The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-05
PECULIAR HALLUCINATIoN.
Woman Thinks Her Present Existence Is
"A Counterfeit.

Counterfeit.
Mrs. Agnes ]. Potter, the wife of
Samuel L. Potter. says that she viii
not consult the spirits nor will she
hereafter contract for $4,000 homes or
pawn her laces or Jewels. or create any
more scandal in the family. She has
agreed to behave and get the idea out
of her head that she is dead. She had
the divorce case which she commenced
a few days ago dismissed yesterday
and discharged her attorney. The lat
ter tried to compromise the case just
as soon as he brought it. =. +. Benson
had the unhappy woman in hand. and
he took $25 to call everything square,
so far as hel was concerned.
Mrs. Potter told her rich husband
that she would not ask him to divide
bis $25OOO0 with her. She wants every
thing to go along in a harmonious man.
ner and all she demands is $21O month
TO run the home. This money is to be
given her and the application to have
her declared an incompetent is to be
dismissed next Monday, when II Is
called up for hearing. The couple are
now living in the old home of supreme
Justice Henshaw on the East Oakland
Heights. Mr. Potter bought the place
from Judge Henshaw some time ago.
He had an offer to sell ii for $24.OOo,
when it was found that his wife had
placed a homestead on the property.
The case of Mrs. Potter is a very pc
culiar one, and is puZzling some OF the
physicians. Some time ago she was
taken ill, and IL was many months be-
fore she was able to move around.
Up to that time she had lived very
happy life with her husband. They
had been married nearly 40 years, ana
had made the fortune together. After
the sickness Mrs. Potter was changed
woman. She believes that during her
sickness she died, and that her spirit
entered another body. Now she goes
around believing that the real Mrs.
Potter is dead and that she is only a
counterfeit. Under these conditions,
she declines to live with her rich hus-
band, although she consents to remain
in the same house. Mrs. Potter. when
spoken to, appears to talk in a very in
telligent manner. Her weak point,
however, is on the subject of her
death. The case is an exceedingly pc
culiar one, and no treatment to which
the physicians have submitted her
seems to relieve the woman of the
strange impression that has cast such
a cloud on her life. She can be per-
suaded in all other matters, but no
one can make her believe that Mrs.
Potter is not dead and that she is not
somebody else. The capitalist is will
ing to give up half his fortune to have
IL
of health. 1t seems. however, that the
physicians can do nothing for her. and
she must live on in her own estimation
as somebody else. The lady will rule
the mansion and this will be her last
chance. If she contracts any big bills
or does anything very peculiar, the
battle for a guardian will be re-
newed.
Mrs. Potter is very glad the whole
thing is settled. She is sane enough
to know that a family scandal in court
is to be regretted. The other day she
ordered a $4,000 home just for the
pleasure of seeing it built. Her hus-
| band refused to give her money, and
she pawned laces worth hundreds of
dollars for SIS. She announced that
she was going to start kindergarten
| i'm one of her fine houses. She ordered
| $500 worth of bric-a-brac from Shreve's
| for the place. and also contracted for
several hundred dollars worth OF
stained glass Mr.. Potter had to keeT
| busy for days in order to call off the
| contracts. According to the compro-
mise made yesterday, everything will
| be harmonious for the future in the
| Potter home.-San Francisco Chron'
| ipIn