New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-10-23
SUING FOR HER HUSBAND.
Woman LazOyer Counsel in Case in
Which She Was Prime Moper.

The Supreme Court IN this city witnessed q
Few days ago the possibly unique incident OF a
woman lawyer acting as counsel for her hus-
band. and the fact was generally commented
upon By the legal profession. The lawyer was
Mrs. Florence ID. Potter and she appeared in a
suit brought by her husband, Alexander Potter,
and William b. Tuteur against Clinton L. Ros-
sitter They asked an accounting under an
agreement made in 1891 assigning certain water
power concessions in Mexico.
Few. IL any. OF the people about the court
ROOM except the principals. knew that Mrs. Pot
teT's connection with the case went back further
than her being retained as counsel Il seems
that it was entirely due TO her energy and bust
ness foresight that the concessions in dispute
were secured from the Mexican government in
the first place.
Mrs. Potter is a graduate Of Cornell Univer-
sity. and after her marriage with Mr.. Potter.
Who is an engineer. she decided to continue her
law studies.
You have your profession" she said to Mr..
Potter. Why can not have mine? Certainly
our interests will never conflict"
There was no answer TO her question and she
went to work on Blackstone and the codes. She
was admitted to practice and has since appeared
IN a number of cases She was right in her
prediction that the professions would not con-
flict The present legal case shows how the
one has been able TO help the other
A few years ago Mrs. Potter went 20 Mexico
TO recover from a serious illness. She eventually
found herself at Toluca. the capital of the State
Of Mexico, where she spent n month. She had
been there only short time when she learned
OF a series Of waterfalls some twenty miles
south OF the capital At the same time she
heard the business men of Toluca, of the
rapidly growing Mexican cities, complaining
about the cost Of light and power owing TO the
shortage Of wood and the great cost OF coal The
idea Of utilizing the falls came to her at once.
Il would like to visit those falls of which you
speak," she said TO Governor Villada- How
can get to them?'
Il don't believe you get to them" the
Governor replied. 1T is a twenty mile ride
over the toughest sort Of country Mexican
woman might do it. but l don't think you can"
Il am strong now and won't mind the hard
ship" Mrs. Potter returned What a Mexican
woman can do. I can
Her energy and assurance pleased the Gov
ernor and he readily furnished escort OF
rurales. as the Mexican mounted police are
called. The trip was attended with some hard
ship. but Mrs. Potter never faltered- She ex-
amined the chain OF falls and inquired into the
sources from which they drew their water
They told her the hoW was never-ceasing be-
cause of wonderful springs from which the
water dubbed even In the dryest seasons.
on her return she went TO the Governor and
asked for an option the water right Of those
falls He named a satisfactory figure and the
papers were drawn up. Then Mrs. Potter hur-
ried back TO New-York for the hardest part OF
her task-convincing her husband that she had
not purchased gold brick She succeeded