The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-10
POTTER'S TRIAL ON
JURY SECURED WITH LESS DIFFI-
Guilty THAN EXPECTED.
BOTH SIDES CONFIDENT
THAT TRIAL WILL BE SHORTER
THAN ANTICIPATED.

- no" NhG Dth-SWaEht
Not in Court, Having Remained
Away at His Fathers Suggestion
Potter Little Changed Since His
First Trial n Year AgO-FOur Wit
nesses Examined.
The second trial of w. ]. Potter, OF
the charge of killing Fred Taylor. the
negro servant of Gugie Bourquin, q
year ago. was begun in the superior
Court yesterday.
It had been expected that much
trouble would be encountered in secur-
ing jury, but as matter of fact the
twelve men We're selected and a din
ner recess of court taken by short
time after l O'Clock. 1t looked doubt
full at the start, however. for of the
FIRST twelve men six were let off be-
cause opposed to capital punishment
five because they had expressed an
opinion, and one was objected to by
the state.
Aug. Ham was first chal-
lenged by the state. Solicitor General
Osborne requested tina court to ask
the Juror if he had not contributed to
a fund for the defense Of Potter. Judge
Twiggs. leading counsel for the de-
Tense, Immediately objected on the
ground that evidence of that sort must
be introduced by the witness. tx
cerpts from Georgia reports were read
and the matter was finally settled by
the state striking the juror.
went off for one reason or another.
until the eighteenth had been reached.
He was Mr.. f. A. Snedeker, who was
sworn. After this about one accepta-
BILE juror was found in every twelve.
The jury was finally completed when
the 122nd name had been called.
The jury is as follows: Fred. A.
Snedeker, James NJ. Sullivan, Walter
a. Cordray, G. Raymond Butler, Wylly
N. Arnold. Charles r. Brantley, James
i. Cleveland. James G. Hardee, B. w.
Tedder. r. J. Knight, John F. Carpen-
ter, and Joseph A. Englerth.
Before the jury was secured the state
had exhausted ten strikes. the defense
nineteen and eighty had gone off fon
cause. Both sides express satisfaction
with the jury.
How Potter Views Trial.
While the jury was being selected
Potter sat beside his counsel display
ing, from appearances, only mild in
terest. He looked thoughtful, and
chewed tobacco vigorously, but said
nothing except when appealed to by
one Of his lawyers. When Judge
Twiggs came in he rose and shook
hands with him and later shook hands
with T. c. Dixon. one of his friends
and a material witness for the defense.
During the dinner recess of the court
Potter was asked by the Morning
News If he were not glad at the op-
portunity Of another hearing.
Il expected it," he said.
What do you think of the jury"
II can't say" he said. Il don't know
any of them" He volunteered the in
formation that the jury had been Sc
cured with much less trouble than had
been expected.
Less than you expected?" he was
asked.
We'll less than the lawyers expected,
i should say" he replied.
When asked if his son, Swayne Pot
ter, would be present, he said, MOT
yet. I told him not to lose any time
from his work till got a jury"
II suppose you expect an acquittal
this timer"
well, it would hardly be right for
me to say" came the answer.
Potter has changed little since his
former trial, the only noticeable change
in his appearance being that he is less
sunburned than before. a change nat
ural because of his long confinement.
He wore a suit of new clothes. had
been freshly shaved. and presented
rather a neat appearance.
After the trial had begun he dis
played all the interest that might be
expected Of a man whose life is at
stake, though it was an intense rather
than an obtrusive interest
Statement by Ench Side.
At O'Clock the court reconvened and
the trial was begun, first by the read
ing of the indictment under which Pot
ter is tried, then by a statement by
Solicitor General Osborne as to what
the state would prove by the evidence
to be introduced, and by Judge H. D.
D. Twiggs outlining the defense.
In addressing the jury the solicitor
general said, in part: Either Potter
is the man who did this deed, and that
without any eXtenuating circumstances,
or he is not the man; there can be no
half way decision. We expect to track
him to the scene of the crime and
show that d shot from a l0-bore gun,
his identical gun, killed this poor old
negro. and then wei track him back
from the scene of the crime. If We
show this we expect a verdict of
guilty"
Judge Twiggs said: THE state may
show that Bourquin and Taylor were
killed by a 10-bore gun. but we will
show that there are hundreds of 10
bore guns, and that many of them are
used for hunting big game. Instead
of tracking Potter to the scene OF the
crime, as my friend says he will, to
my great surprise, we will show that
Bourquin did not live there; that he
was not even on his own land when
killed, and that whatever meeting oc-
CURED and whoever killed him. the
meeting was casual.
1.-THE state" continued Judge Twiggs
Twill be able to show that there had
been some feeling between Mr.. Pot
ter and Mr.. Bourquin, but that is all
the state will be able to show We
will show that Potter went on the ROAD
TO exercise his dogs; that his son was
with him, and that the son was not
even armed; we will show that Mr..
Potter was in Savannah when +ba