The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-11-27
Mrs. Potts, the Pedestrienne.

The Telegraph briefly reported, on the
18th, that Mrs. Potts, the pedestrienne,
attempted to commit suicide in Phila-
delphia, on the night of the 18th instant,
The Philadelphia Times of the 14th con-
tains the following account of the affair,
with some other information regarding
the tramp the woman recently made
through the country:
"On October II, q spry little woman
skipped into the Times reportorial rooms
and announced herself as Mrs. Matte
Potts, who had just completed walk to
New Orleans and return, $500 miles, for
wager of $4,000. The task had been
executed between May 18th and October
18th, over the rough cross-ties and road
beds of the railroads south of Washing
ton. She said number of gentlemen
had raised the purse, but declined to
give their names, which created the i'm
preston in the mind of the reporter of
her experience that these gentlemen
were like Falstaff's men in buck-ram, or
the mythical Mrs. Harris, the friend of
Mrs. Camp. Mrs. Potts said she had
notes of her journey, was going to issue a
book about it, and would endeavor to en-
list people to back her up in long or
short-distance walk.
But, unfortunately, the pedestrian
fever in this community had "petered
out" and she soon found that there was
no longer any enthusiasm in legs to be
aroused. She walked awhile for $40 q
week in SAMSON street saloon, in halo
of cigar smoke and beer fume. This
venture also went up in smoke week
ago. She claims to have been negotia-
ting to walk at Pittsburg. She was left
stranded high and dry, with not cent to
liquidate her board bills. She tried va
rious avenues of employment, among
others, she AYERS, the Women's Christian
Association, Seventh street intelligence
Office, meeting, the cold shoulder at the
former place when her antecedents as
pedestrian became known. She was one
week in arrears for her board at the
Allegheny House, and things looked des-
perate and dismal. The dollar she had
been given by lady melted away in
paying for lodgings and meals at the
Women's Christian Association, and on
w GQuSouiJ oAC Noo PShhiASoo'
A RESOLUTION TO DIE.
She walked out near the Germantown
Junction and sat down and wrote q note
with lead pencil, addressed to the Bal
timore american, the Philadelphia Times,
New York Herald, Charlotte IN. C.)
Observer, Atlanta Constitution and New
Orleans Times, in which she explained
who she was, told all about her ineffect-
ual efforts to obtain employment, how
her "backers" had failed to keep their
promises about the S., 1000 stake, and her
resolution to lay her head upon the rail-
road track, on Tuesday night, to be run
over. She declared that she was perfect
ly sane, but had no relatives and nothing
to live for. The body was to be given to
the medical students. The note said that
the writer had valise at the American
Hotel, Baltimore, with her notes of the
Southern tramp, trunk at 204 East
Twenty-seventh, New York, and some
other articles at the Allegheny House.
Whether her intention to destroy herself
under one of the lightning trains on the
New York Division of the Pennsylvania
Railroad was sincere or not, it is certain
that about 81 o'clock on Wednesday
night, Policeman Egolf, of the Twenty.
second district, who was on duty at Ger
mantown Junction, saw woman who
was walking to and fro, in apparent agi-
tation, near the station. She told him
she was Mrs. Matte Potts, the pedes.
trian; that she was homeless and penni
less and meant to destroy herself under
train. She told him she had her death
warrant with her and was tired of life.
She was taken to the Twenty-second dis
trict police station, and the letter men
toned above, addressed to the newspa-
pers, was found upon her. During the
night, whenever the long, shrill whistle
of the trains speeding by near the police
station were heard, the woman started up
and begged to be let out that she might
20 and throw herself under the locomo-
tive.
WAS SHE PLAYING A GAME?
The turnkey and others who heard her,
concluded that she was cranky, or was
playing dodge of some kind. Yester-
day afternoon the woman, who is known
as the Widow Potts, apparently about
forty-fve years of age, Of slight figure,
clad in comfortable garments and having
about the jaw and eyes the indications Of
resolution, was arraigned before Magis-
trate Pole. When asked her name and
residence she said she was native of
North Carolina, and had resided in New
York for nine years past. Policeman
Egolf told about finding her, and the let
ter was produced.
Mrs. Potts, in response to the magis-
trate's question, stood up and said that
the policeman's statement was true, and
that she did not want to 60 to the house
of correction, but wanted n home and
employment. She said she was willing
to 60 to work at anything, and had tried
to get q situation. She was told that her
case would be held under advisement.
There is law against attempted suicide
which has been once or twice enforced,
but this cannot be applied to the pedes-
TRANS case, as, beyond her own declara-
ton of the intention, nothing has been
shown indicating her real purpose. She
afterwards WAS found down in Turnkey
Holloway's department, eating ginger
bread and marching up and down, with
none of the appearance of a lunatic or a
suicide. She was very much disinclined
to converse.
"Now that you say the men who prom
ised to give you the purse of $1,000 for
the New Orleans walk have gone back
on their word, suppose you give their
names for publication" visitor said.
SOMETHING ABOUT HERSELF.
"No," came from the sturdy jaws that
had munched peanuts, ice, lemons and
other luxuries on the weary tramp
through the South last summer; mo, 1
am bound by an oath not to reveal that
and won't, even though they have be-
trayed me in that matter. 1 had a simi-
lar experience in Baltimore and over in
New York. Here l walked for $40 a
week, but l got my money. Itried every
day to get honest employment, but failed.
r - r A. 4.