The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-05-01
MURDERER
DIED IN
PRISON

Gilbert NJ Potter who was serving SEN
tence for the murder OF his wife, Susan A.
Potter, died in the prison hospital at II AS
o'clock yesterday morning. He had been
III with consumption several months.
The Potters resided at Rice city. a small
hamlet on the Plainheld pike, in Coven-
try
They were Of Gissolute habits and had
frequently quarrelled. generally on the
question OF loose morals, neither being
blameless
A child had livel q few months and af-
ter IL had been laid away the mother be-
gan saving money for the purpose OF pro-
vidng a headstone for the little grave.
Potter insisted that his wife should give
him her little hoard. intending to use IL
for the liquor
She refused TO surrender IL and this 80
angered Potter that he deliberately plan
ned TO kill her
on Sept 2, 1894, he notified Isaac Fiske.
a naighbor, that he intended 10 start
early the following morning TO go 10 the
shore for CLAIMS.
He requested Fishs 10 call at the house
and see that the chores were attended to.
Fiske at s O'Clock on Sept. went TO
Potters house. lie did not see Mrs. Pot
ter moving about and observing that the
cows were restless, stepped TO the door
to ask her II they had been milked.
Receiving no response 10 repeated
knocks upon the door. Fiske went around
to a side window and saw Mrs. Potter
was on her bed.
AS she still faied to answer his sum-
moi.s he broke in the front door and
found that the woinyn was dead. She had
been shot In the left temple.
An alarm was given and as suspicion
was directed toward the husband a mes
ant fa kr1v1 I'D frsaF1
the shore.
Potter appeared stunned when told that
his wife was dead and on arriving at his
home expressed the opinion that a burg
lar must have done the deed.
He pointed out a broken window In the
kitchen. which. he declared, had been
whole the previous night.
Little by little he said too much. and
finally made such fatal admissions that
hs was arrested and then made a full oon-
fession.
He had waited until his wife was asleep,
had put revolver TO her head and killed
her. and then going out TO the barn had
secured a whip stock, with which he
broke the window pane, striking the glass
with such force as 10 drive the spinters
well into the room to make IN appear
positive that a nnarauder had done the
trick while he. Potter. was away from
home.
lnen ne ndinesSeu MS noTSf TO an eh-
press wagon and drove TO the shore and
began to dig CLAIMS.
This scheme was 10 have Fisl<e dis
cover the murder and at such an hour
as to make IL appear that the w1fe's
death could not be laid at his, Potters
door.
Potter had told Fiske that he would
leave home as early as o'clock in the
morning
Instead he waited until 3 o'clock before
he killed his wife and thus IL was that
Fiske found the body was quite warm.
Potter's carefully prepared slibi was de-
feated by mere chance.
Another farmer who was obliged to
leave home at an early hour that morn
ing followed Potter down the highway
and thus fixed the time at which the
murder was committed.
q When Potter was placed on trial he
took the witness stand and 70 the sur
prise OF his counsel began at the begin
ming and went straight through to the
end. detailing why and how he killed his
wife.
The trial terminated there and then,
and without leaving their seats the Jury
returned a verdict OF guilty OF murder.
Potter was 80 years old when he was
committed 20 prison.