The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-19

y and Nelson Page.
ing, Sullivan asking about the clothes
he wore. Sullivan again drew q blank
and dropped the cross-examination
abruptly.
Cameron. for the defense, asked
about certain details of the construc-
ton of the Potter home, particularly
the size and number of steps leading
up to it.
Cameron again took the stand and
gave details of the accidental dis
charge of Potter's gun when he was
OH a trip with Cameron.
Under ross-eXalnination he could
not say definitely that Potter had not
accidentally touched the trigger as he
picked the gun from the ground near
his automobile.
F.. c. Towsley. grain dealer, testified
to hunting with Potter for number
of years. He said he saw Potters gun
discharged or two different occasions
when it was not at his shoulder.
Nothing to Shoot
On neither occasion. he said, was
there anything at which to shoot.
Sullivan attempted to definitely fix
the date of these accidents.
Towsley admitted he was interested
il the defense but could not positively
identify the gun in the courtroom as
the one Potter had used on these &C.
casions. Potter was recalled to do
this The defense then rested its
case.
Ray Potter's memory is complete
blank in so far as the shooting OF
Oliver Webb is concerned. he told the
Jury at his trial here yesterday.
Answering direct question Did
you knowingly shoot Oliver Webb
Potter answered No"
Answering the question, DO YOU.
Of your own knowledge, know how he
met his deatil?' Potter answered Il
Go not
Potter was the last witness for the
defense and was under crosS-examin-
ati0n when the trial recessed last
night. The cross-eaamination will be
resumed today.
His story was that he had been
drinking during the afternoon Of the
night upon which Webb was slain and
that he continued to drink with
Webb and others after he went home
in the evening. He left his job in the
Webb furniture store early, he said.
because he did not want his employ
er5 to know he had been drinking.
He remained at home with Webb
and NJ j. BARLEY. he said, and late
in the evening they went to Bartleys
home Later. Potter said, he went
to the home of Hellie Belk but did not
remember taking drink there. He
remembers nothing, he said, after
leaving the Ee!k home until he woke
up the next morning.
He drew murnlurS from the crowd
in the courtroom when he said he
mixed his drinks by pouring'a tum-
bier a quarter full of alcohol. Later
Attorney John Sullivan, who is as
sisting the prosecution, asked if that
were not rather stiff drink and Pot
ter said he always mixed them that
way.
State Witnesses Attacked
Scott Cameron, counsel for the de-
Tense, and Frank Williamson took
the stand Immediately before Potter
yesterday afternoon in an effort to
prove by their testimony that evil
dence offered by two of the states
most important witnesses was faulty.
They testified that the lights in the
Potter home could not be seen from
the point where the serving maid and
the soldier said they saw a light.
The cross-eXamination of Potter
took him into discussion of his per-
sonal habits Potter refused to ad-
nit that he drank to excess, but said
he occasionally drank too much In
one night. He said he got drunk
about once every two months and
that twice before the Webb shooting
he had been so drunk that he did not
remember what had happened.
Sullivan questioned him about an
evening at Bismarck dance hall,
asking If he had not threatened q
man there and If Webb had not TAX
EN- him home on that occasion Potter
said he knew nothing about it other
than what he had been told.
The defense objected strenuously to
this part Of the cross-examination but
GNo OtC4A u4C0 0lAO tAIC 4NC6tJOI1lIlX
went on. Potter was hazy as to de-
tails Of the party at his home on the
night of the shooting and also as to
what happened Immediately after he
left the furniture store with the
truck driver to deliver some furniture.
He could not say II the alcohol he had
drunk was responsible for his lapse
Of memory.
Hunted With Webb
Explaining his hunting trips with
Webb, Potter said they had hunted
together since the season opened with
the exception Of one or two Sundays
and that he and Webb always had
been good friends. There was no rea-
son, he said, why he should wish to
do Webb harm
He said the gun which he used
while hunting had gone Oft unexpect-
edly upon two different occasions.
once when he was separated from the
rest Of his hunting party and once
when he was hunting with his family
and the Cameron family. He was al-
ways careful Of his gun while riding
in all automobile on hunting trips.
he said, and usually unloaded his gun
when the hunt was over. He could
not say II he had unloaded his gun
at the termination Of the last hunt-
ing trip which he. Webb and two