Mecklenburg County NcArchives Obituaries.....Potts, John G. (Captain) December 19, 1890 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Debra Crosby http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002467 September 11, 2014, 3:59 pm Mecklenburg Times Fri. December 19, 1890 (Charlotte, NC) A SAD SURPRISE CAPT JOHN G. POTTS FOUND WELTERING IN BLOOD He had lighted the Fire in the Cook Room and Arranged Things for Breakfast, When Members of his Family Found Him Lying on the Floor With a Bullet Hole in His Head Capt. John G. Potts, a veteran of the Confederate war and for some time past a resident of Charlotte, died at his home, corner of Eight and B streets, at 8 o'clock this morning, from a pistol shot wound in the head. It will possibly never be known whether his death was the result of accident, or an event brought about deliberately by his own hand. Capt. Potts arose early this morning about daylight and went down into the kitchen to kindle a fire, so that, as he said, he could get an early breakfast and be off to business. He carried his overcoat down stairs so that he would not have to go back up stairs for it. The members of his household shortly afterwards followed him, and when the door of the cook room, which is loacted in the basement, was opened, a shocking site was revealed. Mr. Potts was lying on the floor, his face in a pool of blood, and from a wound in his head, blood and brains were oozing. A fire had been lighted in the stove, fresh water put in the vessels and everything arranged for the preparation of breakfast. A forty-two calibre bull dog pistol was lying on the floor by the side of the prostrate man. He was found to be still breathing, but was unconscious. A messenger was dispatched for a physician and Dr. J. P. McCombs responded, but at first glance he saw that Capt. Potts' wound was fatal. Capt. Potts lived for about two hours after being shot. He wore his hat at the time the shot was fired. The bullet entered just above the hat band on the right hand side, ranged downward through his brain and shattered the skull just behind the left ear, but did not come out. None of the family heard the shot and the discover of the unconscious form was a great shock to them. They did not know that Capt. Potts had a pistol. He was in a more cheerful mood than usual Sunday, and attended church, both morning and night. He had recently secured a good situatin in the absence of any known motive for ?? Leads to the belief that the affair was accidental. Capt. Potts was a native of ??? Creek township, this county, and was one of the best known men of Mecklenburg. He was a gallant soldier and was wounded at Gettysburg. He married Miss Maggie Ardrey, a daughter of Dr. W. A. Ardrey and a sister to Capt. Wm E. Ardrey. His wife and family of grown children survive him. Capt. Potts was for a long time in business in Pineville., but had lived in Charlotte for about a year. He accepted a position last Monday as bookkeeper at the Racket store and had been giving good satisfaction in that capacity. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/mecklenburg/obits/p/potts2659ob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ncfiles/ File size: 3.4 Kb