Louisiana capitolian., 1880-05-15
A CENTENAR1AN MYSTERY.

kuOWu W Do OHo uuuuIOu yCuAo VAuS ~nV
believed to be ten years older. Her
name was Annie E. Potter, and she was
mystery to herself, and every
body else who knew her. She was q
devout member Of q church, and attended
regularly as long as sho was bodily able.
The mystery began when grandmothers,
who knew Annie Potter as the
old woman of their church, when
they were little children, looked around
and found the old woman still in the
plt co. Then they began to put the
years together, and, summing up the
possibilities, thought the old woman's
age was worth inquiring into. At the
time of her death she had been in the
homo eleven years; before going to the
institution she had been seamstress
forty years; for thirty years before that
she had been housemaid, and for ten
wears before that she had been in tho
family of Hugh Maxwell as o nurse
girl The records Of church make
notice Of as one of the congregation.
as follows: "Ye girl seryante to 70
family ofHugh Maxwell aged thirteen
years Or thereabouts." This record, and
what is known of her afterwards, fixes
upon her lO4 years. She was certainly
not less than twelve yers old when she
became part Of Maxwell's household,
and in one year thereafter joined the
church as aforesaid. When people began
to make inquiries about her age her
recollection of her childhood was very
indistinct. She did not know when or
where she was born, and it seemed as if
she had been forgotten by Death, as she
had been by Time. A long time ago
when she was at least fifty years Of age
she gave her pastor at that time the
following account Of herself, which was
all she knew or could remember
don't know where was born. / have 4
most indistipct rccoectonlOf being tOld at tho
school attended that had come from England
in a sbip. but I know ! am French because
the language 10 native to me. My father was
a jeweler in Calcutta. do not remember ever
living with him. do remember his store. NY
recollection Of it is very elegant place, in which
there was no end OF Jewels ana goa anu .s si.yer
ornaments When ] came to visit my father
no would take things from his iron chests ana
decorate me with them. ! had 30 much
etelry was tho subject Of envy in tho school
attended at Chandernag0re, French possess,
ion on the GaDges, seventeen miles nortn OF
Calcutta remember my father as tall hand.
some man, with flowing beard and elegant
manner. He played on the planoioIte anu osher
musical instruments. 1t was the custom I" my
father to occasionally send for ne to come TO
him ut Calcutta. Usually he sent servant.
Sometimes n friend of his, who wOye epaulets
and suppose must have been an officer in the
army. came One day lady came in coach
and brought me to Calcutta. She TOOK me 10 a
strange house, and tho next day went Win
her and her husband on board OF snip. we
sailed long way and then we came to New
York. 7 don't know where they lived alter
thev came here, but it seems to me II was IN u
nice street ! was abused anu beaten, ana
then Miss Stevenson interested heTseii III my
behalf lived with her until her death mary
years ago. Then, as you know, was ssAh'
stress.
The Miss Stevenson referred to was a
wealthy young lady, at that time be-
trotbed to Hugh Maxwell, q rising young
lawyer. Miss Stevenson found the young
girl suffering from abuse and induced
Maxwell to inquire into the case. While
his Investigations were pending the
family with whom Annie lived fled from
the city-no one knew whittier, and no
one was lett to tell anything of the
girls previous history. When Maxwell
was married, Annie Potter was taken
into his family and grew to womanhood
and old age. She had some fine under
clothing, bearing her name stitched in,
which she preserved all her life. She
never married. She believed herself to
be entitled to a large fortune if it could
be found, and efforts were made to trace
her family in Calcutta. As she said she
wore great deal Of jewelry when a
school girl, some thought she was
kidnapped from Chandernagore for the
purpose of robbery. Others thought
that she may have been an obstacle IN
the way Of some one, and that her
abduction and shipping Oft to strange
land was to get her out of the way. A
missionary in Calcutta was COM
municated with. He could find out
nothing. A sea captain undertook to
Investigate the family history, and he
fonnd that French and English school
had existed in Chandernagore up to the
time the French lost possession IN 17C3.
No records of the sch COL could be found.
He discovered in some old commercial
correspondence in Calcutta that in 1855,
and for years before, jewclry had come
consigned to Henri Potter, but no other
trace of the name or the position of the
mau bearing it could he found. So the
link of connection could never he found
between the old woman and her child
life, and she died mystery.