The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-17

owned ten-bore guns. The witness said
that on the night Potter called at
his house il was after IL O'Clock. and
| he told him that he shouldn't
come so late, but that Potter told him
! he was anxious to go hunting the
next day
Grand Jurors rs Witnesses.
Roccs's testimony was given at
the afternoon session. When the court
| convened at s o'clock. the grand jurors
We're called to impeach his testimony,
and to tell the jury of the statements
made by the Potters before their body.
Mr.. {. F. Law testified that Rocca
had told the grand jury that he loaded
five shells for Potter on the night
of Nov. l, describing the manner in
which he loaded them. Mr.. Law said
that he was particularly impressed by
that portion of ROcca's testimony rela-
tive 10 the loading of the shells, the
witness explaining that he used split
wads as packing, a method not used
by any one else in Savannah. The grand
juror could not remember what sort
of Wad the witness had said he used
on top the powder, but was positive
about the tO9-wad.
The three other jurors swore to SUBJ
that ROcca claimed that the method of
splitting the wad was distinctively his
own, and that such a wad was used on
top of the buckshot in the shells which
he filled for Potter. None of the grand
jury recalled what sort of wad the wit
ness said was used next to the pow
der.
The POtters' Before Grand Jury.
MIR. Bell and Mr.. Barnard testified
to the statements made by the two
Potters before them, and the other
twenty-one grand Jurors. W. Pot
ter swore at that time that he went
TO the home of the Bodifords on the
Louisville road; entering from field a
field located on the north side of the
road. From there he said he went
with his son and a deer dog, his son
having gotten a gun from the Bodi-
fords.
From this point Mr.. Bell said Pot
ter testified that he went on the south
side of the road. for about a quarter
of a mile. then crossed to the north
side, and came back to the Bodifords
from the north side, being gone about
two or three hours from the Bedford
house. Potter he said. also said that
he did not bring his gun to town, but
left it at Bodiford's, because of a load
of turnips which overloaded his wheel.
The son, Swayne, testified differently.
1t was his sworn statement that he and
his father hunted on the north side of
the road and did not at any time. go
on the south side. He had stated that
during the whole trip he was with his
father, and that he never left him I'M
til they got back. The grand Juror was
positive of his ground. and could not
be shaken in the slightest particular
by the cross-examination.
facts, saying that Potter had
said when they commenced
the trip from the Bedford home, he
and his son went into the field on the
south and ''circled around" to the
field on the north, and then to the Bodi-
ford house, having been absent from
the house about two or three hours.
The statements made by Swayne Pot
ter as to the side of the road they
hunted on, were contradictory to the
one made by his father
Watched the Evidence Closely.
During this damaging testimony. Pot
ter frequently conversed with
the attorneys. Both he and
his son leaned forward, and SEEM
ed more interested than at any time
during the trial Those in the court
room were greatly interested, and ex-
cept when the voice of the witness or
the solicitor broke the silence, the
room was as still as death.
Although the proceedings wore a
sombre aspect, and silence reign
ed at times. there was nevertheless a
humorous side of the proceedings. Be
sides the grand jurors, the witnesses
We're, in the main, country negroes
and plain whole-souled country people.
Many of them had never been in a
court house in their lives-some had
never left the scenes of their child
hood. To many the legal phraseology
made use of by the attorneys was
Greek, and the answers in such cases
forthcoming, were very amusing, caus-
ing much merriment.
Motive, time and circumstance, in
the order named, We're sought for in
the evidence. In the morning the ques-
ton of motive was delved into, in
the afternoon, that of time, and at
night, circumstance; though all were
frequently brought out in the testi-
mony throughout the day
In the afternoon, Mrs. w. J. Potter
and her sister, Mrs. Julia Davis, were
present in court, sitting behind the eld-
err Potter. with whom they conversed
pleasantly during the time the session
OF the court was suspended. The two
Potters did not sit together, as on the
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