Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-08-04
DID POTTER SUICIDE!
Former Bremen County Repre-.
sentative Dies from Laud.
anum in Mercy Hospital.
Had Been Drinking Heavily for
Some Time-Looks Like
Suicide.
Was Organizer and Presiding
Genius Of Red Cross Insure
ance Society.
snecial TO Times Republican.

Des Moines, Aug. ALBERT NJ Pot-
ter. of Waverly, at one time state rep
r.sentative from Bremen county and
founder of the insurance order OF the
Red Cross, died in Mercy hospital sat
urday afternoon of an overdose OF lau-
danllm probably taken With suicidal IN
room at the kirllwood evidently suffer-
ing from narcotic poisoning and re-
n,oyed to the hospital where he died.
He left no letter or note to Indicate any
intention of suicide and his family are
thoroughly convinced that the poison
ing was accidental and that Potter took
the laudanum as n sedative and mistak-
enly took an overdose. The coroners
Jury held n long session yesterday
afternoon, but no evidence tending to
show whether Potter had taken the pol
son Intentionally or with suicidal intent.
or had been drugged. was elected. The
analysis of the stomach can not be
completed for week. and the jury adj
iourned to await that report as well as
the recovery of f. f.. Scott, who spent
Friday evening With Potter. but was in
too demoralized a condition yesterday
to talk coherently.
The poison was sold to Potter by
Clerk D. A. l6rann. of the Slavery phar-
macy. He gave as an excuse for pro-
curing it that he needed it for earache.
and signed the poison register. 1t has
been discovered that the name on the
register has been changed from \. NJ.
Potter, of WaNerly. to O. M. Potts of
Waterloo. The attaches of the drug
store deny any knowledge of when or
by whom 1t was changed. Mr.. Brann.
however. remembers that he sold the
poison to Mr. Potter. They think Pot
ter changed the name himself While the
clerk was getting the drug.
Mr. Potter had been drinking heavily
Of late and had been with r. T.. Scott
the day previous and both We're intoxi
Gated. The coroner's jury was unable
to clearly bring home proof of suicide
or uncover the circumstances of Pot
ter's purchase of poison.
+. r. Scott, of Muscatine. who was
with Potter Friday night. was practi
cally incompetent thru drink Saturday
and insisted that he remembered Moth
ing and knew nothing about the poison.
Il wouldn't tell anything on anybody.
anyway" he said in substance. II
might be the cause of sending some
poor fellow to the penitentiiary. | don't
know anything about it. But you in
vestigate the drug stores. believe Pot
ter killed himself
Scott said that Potter talked a great
deal about his hard luck. about losing
his first wife in Muscatine-(he was
married but once. in fact. and Mrs. Pot
ter is living). and having lost 100000 of
his fathers estate in some lodge bust
ness or other. and a lot more of misfor-
tune. This leads me to conclude he
killed himself" said Scott.
Did he have any money!"
mo; why. / had more than he had"
Scott said that Potter talked to him
about taking advantage of the bank
ruptcy law because it would be repealed
in two years.
a. NJ. Potter was al one time on of the
most prominent of the younger men of
Iowa. AT the time of his incumbency
as representative he held the distinc-
ton of being the youngest legislator in
the assembly. His executive and bust
ress ability We're great and he success
fully organized and launched the Red
Cross insurance order. OF late years he
has been drinking hard and has had
business difficulties.
Potters friends over the state scout
the idea of suicide. They say he was
well-to-do financially and that he had
no reason to take his own life. Ac-
ccrding to those who profess to knew
he carried a large amount of insurance,
of which was paid up
They also deny that he drank to excess
and claim it unlikely that he would be
in Des Moines without plenty of money