AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 77, 24 September 1879, Page 2

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE

! The following particulars pf one of the most extraordinary affairs ;that has ever ( come under our notice are gleaned f rpin files'to hand: per s.'s. Wakatipu 5 -^'«_?he : Bolton and case-r-the disclosures m which, created, such gi-eat.and ; worldwide excitement some { years ago-r- was ; less ', remarkable, and- probably ,no greater or more ..successful piee.e of im- ' position^ has .ever bW&. recorded. Jt appears that the woman, who for the '-. last twenty yearsyhas passed as a man under the natn.e of Edward De Lacy Evans, has heen morried. to three differeni: women, and the secret of her dis-'gui-ed se^ has neyer, been even susipected, although she has during the J period mentioned worked coutiaupusly. as a mib.pr. Yfor many years she has. : been! folidyfiug this occupation m Sandhurst, as, -an. ordinary .wages .many breaking quartz, and doing hey work with the best oE the pjjher workmen at several of tlie mines here. She might possibly have earned on the fraud unsuspected to the end of her days, but for the fact- that a ' few weeksy ago she.' began to exhibit symptoms' of insanity, which igi-aduaUy became more pronounced, and eventually her "cbnditien became so. bad that she was sent to the luuacy ward bi the hospital. Some' fifteen month s ago the woman between whom and the supposed i* aii the form of ma,rna;?e has been gone, through gave birth to a child, an ;; , strange as the statement u.ndoiibte|'.y is, this woman passing as Evans's wife stoutly maintained that she nevi? 1 ; knew the secret of her presumed husband's sex. . It was op the 22nd July that Evans was admitted to the hospital as a lur natic. The hospital repord is . as f Pi-' lows :— 'V Edward De Lacy Evans, male, married^ n emitted 22ud July, native pf Kilkenny, Ireland; religion, Church' of England, dangerous to others, demented on the day of his admission,." The attendants, as usual, proceeded to givejiim a bathj but

Evan§ struggled violently, and -finally got away from his place, but was recaptured, and was brought back next" day. He remained m the hospital six; Tveeks, aud during that time a warder slept m his room every night, but the. secret was not discovered. There is some uncertainty as to the place of his birth, He says hb was"born at Paris* ' others say he-was a native Jersey, whilst, as shown above, the hospital record glvits Kilkenny as his birthplace. He spe*ys with an Irish accent. He has claimed to be a nephew of the lata. General Sir Charles (De Lacy Evans?) v -: Dr. Poland, resident-surgeon of the -, hospital, having examined F^vaus, states that she has herself had one or'mbie children. It is rpmoyed, ihat Evans, was married several years ago ln-Mel-bourne, but regarding this the _ : evidence is not complete.; One of the nurses, at present at the Beridigo' Hospital ' however, says- that; she can almost, ; positively identify Evans as. a fellowp assenger of hers, w[lio came;. pu.t t0. . , this colony m the ship Qcean Mb-, narch 20 years ago. The. . girh-rf pr >r ; this.interes'tiig eharac.ter- was then off girlish ■ appearance— went Yander tha name of £Ellen T:remaye. f ,A. singular^ feature of ; this story : is ::that^the : nursje ? m question states that tha girl had . with her on the ship a box bearing; the name :fof Edward De Lacy. TheC girl on the arrival of the vessel at Hobson's, Bay, went up country ,-.and the next the nurse heard of her was that she had sent for the boxy and had '. married a fello^v-passenger. The second marriage 'was Celebrated about, 18 years since, it is believed,; m, Sapdhursfc.,^ No record* of it has been found, ,; but 'the w'-te's name was Sarah Moore, who singularly enough had, - two' ; childre'2, both . pf whom died. .'She. breathed /.. a word about the imposition. This woman died . in' August,---1867, a'-dwas buried m the Eagle- H . hawk Csmeteryy " Thb third marriage that between Evans and the present wife, was • celebrated- on the 18th $ e Vy tember, 1868,- /by the,, Rev^ William^ Henderson, at the Presbyleriah Church.) . yiAt'l this time Evans put his age down: ' at 28 years, so that, accepting that- as: correct, he will now fee about 30 year*. \ bi -i age, and judgibg;f co.pii thisis about correct. 'He.is described as. & .miner, widower, mth. two children, native place, Paris. The witnesses thi s marriage were Ellen W Cormick ' and Duncan Urquhart, and the pertifi^' cate "Shows that th_ y bridegroom's jfa-" , ther| was, Edward Jphn,De Lacy Evans, v police Biagistrafce,, and his mother's A'' name Ann Dpra . Vaughan ; "jiVel sh : ; . The maiden name pf the present wifb ■ was Julia Marquand;:, She ; states that she was :/2a years, pf age; when. .the. mar riage ceremony was perfoi'med,and that she first became acquaiated with Evar_ through her* sister having beei^ a friend pf his former wife. He pro-* ■ posed marriaige to hery hut her pa- .. i rents* objected to the match. Evans, however, induced her to go to Ballarat.' with him,' and the mavriage took place fthere', as-already stated. For a fortnight after they were'married they ; lived separately—he at the place where he jwae Tvworking,. and she, atY'a^/hoteL" 1 Subsequently, they 1 lived^together. ' - : '.'; ' In appearance the man. personator.. "is feminine as,'. regards the formation , 'the features, but a- dcci- : „ "ded^ r masculine '* ej^pressibn, though |the % fa.cc is_ as clean, of hauras , thai> ofr.■an infant^' He mascu--lin'e.pronoun);is of rather shp»t stature A. regard'eili'aya' man, beinjg about 5 feet 4 inches] or & ; 'fee.t 5 inches m height. "His hairi since; his "confinement m they hospital, * has grpv^n ' aJinos|y to his; shoulders. Some. r 'time^ ipackhemet with ah accident ;in thejminein whwV he was workingi': by which 'he sustained a severe wound on the'i head. ' The docter who"attended never had the slight-y est . suspicion of his rsex.r: The same geiltiemah was '^fteriSards: called m, to attend him, whilst he was\4n a ;dan- ; ■■ gerous feverj and then, again, the imposition escaped detectibnyyMisSvMarquaudy the yoiing lady with whom tho last marriage was - celebir^tedy says that Evans represented vto her that ' he: had two children by a former Avife •lb Francia and that these had- hear, j'sbiaj to .'^vela&d,' - ;.' : - k '.-' ' Mrs. Holt, the nurse as the hospital, further, states that the Ocean 'Monarch, arrived m Hbbson's?Bay on; 22nd June; 185^4 the' passengers of Ythe.^ . ship; ; El len Tremay e was cdnsidere J to Ibe well cohnectedia Ireland, and it was.; generally; understood,', tli^t , heiv father, was a police magistrate m Dublin. As_ 'she wa^s a straiig;ertempefed girl, '; her " l.shipmates took uiore ijptice of hbr than 'they. would have otherwise done, and^ the theory amongst them-as:to the cause !of Ellen Tremayp's leaving Ireland for .-. ; Australia y^as; 'that she had run away to ! avoid the consequence of .some'family..'scaudai. Mfs lloltf is jPPsitiye that. Elle^L Tremaye had two .^e'i^.thfhejt," one marked with her own name audy anothei* with' the name of Edv?ai-d Dey i Lacy. Evans. Mrs A Hptt alip ; states^ that it; was, customai-y ou board .; tiler. itnmjiSrairt ship.'foivtlie females tOislocp^ mi pairs m tbe same bunk. Ellen' TreY, 1 m&y's first bedfellow died at Rio 3aI neiro; a port m South America, where 'tlie ship. ca.l)ed fbi stores and water as the voyage was a very 1 lengthy ofie.' - Her second bedfellow was. a quiet- girl, : nam -d Mary MQiitague^aiitt $6me daysj a'-.ter the ship landed her passeng-evs in* Melhouvne. Evans, came down- from the cpuutry dressed m men's eiptheS;. /and married this Mary M;on la^uey Mrs,- Holt is positive that be-^ •tween-' the 22nd oiiJune, 1857, and r , and 17th ot May, 1859, Mary Montaguo.. ' was. maivie.''to Evans, died ciuring^ that interval ar d was biu ied abouL the latter., , dale 'in the new ceinptry (as it was then. ' called) at North Melbourne. - 'Tlie' reason that Mrs," Holt isy so; positive and; vemeiubers the dafes so well afiec.such" a lapse of yeai-j, is that ou 17th of May. 1857 slie herself was married. Mr,. Holt, stetes that- a Mrs. Ludlow at present' lVS^Jihftat Dunblly, was a passenger Jn the ship Ocean Monach, ahd ; lene W. Ellen Tf^naye v?.e11. . Mrs. Toinpson, of Myers' Creek, Eagle Hawke, and wbo wm a passen-y ger by the ■ Oceau Moua^h^«.^sivep infoimation which clearly fixes the,' identity of Ryans with the girl Ellen Tremaye. Mrs. Thompson whose ' maiden^ name was Margaret Summers, left Mo-" akine. County' Jlilkeuny, m company" vritli an orphan xiame-d Mary Ann De-, lahiinty, who, she states, was possessed oB a sum of £900. She knew the familyy of the girl Delahunty, and •lales ■tbaifc latter was very religious, being inte^de^f

«

for a nun, but, through some freak decided to immigrate to Australia. The two girls arrived iv Dublin together and embarked m a large: immigrant ship called the Ocean Monarch, towards the latter part of the year 1856. The girl Ellen Tremaye also joined the ship at Dublin. From the first moment Ellen Tremaye came on board the ship she •was peculiar maU she did. . She used tqvf ear men's shirts and drawers,, over which she wore petticoats and a woman's dress. Strange rumors were afloat among the passengers of the ship regarding he.*, as it was cm Gently reported that she was a man m disguise. For the first pat t of the Voyage, which was a very long one, lasting over nine months, Ellen Tremaye slept m the same blink with a girl named Hose Kelly, who was taken seriously ill when the ship had travelled about half way. Mrs. Thompson cannot remember what became of this girlybut is certain that ■he lei. the st'p at seme port at which it touched on the voyage out, so that the similarity between this portion of stoiy and that of Mrs. Holt is clear. For the remainder of the* voyage Ellen Tremaye and Mary Ann . Delahunty became good friends, and used to sleep m the same blink together.. . Mrs. Thompson rejnerabers hearing Ellen Tremaye say that when she arrived m Melbourne she would mawy -Mary Anu Delahunty.. It is .eyident from this that the woman must have been mad upon the subject of her sex- from the time she left Ireland, Jdrs. Thompson after she left the ship was almost immediately, drafted frpm, the immigration depot to '%' situation up country, and lost sight pf Ellen. Tremaye for gome years. The next. that shpknows of this strange' case is that som,e years after she was serving milk to, a Mrs. Forest, at Peg Leg' Gully, and ' thin _y[rs. Forest recommended a neighbor as a f .'esh customer. Mrs. Tompson went to the ftdusetp". whsslv she was directed, and the person opened the dcrr was theiidejntical Ellen Tremaye who had bpeft her.: feHow^passenju the ship Ocean Monarch,. Th^e wot man was then dressed m, nxen'fl.chjihesi was married, aad wasj^oing un^er.thc pame of Edward de Lacy Evans. ' .y'y. The following conversation, t^ien, en-, sued: — Evans: I know you. Mra. T. : And I know you. Evans: What ship did you come m t Mrs. T.: The Ocean Monarch; don't you remember the Ocean Rocker? (A pickname given the ship.) Evans: Yes.. Mrs. T. : Wasn't El Jen the deuce P. Evans; 'Oh t . : '.'itV;a^b^/'l_.ingy.that she's gone home, to the old country. Mrs. T.: Where.it Mis* Delahunty P Evans: Oh, my'dea,v lady wife and hoy died of consumption, and were puiied in Melbourne. ;- : ' ' / ' ■- "" Mrs. T. : Where did her money go to P Evans : She sent it home to the nun- -.■■■'' -"■ ,' : * Mrs. T. : Is th_t true ? Ev^ns: Yes, quite tt us. Du.viug the conversation Evan's wife Tjras a^ the % rear of the building cleansing a vt §.s,_l fo receive the milk j':i. . Evans Ihen carpebuteide the door and caught hold of 3£rjs. Tbompsaj, say' ig man imploring manner, '^For your life don't mention my, name.; call me Mr. De liacyEvans^ T"shen Mrs, Thompson asked, what "he. mea^t r by that, Evans ; repl'ed, "'<My missus is from the North pf I /eland, ana 1 is death, on Bora an Cathpl'cs; an_U? shp^heara you caßrae _C-'e_uaye she'll be angry."" From the or this conversation- tl)l she heard pf the strange disclosures 'which have been made during the last; djyr or. two, Sirs.. Thompson never saw, or heard- of Evans, but is positive t-ta^t _3viiu^ and' Ellen . Tremaye are identical. v _frs. ! Thompson seems. to have bpen laboring under the idea that the rumors about Ellen Tremqyp being a man were true, and. therefore, did nqt take any steps tef expose Evans. A AAA .'"V:..-"* Mis. Hill, pf Grpldon-jquare, Sand_p>"st, states that she kuew the : person tfy the name of Evans as far. back as seventeen years ago. Mrs! Hill has berV ■elf been m this colony about forty-three 7 years. In 1861, when the railway to Sandhurst was first opened, the H?l!g. were acquainted with Evans, who was m the habit of coming ( to,' tljeir,. house. Mjsl"H#l is very vehement m her de-. S'unciation of the imppster, whpmy she escribes as an arrant swindler.' 'Mrs. Evans w^s acquainted with a Mrs; M'Ey.oy, syicp dead, whose knowledge of Evans' throws some light pn the previous career of-' the impostor before his coming out to Australia. Mrs.' M-'Evoy once, m Mrs. Hill's presence, addressed Evans as Ellen, saying; "Hallo, Nellie " Mrs; M'Evoy's. explanation; of this incomprehensible mode of add res to Mrs. Hi'l then disclosed the fact thjit E.vsns. was a female.* Mrs. M'Evoy stated that sha had been acquainted:' v^ithJHjvaiis. \n 1 Ireland before hisj emigration tp the colonies. , Evan's rVmai'den haine was Ellen Lacy, and she became acqua^inteii, with a sailor;nj._ied r T_emaye/^_ipin die married: By' him. she; had two 1 children, which wjl l account for the ap; pearances described -by. the medical authorities, who! hay* »ince' examined Evans at the hospital. Mr,, and. Mrs. Tvemaye then left for Quebec, at winch | place they s'to'ppe&fpry some short time. The next Mrs. M'Eyoy heard of Mrs. Tremaye was 0£ her s retura ; tp Cork with the two children^ huj; minus the' husband. The children she left m. the hands of their grandfather anil grandmother, undea whose care they were at the time Mrs. WEvpy. left Ireland f hortly after Evaiis had departed himself. Tbis brief narrative 'certainly throws a slighjfc shadi of 5 light on the female career of- J_Vans, and acpouute for the retention by him .of "the maiden name of Lacy m connection with the name he went under wjb.en practising the reroavkabjy successful deception, m tlie Colony. Mrs. M'Evoy stated that on arriving ip tbiscolbny EJlen^ Xrpihaye adopted the name of Do Lacy Evans, and married ash : pmate ou the voyage. So far this. s%y agree\ with that alveady published, with repaid to Evans' first v mar. We wi^h Miss Delahiirrfcy, ljut Mrs. WEvoy farther., stated, that Ibis first wife shortly after 'left 'Evans, and prcMseeded B I^ack wood,' at irbicli" place she. roar (< led, a 'i^uig- ahrveypr,'' ?ud sent the intimation t» Evjus'that h£ 3?eed not take any trouble with'refprence' to hey, as she was perfectly cotnfovtable, and iv good circuiustances, The woman, I Mrs. M'Evoy, ..whose ; knowledgp of Evans' career would seemingly throw iQve® light on the affair^ died apyeral

years ago of apoplexy, although at the time it was reported that she was murdered by her husband, who was strongly ; addicted to drink.