Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-05-24
A LEGzA4.da =. a;...!!,.AE .T!!ANGLE
AND !" A. TRAGEDY
That Involves Some Early Residents of Rocky
Ford.
HARRY POTTS MURDERED At deer FIELD
Two Daughters Living in This City-Had Not Seen
Their Father for Many Years.

Some nineteen years ago. when
Rocky Ford was scarcely more than
q staked townsite along the line Of the
Santa Fe railway Samuel Dunsmore
kept butcher shop on the spot
where the Reeker block now stands.
and had in his employ man named
Harry Potts. Potts became inter-
cs,ed in and married young woman
Of Rocky Ford living in Dunsmore's
family and commonly understood to
be Mrs. Dunsmore's adopted daugh-
ter. Two children. girls. were born
to Potts. and then he departed. leav-
ing the Dunsmores to take care Of
both the young woman and the child
ren. Later the young woman left
the Dunsmorc home and married
again and the children left behind
were reared and sehooied by the
Dunsmoscs. Mrs. Dunsmosc died
and Mr.. Dunsmosc continued to make
. home for and provide for the girls.
until they concluded to become their
own keepers and went out from the
home. Within year or ihereabouts
the girls have married. one becoming
Mrs. Arthur Lane and the other Mrs.
William MeElsoy. Since then q suit
has been set up In the county court
requiring Mr.. Dnnsmosc to produce
. will OF Mrs. Dunsmorc that made
the girls the sole heirs TO a valuable
piece Of ranch property near town.
The suit failed to prove the exist
enee Of any will: and deed Of the
property to Dunsmosc was produced.
This deed was defective in that Il did
not properly describe the lands of
the late Mrs. Dunsmorc. Mr.. Duns.
moro has asked the intervention .i
the court 10 correct the deed desefip.
ton. The legal representative 81
the Potts children later proposed a
division OF tho property evenly be.
tween Dansmorc and shcmsci.es-
the law OF Colorado. In the absence
OF will 20 tho contrary. allowing a
husband ono hal! the property Of his
wisc. This compromise was refused.
A new suit has now been instituted
} in which tho plaintiffs propose TO
show that a will was made and was
destroyed hve days before Mrs. Duns.
n,ofc,s death. and ,ha; the deed In
question was made under duress.
In tho meantime Harry Potts. who
disappeared eighteen years ago. and
who nigh; have been called az an IN.
icfcsied party In 'hc will case. j. &c.
ported TO have been murdered. lie
was living on . ranch near tho little
hariic; Of Agate. in Eibcrs county.
this state. according TO a letter re.
eciscd by the daughters from ono
the latter disappeared abou, three
weeks ago. jus. after he had been
paid sum Of money due him from
Bur;on-ssoo. a few days ago his
body was found In well on his ranch
and evidences Of his having been
siubbcd 60 death and thrown In the
well arc shown.
A ranch hand In the employ of
Potts Is suspected Of the crime. Hc
LEI; the ranch about the time Of Potts
disappearance and has been traced TO
. point In Texas. where he IL now
held for apprehension by the sheriff
OF Ebert county.
The daughters Of Potts will file
their claim to the estate Of the dead
man. who is reported TO have left a
very good ranch property. and who
is said by the nciThbor Burton TO
have told him tha, he had two dausi,.
ssrs living somewhere abou, Rocky
Ford.
The sui; In tho Duusmorc will case
is set on The court docket for the ,s,h
instant. The mother of tho Potts
girls. who is now Mrs. Jacobs, has
recently returned TO O:cro county
and will join with her daughters as
plaintiffs In the will case.