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

delphia, on the night of the 18th instant.
The Philadelphia Tines OF the 1i.h con-
tains the following account of the affair,
with some other information regarding
the tramp the woman recently made
through the country:
Con October 12, spry little woman
skipped into the Times reportorial rooms
and announced herself as Mira. Matte
Potts, who hsd just completed o walk 10
New Orleans and return, 1900 miles, for
wager of $4,000 The task had been
executed between Msy 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 Falstaff9s men in buck.ram, or
the mythical Mrs. Harris, the friend Of
Mrs. Camp. Mrs. Potts said che had
notes of her journey, was going to Issue o.
book about it, and would endeavor to en-
list people to back her up in long or
short-distance walk.
But, unfortunately, the pedestrian
feve: in this community had "petered
out y 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 ais, lent up in smoke week
ago. She chIimS TO have been negotia-
ting to walk st Pittsburg. She was left
stranded high and dry, with not cent 10
liquidate her board bills. Che 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 q
pedestrian became known. She was one
week in arrears for her board ct 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
Wednesday she was penniless.
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 AmericG,,, the PHILADELPHIA Times,
New York Herald, Charlotte IN. C.j
Observer, Atlanta C5nsfitution and New
Orleans 1sg;ts, in which abe explained
who she was, told all about her ineffcct-
ual efforts to obtain employment, bow
| her "backers" had failed to keep their
promises about the $5 900 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 q yalise at the American
Hotel, Baltimore, with her notes of the
| Southern tramp, o trunk at 204 East
| Twenty-seventh, New York, and some
other c-.ticles at the Alleghany 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 ia 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
vas 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 meapt to destroy herBelf under n
train. Sae told him she had her death
| warra1t with her and was tired of life.
She was taken to the Twcuty-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
go and throw herself under the locomo.
tive.
WAS SHE PLAYING A CANE?
| 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.tvs years of age, Of slight figure,
clad in comfortable garments and having
about the jaw and eyes the indications OF
resolution was arraigned before Maggie
trate Pole. When asked her name and
residence she said she was a native OF
North Carolina, and had resided in New
York for niuo years past. Poiitemsu
Egolf told about finding her, and the let
ter was produced.
Mrs. Potts, in response to the maeis-
trate's question, stood up and said that
the i,c: ne statement was true. and
that she did not want to go to the house
OF correction, but wanted homo and
employment. She said she was willing
to go to work at anything, and hsd tried
to get situation. She was told that her
case would be held under adYisemeDt.
There is a 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 lunatic or a
suicide. She was very much disinclined
to converse.
NOW that you say the men who prom.
iaedl to give vnn the nurse of S. 900 for
the New Orleans walk have gone back
on their word, suppose you give their
names for publication" visitor said.
SOMETHING ABOUT HERSELF.
mo-" came from the sturdy Jaws that
had munched peaI.lts, ice, lemons and
other luxuyies on the weary trarnr
through tho South last summer; "no, j
am bound by an oath not to reveal that
and WON'T. even though they have be.
tEayed me In that matter. had a eimi.
lar experience in Baltimore and over Ia
New York. Hers walked for $40
week, but got my money. tried every
day to get oLest4mplcyment, but failed
once thought of throwing myself of, tho
Wilmington train, but the boye on the
7. w. and =. trains treated me SO well
on my long walk by supplying me with
lemons, oranges, ice and other 1elicacies
that thought it ingratitude to spoil
their track or engines. When ] was