The Gainesville star. [volume] (Gainesville, Fla.) 1903-19??, 1903-10-13
POTTS FACES A JURY,
Youna street Car Conductor Arralened
In Court at Rome, Ca on Charge
Of Numbering Thedford.

The case Of the state VI. j. d. Potts,
charged with the murder OF Or. NJ A.
Thedford, was called Wednesday morn
ing in the superior court at Rome, Ga.
The prosecution took up all the
morning and some Of the afternoon
with the evidence OF Or. l.. p. Ham
mond, who was the attending surgeon
when Thedford died, as we'll as a wit
ness to the shooting. BY him 1t was
shown that Thedford was not on the
car when shot and that he was shot
in the back while begging Potts not to
XII him.
On cross-examinaeion 1t was shown
that Thedford was in disguise with h!S
face blackened and his long, flowing
beard tied back behind his ears
For the defense a great array Of wit
nesses were summoned. Motorman
Fowler, who ran on the electric car,
Of which Potts was the conductor,
testified that Thedford had threatened
four times to kill Potts and had re-
quested him lFowler) to advise Potts
to either give up his wife or quit
this country" as he (Thedford) and
Potts could not live in the same coun'
try while Mrs Potts and her hus.
band lived together.
Thedford employed Potts, wife be-
fore she was married In his medicine
house, and after she was married, he
attempted to call at the Potts home
several times, but was denied admIs'
sion and ordered away. II was after
this that Potts began 10 get letters
threatening his life. These letters,
which Potts alleges Thedford wrote,
are the keys tc the whole situation.
Thedford denied writing them, but the
defense will have several writing OK
perts to testify about this point.
The defense will show that Potts
and his wife were both outraged al
Thedford's persistent attentions after
Mrs. Potts marriage, but every peace
full means to stop them was resorted
to before actual violence. They claim
that Thedford resented this treatment
and, besides openly threatening Potts
also wrote him the letters In question
They will show that Thedford was "
disguise as a negro Just before tn,
shooting and was In such disguise
and apparently approaching Potts
when shot and killed. The testlmon,
Of Mr.. Fowler also showed that Thed
ford was seen standing near the ca
track, along which Potts passed. a few
: nights before the shooting In th
same disguise.
Thodford was shot by young Pott
\. In the latter part of August, the Kill
, Ing creating tremendous sensation
Il throughout the union, where Thedfor
a is known through his patent medicine
r. After the shooting and before h
h. died, Thodford declared that he II
,. tended Potts no harm, but was goin
n about In disguise to And out wht
n threats Potts had made.
The entire story Is most sensations
II and some points are somewhat oil
4. scure, II not mysterious.
1t The evidence at Thursdays sesslo
Of the court was mostly in letters, 0
legged to have been written by d
Thedford to Potts wife. No name
>, signed to the letters and the defeni
!, Is trying to prove the handwriting I
"a being Or, Thedford's, The dying stat
- ment Of Or, Thedford will not be Il
9 troduced as evidence.
= Potts made his statement, and r,
: cited in detail the cause which led u
i to the killing