The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-11-06
HOW DID He Die?
New York Police Have Failed TO
Solve Mysterious Death.
HELD UP and ROBBED

And Later Found Dead in His Room
At the Waldorf, One of the Swell
Hotels of New York. Letter DE
Wrote Indicates He Expected Death
But His Injuries Plainly Evidence
a Murder.
New York has another mysterious
murder OF suicide case that the police
find difficult to solve. Herman Brad
lev Potter, an insurance agent OF
Doyiestown, Pa, a man OF excelient
social standing and comfortable
means was found dead In his rooms
en- the fourteenth floor of the wal
dorf-Astoria Wednesday night, with
his skull fractured in two places. his
nose broken and bleeding, and bruis-
es about his legs and feet, showing
that he had been horribly beaten.
Whether the man was murdered IN
the hotel or whether he was beaten
in the street, and went to his room to
die, is not yet determined. A ques-
tion Of possible poison also tgures
in the extraordinary mystery. There
is a suspicion that a jar OF Whlte
novder found in the room contained
cyanide of mercury. An autopsy Will
he held to reveal whether or not there
are traces Of the drug in the mans
stomach. At the same time there
was a mysterious letter written by
MI. Potter to his wife in Doylestown'
which puts the whole affair in a diff
ferent phase.
It has been proved that Potter was
attacked by thugs on Saturday night
and that he received a cut in the nose
from a blow. He did not receive,
however, the wounds that appeared
on his body when he was found dead.
There are sufficient in themselves 10
have produced death and the physi-
clans declare they were received
only a short time before death.
when the mans body was exam
5ped by the coroner he said:
This man has been beaten to
death. Can't say that he was Killed
In the hotel, but a murder has been
committed"
On a table in his room was a letter
addressed to Mrs. H. Bradley Potter,
Jr., of Doylestown, Pa. The letter
was on a letter head Of the Michigan
Commercial Insurance company, OF
Doylestown. The letter in no way
threw light on the mystery. 1t read:
my Dear Wife:-In the left hand
drawer of the bureau you will find an
envelope of every insurance COM
, pany I represent. Write to every n
of them and ask them to appoint you
agent.
Everything + own is in the box
on my desk.
-"Good-bye to you and the children.
7 forgot to say last Saturday night l
was put out of business on my way
home to the motel.
"I was attacked by three toughs
and I had quite an experience. 'ac--
tually put two of them to sleep, but
the third ducked and hit me with q
sandbag on the left side of the head,
and put me to sleep.
"He took my watch, locket, cigar
cite case, ring and pocket book.
ct was picked up by an officer lying
in the gutter Fortunately [ had my
O key with me, and the Waldorf
means a great deal in New York.
Farewell to you all. Goodbye.
"(Signed) Herman
While the letter would seem to in
dictate Potter knew death was ap-
preaching, it was agreed the wounds
on his body could not possibly have
been self-inhicted. 1t was shown the
letter was written in a strong hand
and by a man, who, If in physical
suffering or under a nervous strain
showed no sign of it in his writing.
A comparison of the writing to the
signature on the hotel register, prov
ed beyond doubt that Potter a
penned the note.
Further examination of the room
disclosed the jar of white powder. In
the trousers of the dead man was
found s6!31 in cash together with pa
pers and other effects that proved his
identity.