MASQUERADED as Man for 14 Years

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 57, 23 March 1937, Page 5

MASQUERADED as Man for 14 Years

-PtAW Assn. — Copyrisht.)

• > 1 1 - WOMAN'S QUEER LIFE Married And Posed As a Baronet OLD-BAILEY CONVICTION

(Bjr T«licra,nh-

(Eeeeiv6& 23, 1.5 p.m.) LONDON, Mareli 22. An amaaiiig' story of a woman's male masquerade since 1923 was described in the Marlborough Street Court when Valerie ArLellSmith, aged 42, was ftned £1 for the theft 6f £5 from Tier woman employer while she, without be* ing detected, acted as "man servant." The evidence showed tliat Mrs. Arkell-Smith eofved as a V.A.D. dtiring war-time, after which she married an Auatralian, Lieutenant Arkell-Smith, btit they separated after six months. She lived later with an Australian sol* dier, Erae&t Ctouch. There were two children by this inatch. After- parting from Orohch, she began the masquerade. She *' married '* a woman. the same year and after tl.at posed as a baronet and obtained various responeible positioas. She left her *fwifeM In 1926 and engaged ra various male employments until her conviction at the Old Bailey in 1929 on a ehurge of false st&tenient in a marriage registry revealed her masquerade* . . After that she resumed male attire and lived with several women as "man and wife." Sinally, representing hef* aeif as a widower, she seeured- a position as Man sefvant which. led to the present charge. The solicitor for the defence said she had re&sofi for we&fittg male attire, which at present he was not desirous of disclosing.