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Killer turned Limerick fan dies in prison
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Convicted murderer who became a staunch Limerick hurling fan for nearly
20 years has died of cancer on death row in the US state of Georgia.
Jack Potts was sentenced to death in 1973 for kidnapping auto mechanic
Michael Douglas Priest and killing him in a remote field.
Potts had his head shaved no fewer than three times in preparation for
the electric chair but each time his sentence was commuted.
Potts had followed the fortunes of the Limerick hurlers from his cell
in Jackson for nearly 20 years.
He developed a love of hurling through correspondence with the family
of current Limerick hurling manager Richie Bennis.
The Limerick boss’ niece Gráinne Bennis was studying in the
US when she visited Jack in Georgia and gave him a Limerick jersey which
he often wore in jail.
He had been on death row since 1973 ironically the last time Limerick
won an All-Ireland.
Nora Bennis who is married to Richie Bennis’ brother Gerry
kept Jack fully informed of the fortunes of the Limerick hurlers
down the years with newspaper cuttings of all their games in the National
League and Championship.
Nora said: “We learned in the past few days that Jack passed away
in prison. His cell was decorated with photos of Limerick hurlers. His
knowledge of individual players down the years such as Gary Kirby, Mike
Houlihan and members of the current team was astonishing. It’s sad
he hasn’t lived to follow the team to Croke Park.”
Jack Potts’ love of hurling resulted from a chance read of an Irish
newspaper.
Nora Bennis said: “In the 1990s I was to the fore in a campaign
for the rights of women in the home.
“There was coverage in the newspaper Jack got and it connected with
him as he came from a terribly sad family background.
“He was left at home all day alone as his mother had to go out to
work. He sent a letter addressed to ‘Nora Bennis, Limerick, Republic
of Ireland’ and it got to me in Limerick.
“From there I began corresponding with Jack. I told him about our
great game of hurling, of my family’s contact with Limerick hurling.
“He never protested at the sentence and admitted he had done wrong.
He converted to Catholicism while in jail.”
Jack also began to learn to speak Irish with the help of tapes sent to
him. |
