Muff Potter
Muff Potter is the town drunkard of St. Petersburg, a pathetic and essentially harmless figure whose false accusation for the murder of Doctor Robinson becomes the novel's most urgent moral test. His plight transforms Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn from carefree boys into conscience-stricken witnesses, and his trial provides the crucible in which Tom finally breaks his blood oath to tell the truth.
Identity and Background
Muff Potter is a familiar, low-status presence in St. Petersburg, known for his chronic drunkenness and general shiftlessness. He is described as "old Muff Potter" and is the town drunkard, a man who "ain't no account" but who "hain't ever done anything to hurt anybody." He lives a marginal existence, fishing a little to get money to get drunk on and loafing around considerably. Despite his failings, he has a kind streak: he once gave Huckleberry Finn half a fish when there was not enough for two, and he has mended kites for Tom Sawyer and knitted hooks onto his fishing line. He is also a friend and occasional partner of the far more dangerous half-breed, Injun Joe, whom he calls "pard." Potter is a simple, superstitious soul, easily led and easily manipulated, and his drinking leaves him vulnerable to exploitation.
The Graveyard Murder and the Frame
On the night of the murder, Potter, Injun Joe, and Doctor Robinson go to the graveyard to exhume a body for the doctor's medical purposes. Potter and Injun Joe are carrying a handbarrow with a rope and shovels. After they dig up the coffin and remove the corpse, a dispute over payment arises. Injun Joe confronts the doctor about a five-year-old grudge, and when the doctor strikes Injun Joe down, Potter intervenes, saying, "Here, now, don't you hit my pard!" He grapples with the doctor. As they struggle, Injun Joe seizes Potter's knife, and when the doctor fells Potter with a headboard, Injun Joe drives the knife into the doctor's chest. Potter, stunned by the blow and fuddled with rum, is left with no clear memory of the event. Injun Joe then places the fatal knife in Potter's open right hand and, when Potter regains consciousness, convinces him that he himself committed the murder. Potter, horrified and confused, begs Joe not to tell, and Joe falsely promises secrecy. The next day, the town quickly concludes that Potter is the murderer: a gory knife found near the body is recognized as his, and a belated citizen reports seeing Potter washing himself in a branch early that morning, a suspicious circumstance. The Sheriff leads a posse, and Potter is captured.
The Trial and Tom's Testimony
Potter is jailed in a small brick den at the edge of the village, and the entire town turns against him. He is described as "the bloodiest looking villain in this country," and there is talk of lynching him if he gets free. Tom and Huck, who witnessed the murder, are tormented by their secret. They smuggle small comforts to Potter through the jail window, and his gratitude cuts deeper each time. At the trial, Potter's defense attorney offers no cross-examination of the prosecution's witnesses, and the case seems hopeless. The jury is expected to convict. Then, in a stunning turn, the defense calls Thomas Sawyer. Tom, terrified but resolute, takes the stand and describes the events in the graveyard, culminating in the revelation: "-- and as the doctor fetched the board around and Muff Potter fell, Injun Joe jumped with the knife and --" Before he can finish, Injun Joe crashes through a window and escapes. Potter is immediately exonerated.
Aftermath and Significance
After the trial, the fickle world takes Muff Potter to its bosom and fondles him as lavishly as it had abused him before. Daily, Potter's gratitude makes Tom glad he spoke, but nightly, Tom wishes he had sealed up his tongue, for fear of Injun Joe's revenge. Potter himself, in a moment of despair before the trial, had confessed to the crime, believing he must have done it while drunk and crazy, and said he deserved to swing for it. His character serves as a stark contrast to the villainous Injun Joe: he is a weak, pitiable man, guilty only of drunkenness and poor judgment, yet he is nearly executed for a murder he did not commit. His ordeal exposes the dangers of circumstantial evidence, mob justice, and the power of a convincing liar. Potter's fate is ultimately a testament to Tom Sawyer's growing moral courage, as the boy overcomes his fear of Injun Joe's vengeance to tell the truth and save an innocent man's life.
