The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-07-25

case. HIS memory as To dates and
details was faulty, because. he said.
he had not fastened them in his
memory not having occasion to He
thought Mr.. Baker delivered the note
TO him In person. and he remembered
OF saying: Il don't approve OF this
sort OF thing" Nhereupon Baker *
plained TO him that the purpose was
To file the note with Mr.. Boone and
cause dissention among parties IN.
teresied In the saloon, which would
cause one Of them to talk, and there
was no Intention Of collecting the
money. tie said that was the reason
he did not wish TO make costs.
Walter Fisher.
Water Fisher corroborated what
Baker said about the note: declared
he had never seen Il. but understood
Il was for the purpose Of procuring
evidence: and told OF repeated visits
and telephone calls from Walter
Potter.
Detective Baker.
Detective Baker detailed the his
tory OF his connection with the case.
he said he was told ON Saturday
night by Rogers OF the case and the
ease with which II might be worked
mp. He said he met Rogers next
morning 81 Sixth and Trlmb.e streets
and On company with Potter they
proceeded TO the burned store. There
Potter. who had been TO see him the
night before asked him what the in
surance company offered him for
working on the case. Baker said he
Informed him OF the 500 the state
FIRE marshal offers for conviction for
arson. and Potter remarked. "One
mans money Is Jus, as good As
another's."
Baker said he and Rogers retired
TO the coiored schoo, building. where
he recalled Potter's parting remark
and suggested that Rogers get Pot
ter 90 sign a note. when Rogers re-
ported his inability Baker told him
20 wait. Potter would come around
all right. Detective Baker also told
OF the conversation with Rogers
about not wanting any OF Potter's
money. but wanting the evidence. He
said afterward Rogers joklngly In
qulred what he would do with the
note II the prosecution failed. and he
remarked off-haud. maybe there
vii, be that much for some OF Pot
ter's creditors" because he had
learned that a scheme was on foot TO
procure an attachment for the whole
amount. so that creditors, could not
get any OF It.
lie said he did not report the case
TO Chief Collins because the chief
was out OF the city at the time. and
they had decided on a waiting game.
and he temporarily dismissed the
matter from his MIND. II was an
oversight. because he always took /
his chief into his confidence. He said
he thought II was a strong case and
that they would have succeeded. nj
this had not come up.
Questioned by Dr. Frank Boyd as
TO his purpose in securing the note.
he said Il was TO hold II as evidence !
that Potter had given an officer that
note to stop the Investigation, thus
compromising him and forcing him
TO disclose what he knew OF the
burning. He admitted that the evil /
dence would have been much clearer
II the note had been properly dated
after the fire and made payable TO |
Baker himself. and he said his first
note was made payable TO himself. (
but Potter objected 10 Bakers name
or the proper date.
When the evidence was all In the
spectators were ordered to retire and
the board proceeded in a few min
utes TO sign the order dismissing the
men instanter from the force.
The board found as follows:
"Paducah, KY, July "a. '0S.
at Is ordered by the board Of fire
and police commissioners that w. y.
Baker, T. j. Moore and w. II. Rogers
be dismissed from the police force.
to take effect at once We make this
order for the reason thatl in the in
vestigatlon held of the Gee Potte,
fire all three ignored the chief OF po-
lice, and further that we do not APP
prove OF the method used by them IN
their investigation OF this case.
Signed: Frank Boyd, John X.
Bonds, M. W. Clark, II. X. Suther-
land, commissioners. and James P.
Smith, mayor"