New-York tribune., 1922-02-23
]. e. Potter
Dies: + all,cr Of
Mrs. Sgillae,aa,
Nlnancier Who Bnrc Weight
of Two Family Tragedies
With Wife and Daugh-
ter Succunlbs Suddenly
Failed as "a II cificr
Slage Aspirations Of Mrs.
Potter Wrecked Domestic
Life in i'irss MARRIAGE
NNcrInI Nl.nnlnh ~ ~ Y,Lhll.

RICHMOND, VaY Feb. % James
Brown Potter, of Acw York, who mar
llcd Mi May Handy, famous Rich
ond beauty, was found dead in bed
this morning in tho homo of Colonel W.
Frank Powers, in West Hampton. Colo
mol Powers made the discovery when nc
went to Mr. Pottcr's room 10 arouse
him for breakfast Coroner Bright of
ilcnrico County, pronounced death due
&c heart disease
Mr.. Potter came down from New York
yesterday to spend the night with Colo
ncls Powers and his family. and aad
planned to return home to-day lie vas
not feeling we'll ard hoped thc "trip
would benefit him. His body was FOR
Wardod to New Yor> tonight. accom-
panied by Colonel Powers Arrange
mcnts for the funeral worc deferrcd
pending cable adViccs from Mrs Pot
ter, who has been several months in
Paris Mrs. Potter was advised Of her
husbands death to-day by cable.
Tho son of Howard Potter, mem
bcr cf the banking house Of Brown
! Brothers; rcpheW OF Henry Goldman
Potter, Bishop Of New York, Clarlson
y. Potter, iurist and member Of Con
grcss Eiiphalet Mott Potter, president
OF Union College; Robert b Potter.
Major General in tho Civil War, and
Edward Tuckerman Potter, architect:
grandson Of Bishop Alonzo Potter al
PcnNsN sNlVania; grsndnophew Of Bis hon
lioratio Potter Of Now York, and creat
grandson of tliphalot Nott, tho famous
president of Union College, James
Brown Potter, was member Of ono Of
nc most distinguished families Of
America
Born in New York City
He was born at Washington Heights.
Was educated al Union College. with
which two of his kingmcn bad been
closely associated. After his gradua
tion in 1878 he entered his fathers
banking house, and in time became in
tcrested also in various other financial
and commercial undertakings in this
country Mexico and Gvcat Britain.
re was president of the Glove Branch
Kallroad Company. Of tho Manchester
Land Company and Of the Tiahualilo
Agricultural Company of Mexico. trus-
it, tee Of the Mexican Cotton Estates Of
lahualllo FIRST mortgage bonds. di-
rector OF the Tlahualilo COMPANY Of
London, Of the London and New York
Investment Corporation and OF the
Missouri. Kansas & Tcxas Railroad
Company, trustee OF the English and
American Mortgage and Investment
company and member Of the Cham
Der of Commerce Of tho State Of Noy
York. He was also member Of the
National Academy Of Design the Met
ropolltan Museum Of Art and the New
York Yacht Club.
My. Potter was first married in 1877
TO MISS Cora rquhart, daughter Of
Colonel David Urquhart. of New Or
leans, whom he had met for the frst
time few months before while on
visit to that city. Miss urquhart was
esteemed to be one Of the most beau
tlful young women Of New Orleans
society and the marriage was regarded
on both sides as purely a love match.
On coming to New York Young Mrs.
Potter was cordially received and
quickly became a social favorite. She
had passionate fondness and some
little talent for amateur theatricals,
and frequently took part in entertain
ments for charitable purposes Her IN
clination toward such performances
finally led her to desire to seek a
place on the professional stage. To
this her husband was kindly but most
ipfexibly opposed
A crisis occurred in their domestic
relations in 1885. Early in that wear
Mrs. Potter was a guest at a fash
ionaDlc gathering at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. William c. Whitney in Wash (
ington, Mr. Whitney then being Sec
retaly OF the Navy. Invited to en-
terrain her fellow guests with a reel /
tation, she startled the company bv
giving an emotional rendering Of a
melodramatic poem entitled "Ostler :
j oe'
Shortly aftcrward Mrs. Potter with
her only child. Anne. then seven years
old, went to Europe, and presently il
for the professional stage and that T
she and her husband would perma~
nently remain apart. She wrote to Mr..
Potter that she cared more for her
art" than for husband or daughter.
that she wanted to be citizen of the
world" and that with or without his !
consent she was going on the stage,
whore she would do nothing to be
ashamed Of
Divorced Wife for Dcsertion
Mr. Potter wrote a strong remon-
STRANGE, warning her chat persistence
breach between them. to which she re
piled that her mind was fully made
up and could not be changed "Wc
are she said. mot in the Dark Ages"
She made her first appearance in Lon
don at the Haymarket in 1887, in
dramatization Of Wilkie Collins's pow
erful novel "Man and Wife and at
tracted some attention because OF her
domestic relations and the circum-
stances of her entry upon the stage
Thereafter she WAS associated pro-
fessionally for some years with the
actor Kyrlc Bellew, with whom she
made a tour around the world and
played MANY times in Now York.
Stillman Scandal Cut Deeply
Mr.. Potter was deeply grieved but
dignihed reserve before
the public. scrupulously avoiding any
thing that would appear like refiec-
tion upon his wife. But in 1899 he
established legal residence in Rhode
Island, where he end other members
Of his family had lived much, and in
June 1900. obtained an uncontested
decree OF absolute divorce from his
wife on the ground of "descrtion. liv-
ing apart four or five years" Evi
lence was given wholly in the form Of
written depositions, and there was OF
curse no reflection upon the character
or department Of Mrs. Potter. The
laughter Miss Anne Urquhart Potter,
commonly called "Fifi,' the pet name
given to her By French nurse, made
lcr home with the father.
Mr.. Potter's second marriage took
1ace at Richmond, Va, in September,