago
to-day, with a gun owned by man
whom he shot and killed ten years ago.
1t is believed that from this gun. in
the hands of Gwyne Potter. the first
shot was fired at Bourduin.
After interrogating witnesses for
four hours yesterday the grand jury
returned two indictments each. against
wv. J. Potter and his son. Gwyne, and
they were committed to Jail on bench
Warrants. Father and son are indicted
Jointly for the murder of Bourquin,
and are again indicted for Staying
Fred Taylor, the aged negro who was
with him. 1t was expected that true
bills would be returned against h@h
men, and the Potters were no more
surprised than those who have been
following the case closely.
The county and city officers worked
in perfect harmony, and 1t is due to
their combined efforts that sufficient
evidence was secured to warrant the
finding of true bills. Solicitor General
Osborne, who was deeply interested in
the investigation as 1t progressed,
spoke highly yesterday of the various
officers who were so active in running
down every thread of testimony. Dep
uties Charles Westcott and Ed. O'Con-
nor were particularly active. and a
dozen clues were run into thin air be-
fore the Potter theory was made the
only probable one.
Courts Talk to Jury.
In charging the grand jury, Judge
Barrow spoke highly of the officers
who have worked diligently in an effort
to discover the assassins of Bourquin
and Taylor. Judge Barrow referred to
another homicide in no unmeaning
way, and had a word or two TO say
about the shooting ARRAY of last Tues
day night.
ST have called you together" he said,
sbecause there are several matters that
demand your attention. First the hon.
icide of Mr.. Bourquin and next the ar-
fair in the gambling house on Brough-
ton street.
''There is another matter I want to
remind you of. 1 mean the killing of
Mr.. Baker in Colonial Park some
months ago.
"A good citizen was killed in the
very center of the city, in a public park
in the early evening, and so far as ]
know there has never been any inves-
tigation of this case by any grand
Jury.
tention was paid than had a dog been
shot down in a back street, or a pebble
thrown into a pond.
1.-THE law requires the grand jury TO
diligently inquire into and true pre-
sentiments make to such things as come
TO its knowledge. This is your oath.
You do not belong to anybody. You
can direct your inquiry to any infrac-
ton of the law which comes to your
Knowledge, but / want to remind you
of your oath to make 'Giligent inquiry
and true presentments' whenever any
violation of the law comes to your
knowledge"
The States Theory.
With the aid of the half a hundred
witnesses. who had been subpoenaed
the state presented a strong chain of
circumstantial evidence against the
Potters. They We're tracked to the
scene of the homicide and back to
the Louisville road again, together,
and armed. A motive was shown for
the commission of the crime and con-
Trajectory statements made by the
elder Potter were brought to light
Potter and his son were both be-
fore the grand jury as witnesses, but
after they had testified they were not
permitted to leave the Court House
so certain were the officers that in
dictments would be returned. The two
men were to all intents and purposes
prisoners when they first entered the
Eheriffs office in answer to the sub
poenas that had been issued After
he had been examined by the grand
jury the elder Potter stated that he
had made the same statement that he
made to representative of the Morn
ing News when a warrant charging
him with the murder was sworn out In
Justice Naughtin's court.
1t was undisputed that the Potters
went out the LOUISVILLE ROAD TO the
Bedford place on the morning of the
homicide and were at the Bedford
house. The men went on their bicy-
cles and stopped at Bodifords home
which is a five minutes drive from
where Bourquin and the negro We're
shot to death. Potter carried his gun
a ten bore weapon, but his son was
unarmed. -Four dogs accompanied
them. A short stop was made at the
Bedford home and the elder Potter
Borrowed a gun for his son.
1t Was FerreIps weapon.
The gun was one that had beer
owned by Willie Terrell, who was kill.
ed while hunting on Bourquins place
about ten years ago. Potter was witt
Terrell at that time, and was the mair
witness against Bouruuin when he
was tried for the murder of the young
man. Bedford was Ferrelrs uncle
and married his nephew's widow. Mrs
Bedford, the widow of the man killed
by Bourquin, was home at the time
and saw the gun turned over TO Gwyne
Potter
Father and son crossed the Louisville
road together and went through the
woods in the direction Of a deer. drive
on the edge of which Bourduin and
Taylor met their death. They were
gone a long while and came out OF
the woods into the road at about the
same place. and from the direction in
which the assassination occurred. The
tracks of both father and son were
followed closely by Deputy Westcott.