Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-02-08
FERNANDEZ ADMITS
MURDER IS REPORT
but NOT GUILTY
IS MS PLEA
Surrounds Finding
of Body Of Mrs. Betty Pot
ter With Her Throat Cut
and Skull Fractured.
FOUR MEN ARE HELD
AS STATE WITNESSES

Silver City. ~ H., Feb. S.--Juan
Fernandez. one OF four men taken in
10 custody here ms the result of the
murder OF Mis- Betty Potter, whose
body was found near this city, Is re-
ported 20 have confessed 10 a deputy
sheriff that he kiiied the woman.
lie was drunk when first arrested
but Il Is said he admitted the crime
When he sobefed up. lie was aFralgn-
ed before q Justice OF the peace but
pleaded not guilty
The Silver City independent says
In speaking Of sne case:
Betty Potter, well known char
acier around Silver City since the
earliest days, was found this morning
within q hundred yards of her home,
dead and with every evidence that
she had been foully murdered. Her
throat had been cut from ear 10 ear
an the pool OF blood marking the spot
showed that the crime had been COM
mitted where she was found. Thomas
Stewart, who lived with the woman.
has been arrested ON suspicion OF
having committed the crime.
The body was discovered by n Mex
lean who PASSED that way about nine
O'Clock this morning and the author
tiles were promptly notified. The
body was lying face downward on a
pile of manure placed In the arroyo
10 serve as crossing just below
where the water is taken out for the
lChinese gardens. This would be the
lroute the woman would probably take
going from town TO her home which
was an adobe house a short distance
north OF the crossing She was fully
dressed though her SHOES were not
laced. Underneath the body was a
sandwich wrapped In q newspaper.
Her rings were still on her hngor.
There were no signs OF n knife around
but two rocks stained with blood were
founc nearby.
ST wart, the man with whom she
lived, on being questioned by the au-
thorlties, stated that he had not seen
Mrs. Potter since about o'clock last
ieyenlng when she came to the house
to get q coffee pot, saying she was go
ing to make some coffee for Phil
: lSmlth Phil Smith is negro living
near the Ladies' hospital. Stewart
was arrested and locked up. When
searched he had nothing In his pockets
but small pocket knife.
Later in the day Phil smith, a color
Ted man, James 4. Blake, a dear ant
dumb man, who is a stranger In town
and Juan Fernandez were placed un
a der arrest An three of these mel
I are believed TO have been in company
with the woman as late as IL O'CLOCK
last evening A coat belonging e
Blake was found on her. Fernandez
was crazy drunk when arrested by
Jose Montez and kept reiterating tht
statement that he wanted 10 kin hi
mother before he died His clothing
was bespatterd with blood
Charles Bell, WHO lives opposite en-
s station was awakened during tbs
A might by dogs barking He went L
the window and In tho moonlight saw
two people walking down the roas
lacross the ditch. One OF these N
a recognized as Mrs, Potter but the mar
Is he could not recognize. Mrs. POtte
. was crying and asking the man g
take her home. lie did not look a
y his watch and consequently does no
know what time II was.
Dr. Miliken, the county physician
= examined the body and found that sh,
had been hit with some heavy weapon
In a number OF places about the head
y One Of these blows fractured the skull
l. There were two gashes in the throat
one on each side, evidently mad
with a duii knife.
a Fernandez Is about 20 or 90 year
o. age tie served term In IN
- penitentiary when n years OF age 70
10 burglary Blake Ia believed to be fax
Ia ing his dumbness. He Is a mendican
The deceased woman was about 9
years OF age. ier husband vas a sol
der az Fort Bayard IN the early day
p and after his retirement from IN
a, army they lived In silver CITY. II
a died some years ago. She was Oh
mother Of a large family OF boys an
girls some OF whom still reside in 81
yer city All are grown up.