THE MAN-WOMAN

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1920, Page 3

THE MAN-WOMAN

REMARKABLE CAREER, “MARRIED” TO ANOTHER WOMAN IN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY ~J uiy 10. The detectives are still focussing their attention upon what they have come !o term “the man-woman cate.” The publication m “The Daily Tele, graph” of a photograph showing Falleni and Detective-Sergeant Robson /caving the Central Police Court led to an interesting development. Falleni lived and worked at Double Bay for some I‘me? mid residents oi that district on seeing the photograph in the “Daily Telegraph" at once recognised her. Several people were questioned and admitted that it had been known for a considerable period that Falleni, dressed as a man, was actually .a woman. An elderly Italian woman resided with her husband in a cottage in Pelham street, Double Bay. They had known Falleni in New Zealand. Faileni and her daughter lived on the premises, where a laundry business was conducted; Falleni had been seen in woman’s attire in the early stages of her work there, but later the residents saw her driving the laundry cart while dressed as a man.

The daughter was called “Eenie”— short for Josephine—and was in' the habit of addressing her mother as “mother,” even when she was dressed as a mail. t

The husband"of the elderly woman went to Italy, and subsequently his wife died in the cottage in Pelham street, where Falleni, it is alleged, was known under the name of Crawford. Falleni and her daughter, certain residents of Double Bay state, worked in a. meat factory at Riverstone. On one occasion Fai|eni’s fingers were caught in a machine. An employee called out to Josephine, “Come quickly, your father has his fingers caught!” The daughter, referring to the accident subsequently stated to friends that she was afraid that hey mother would he recognised as u woman at the hospitij] should she be taken there. Her mother, however, bandaged her fingers herself.

FALLENI’,S HISTORY. The history of Eugene Falleni, the inan-woman, is now almost completely known to the police. Tracing her from Italy where she was born and married they know of her arrival in New Zealand with her husband. 'Hiere a daughter was born of the marriage. Aho.it 22 years ago the man-woman and her daughter came -to Australia. It is here that the husband fades out of the picture. Whether ho died previously, or is still alive in New Zealand or else where, is a. link in the chain which has yet to b© fitted in, .

The detectives now know most of halibut’s movements after riie put on male attire They say that she began working in hotels and boarding-houses as a general hand. About eight years ami she went to work for Dr OlarnC at Wahroonga. Annie Birkett was also employed, there. Birkett was a widow with one child, a young bov. The police story goes on to say the. >ho widow and the man-woman whom the widow thought to be a man became, attached to ope another. The widow left hqr employment and bought a small business qt Balmain. The ma.iwqman followed, and shortly afterwards thev were married. The Balmain bigness was carried on for about eight cv

nine months. . The business was. sold out , and Ann.e Birkett went into service with a doctor at Kogarah, The man-woman then employment at the National Meat Works in DvummoyneJ as a general hand. Lne pair changed their place of residence to The Avenue, Drumnioynfe. Falleni worked successively «t Peranaifs, the White Bay Meat Works, and Crawford’s Hotel, until aout Eight Hour Day, 1917. WH’AT THE POLICE WANT-

The police are particularly anxious to obtain information regarding one important phase of the story. J hey want to know and to get into touch with any person who saw the dead woman and the accused either at North Sydney or Drummoyne, or in the vicinity of either place, on September 29th*., 1917, or any approximate date*. The dead, woman, Annie Birketfc. whose maiden name was Bell, was born at Newcastle in 1876. .She mar rietf Harry Birkett, at St. John’s Church, Darlingliurst, in I§Q4 H" died .shortly afterwards, leaving onechild, tl'U hoy who is now practically the chief witness for the Crown.' The Inspector-General of Police, AH James Mitchell, has made application to the Minister- for Justice for permission to exhume the body of Annie Birkett.