IMMORALITY OF A WHAT IS IT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 24, 8 July 1871, Page 15

IMMORALITY OF A WHAT IS IT.

[Prom the St. Louis Times.] About two months ago there were recounted in the " Times" some facts in the career of a wily widow living in hired apartments at 517 Pine street, where she roped in youths of simple minds through crafty confidence operations. Some time last fall a well dressed young man appeared at one of the real estate offices and engaged the rooms for " his sister," giving references for respectability which could not be doubted. The rooms were taken, handsomely fitted up, and Miss or Mrs P. Berthold, Staunton, Phelan, Annie Fielding, and so en to the end of the chapter, took possession of them, and soon became known to the police authorities as keeping an assignation house. She possessed agreeable and attractive manners, was highly educated, and it is said, by those who oughtn't to have visited her, that she was a brilliant conversationalist. More than this, she was a singer and player of extraordinary merit. For a time all went swimmingly, with plenty of victims, and all the money she wanted. On the third of February the tide began to ebb. The gushing Fielding was brought before the Police Court on the charge of keeping an assignation house, and a fine of one hundred dollars imposed, with a stay of execution for eight days. Still continuing in " ways that are dark," she was apprehended the second time, but gave such apparently genuine indications of penitence and promises of amendment that another stay of execution was granted during good behavior. After this she suddenly vanished. The sequel shows that a young man, well dressed, and professing to be a travelling agent, appeared at a house on the north side of Locust-street, between Sixth and Seventh-streets, desiring to engage rooms for his sister, who, it was affirmed, gave music lessons. After due negotiations, he succeeded in effecting a lease of four rooms, and proceeded to put down the carpets and move in the furniture. When all was ready, the brother left and the sister came and took possession. Occasionally the brother was seen, but it was finally observed that the two never appeared together. For a long time the officer on the beat believed devoutedly in the existence of two distinct persons. Meeting the brother on the street one day the officer told him to clean out the yard. * Then seeing the sister the next day he repeated the request and she replied that her' brother' had told her about it, and that it should be done. The fact that the two were never seen together led to an investigation, and it was found that the brother and. sister were one and the same person. The work of reform was again attempted, and the women had several forced interviews with the authorities. Her establishment on Locust street, in a respectable neighborhood, was broken up and she disappeared from notice, it only being known that she was living on Fourth street, near Elm. About a month ago she moved to a house on Seventh street, and no further attention was paid to her. A few days ago there came to the

police a complaint that somebody was "sponging" dinners at the Southern Hotel. The case was looked into, and Miss Annie Fielding was brought to the station in male attire, giving the name of Francis Martyn. Then came a pitiful story of how her establishment on Pine street had been broken up by the reputation given her by the police, and by reason of the article which had appeared in the " Times." Afraid to go out and obtain a situation as a clerk, she donned pantaloons and visited the Southern Hotel. For two or three meals she tendered payment, and then began to " travel on her shape." until the game was stopped by the police. Finding sympathy and an inclination to render advice at the station house, she finally asked what she should do if brought info court, and announced that she was so constituted as to wear with propriety either male or female att:re. Such, upon proper medical investigation, proved to be the case. He, she, or it, as the reader pleases, states that up to sixteen years of age she was treated as a girl by her mother, and wore dresses. At that age she left home, and periodically donned male attire, but of this epoch in her life she is very reticent. She is about five feet eight inches in height, having square shoulders and a well developed form. Her features are regular, and by no means disagreeable. She has dark brown hair, and a liigh and rather intellectual forehead. A beard caused her some trouble, and obliges her to shave daily and powder to conceal the " stubble."

The case has caused a good deal of talk in police circles, and the conversation about the station houses has beon decidedly • hermaphroditic' for some days. A charge of vagrancy was entered against Francis Martyn, alias Annie Fielding, and the case was to have boen tried on Tuesday, but was staved off. It is very probable that the matter will be privately arranged and that Miss Francis Martyn will take himself off to some other large city where she will be able to support itself by the exercise of his really extraordinary musical attainments. The reader will notice that it is difficult to construct a sentence descriptive of such a person graphically, and at the same time correctlv.