MASQUERADING AS A MAN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 62, 6 November 1912, Page 5

MASQUERADING AS A MAN.

A TRAGIC CULMINATION

(Por Press Association.) Dunedin, November 5.

An amazing story of a young woman’s strange masquerading was brought to a tragic culmination in )a lodging house in Albert Street early tide morning, when an unfortunate girl who had been masquerading as a man was found unconscious in her roopi, with a female baby dead beside her. Ever since her arrival in Dunedin at the end of January the deceased had been known as Thomas Parkes, and since February 3rd had been employed as a male assistant in Mr H. H. Driver’s book-shop in George St. Since her arrival here she occupied a room as a male boarder at Mrs Pledgor’s boardinghouse in Albert Street. Of late she had complained of feeling unwell, especially during the last few days. On .Monday evening she arrived home at her lodgings about 7.30 p.m-.j considerably in. advance of her customary time. “He” again asserted that - “he” felt unwell, and the landlady remarked that “he” had bettor go to hod, and that she would bring “him” a cup of tea in the morning. The deceased shortly afterwards retired to her room, locking the door, while the landlady and two other boarders also retired. Mrs Pledger states that she heard “Parkes” groaning during the early part of the night, and about 11.30 p.m. she heard a noise that led her assume that “he” had fallen out of bed, but she did not make investigations. At twenty minutes to five in the mnoriug Dr. Newlands also heard groaning, but took no action until some forty minutes later, when he entered the bedroom by means of a ladder. “Parkes” was found lying on the floor unconscious, with the bedclothes thrown about “him.” On raising the bedclothes Dr. Newlands found that the supposed, man was a woman, and that she had recently given birth to a female child, which was lying beside her dead and wrapped in an old overcoat. Dr. Fleming found the woman in a dangerous state of collapse, and she was speedily conveyed to the hospital. She never rallied. She showed signs of consciousness, but gradually sank and died at .five minutes past three.

The woman’s real name is Annie Read, and she is twenty years of age. She went to school at Dubho, New South Wales, and the next trace of her was on October 6th, 1911, in Ararat (Victoria), when she met with an accident while masquerading as a man. Her sex was then discovered. She was then going under the name of Thomas Ralph. About two months later she came to Invercargill, going under the name of Thomas Russell, and after staying there for about a month came to Dunedin to enter H. H. Driver’s bookshop as Thomas Parkes.