MET DEATH TOGETHER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 217, 13 September 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

MET DEATH TOGETHER.

Man and Wife are Hanged Upon the

Same Gallows,

Onk of the most terrible scenes in bhe history of deabh by the noose was wibnessed n the Elko gaol-yard, Nevada, on June 20bh, when Josiah and Elizabebh Pobbs were hanged for the murder of Miles Faucett. Hardened men shuddered and turned pale as they saw the woman's head nearly cut off by the rope and the blood drench her clothing, while beside her swung, in fearful contortions, the body of her husband. The Pobtses have been in gaol over a year for a particularly atrocious murder on New Year's Day, 1888. Faucett was a well -to -do bachelor, seventy years old, and born, like the Pottses, in Manchester, England. They were friends, but after Faucett's murder the Pottses disappeared, and abouj; a year afterwards were arrested. Ab their trial evidence, which was wholly circumstantial, showed that for the sake of ready money the woman had struck her victim on the head with an axe and then crushed his skull to prevent identification. Not satisfied with this, the two cub up bhe body and the woman bried bo boil ib down, bub could nob on accounb of the stench. Sho tried to feed it to animals, and ended by burying the body under the house. The man was a spiritless being, but his wife had all the spite, venom and bitterness of a hardened woman, so that an awful scene was expected to precede the execution. During the time she was at the gaol Elizabeth gave ample proof of her fearful temper and terrible tongue. The slightest command thab she did nob care to obey would abarb her into fury. She was a large, powerful woman, as stubborn as she waß sbrong. and as vicious as she was passionabe. The nighb before the execution she upbraided her husband, called him a> coward and a sneak, and when the officers attempted to reply, turned on them and berated them fiercely. She then went to bed, bub nob wibhoub hurling a parting curse ab her husband. She closed her eyes and Beemed to sleep.' Experience had 'baught the Sheriff thab Mrs Potbs's sleep was apb to be treacherous. Last Wednesday she wenb to sleep in the same fashion and the death-watch saw her eyes closed, her heavy breathing evidencing how soundly she slept. Suddenly one of bhe wabch heard her gasp, and when he asked her whab was bhe mabter she feebly called for water. Tho request aroused suspicion, and when he threw down bhe coverings blood spouted forth. The woman had, under the eyes of her guards, forced tho blade of a penknife into her wrist beneath the bed covers and cut the artery,and was rapidly bleeding to death. It must have hurt cruelly, yet she kept her eyes closed and hor features composed to avoid discovery. Ib was only when sh6 grew weak bhrough loss of blood bhab gasps betrayed her. She had losb so much blood thab she was almost dead, bub foughb fiercely when her keepers bried bo stanch the blood. Sho had had the knife hidden for eighteen months in her hair. Her husband had sharpened a bib of slate, and it had been agreed that they die together. Potts weakened, however.

Mrs Potts dressed herself in bhe morning with care in a white dress, which she had made particularly to be hanged in. Both listened quietly to the reading of the death warrant. The woman was pale and weak, and only stood by supporting herself.against the door. This weakness came from loss of blood, and not from fear. She did not look like a bad woman as she Stood there. There was the shadow of a sneer on her face. Her loose, white, lace-trimmed dress and the long black ribbons streaming from her bosom made her seem larger than she was. Sho kept silent until the reading was over, when she said : 'I'm innocent! so help me God !' ' Yes, we are innocent!' echoed Potts. The Sheriff was more overcome than the woman. ' Get me some water !' lie called out, chokingly. 'Here's some, , said Potts, producing a dipper. The sheriff then gave the order t» go to the gallows. Before starting he handed Potts a flask of whisky. ' Well, hero's my respects, gentlemen, , said the man, with his foot on the first step that led up to where the nooses were hanging, and he put the bottle to hie lips. Mrs Potts took the bottle from her husband's hands and satisfied herself with a good long pull. As she passed the gaol door she handed a folded paper to her lawyer. It was thought to bo a confession, but it was this: "Lillie Atherton was my name, England was my nation, Manchester was my dwelling-place, Christ was my salvation. . Next began the procession to the gallows. The woman was weak, but she followed her husband to the chairs placed under the swaying nooses in a stoical way. Pofcfcs, the picture of sullendespair, sat rigid on his stool. His wife was anxious to have it all over as soon as possible, and nervously assisted the gaolers to adjust the leather straps. One of the deputies held the strap attached to Mrs Potts's wrists,and her hueband made eovoral attempts to raise his hands so that he might grasp hers and bid her a long, last good-bye. He could not reach her, bub finally their hands touched. It was only for an instant, but she understood it, and turned her bead so that she could look ab him. In their eyes sparkled the fire of love which had caused them to keep their mouths closed regarding the crime that had led them both to the same scaffold. Their lips met anda tremor passed over their frames. The ropo was hurriedly passed over the woman's neck, and as it tightened around her throat she raised her eyes towards the cloudless sky and bitterly said : ' God help me !I am innocent!' In hollow, tremulous tones her husband answered : • God knows we are both innocent!' The black caps were drawn over their faces, shutting out for ever the bright sunlight.and the clergyman, who had remained with them to the last, broke the silence by saying: ' Pub your trust in God and He will see you righted,' .Tha !shorif£ gave the signal, the trap-door flew open, and Josiah Potts and his wife paid the penalty of their terrible crime.

The scene which followed was awful- and bhe specbators burned away, pale and sickened. Mrs Pobbs was so heavy and her flesh so soft and flabby bhab when bhe rope became baub ib cub bhrough her neck, severing bhe carotid artery. A stream of blood gushed from under her skin and coursed down over the white dress she had made wibh so much care. Ib was a specbacle nob soon bo be forgobten. The woman's form hung motionless, covered with blood, and, ab her side swayed bhe body of her husband drawn up in frighbfulconbortions which continued for fourteen minutes. Then all wae still and the partners in life and crime were before a higher Judge. When the bodies were cut down it was found that bhere had been a narrow escape from an eyen woise specbacle. The rope had so far cub bhrough into Mrs Pobbs's throat thab had bhe drop been a little longer her head would have been severed from her body. The muscles of the back of the neck alone kept head and trunk together. The blood was hurriedly wiped off his wife's dress and the bodies' remains placed in coffins to await arrival of friends. No one appeared to make demand for them, and half an hour later they were buried in the potters' field of the Elko Cemetery. Next bo bhem lie the bones of their victim, Miles Faucett, which had been kepb in bhe Dis-trict-Attorney's office during the trial.

MRS POTTS'S STORY.

She Writes Two Letters Protesting

Her Innocence.

In Elko there is a growing belief that perhaps afber all Elizabebh Potts, whose gruesome death on the gallows was witnessed by a hundred people, was innocenb of the actual crime of murder. She was a

headstrong ■woman, bub loved her husband with fierceness, and there is a possibility that she consented to die with, him. Just before she died she passed the following letter to her attorney, which casts a new Hghb on the crime, and opens a field of speculation on possibilities. The letter says • — • This is the lasb Btatemenb I shall make on earth, so you may depend upon the truth of ifc. Faucefct attempted an assault upon my little daughter, and when I threatened him with arresb he declared that he would kill ma if I exposed him. I knew he wa3 half-crazy, and was afraid of him, so I promised to say nothing. Soon after he started a ranch at Hot Springs, and I baked and washed for him. He came in twice a week for his bre.-id, and I used bo lend him money, which h<-- U3cd to pay with interest as soon as he could. He borrowed $180. After he wenb to the ranch Lβ brooded over the matter and told a neighbour about ifc. I then agreed to write to a constable and tell him the whole affair, and then go away where the wretch could nofr find me to kill me. I wrote a letter and pub it in my trunk. By some mistake my husbaad found it. Faucett was in the house at tine time, and when Potts confronted him with the letter he dropped on his knees and .beggdd for mercy. He said," If you will let me leave the country I will make over what I have to you to pay you what I owe you." He asked me if I would write oub a bill of transfer for him, as he was too excited to do it, and I wrote as he dictated. Potts was still reading the letter when Faucetb handed him the bill. He threw the bill in Faucetb'a face and said, " t will have you lynched, any way, scoundrel..l' Faucetb reached to the clipboard where he kept a pistol, pointed it atb his head, and fired. The bullet struck him in the eye and ho fell dead. We feared we would be blamed as he said. Wβ then tried to dispose oE the body. Potte conoealed its in the cellar, so this is what we have to die for. Wβ have to suffer tho mosb disgraceful death in the world for concealing that old fiend's body. • This is a true statement, as GoU is my judge, as near as I can remember. A man and wife and the parents of seven children have to hang for an imagined murder, while obhers got off. . To the man who adopted her daughter she wrote : ' Aa God is my judge we are innocent of the crime we are charged with. Wβ shall only be two more added to the list of victims hanged innocent on circumstantial evidence. So, for God's sake, don'b ever imagine that my eweet child Edith is the child of a murderess.' These messages were received when the mother lay in the Potter's field. Her hardened nature repelled sympathy, yeb many believe she was the victim of circumstantial evidence. *