THE MAN-WOMAN.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1920, Page 11

THE MAN-WOMAN.

CHARGED WITH MURDER. A REMARKABLE STORY. Sydney, August 17. Few cases have arousal such general public interest as that of Eugene Falleni—known as the man-woman—who is •charged .with' the murder of Annie Birkett. Yesterday the Central Court was crowded to hear the evidence tcntered in support of the charge. Falleni, looking more effeminate than on any previous occasion, sat with legs crossed, dressed as a man, and listened with drawn countenance and steady attention to the story told against her. Each time her advocate, Mr. Maddocks Cohen, walked across to the railings of the dock to consult her those in, the front positions of the galleries almost fell into the court itself in their endeavors to catch a glimpse of the man-woman. Eugene Falleni (45), was charged with feloniously and maliciously murdering Annie Birkett, or Crawford, at Sydney, on October 1, 1917. FINDING THE BODY. Constable .Tohn Henry Walsh, from North Sydney, said that in consequence of a telephone message on October 2, 1017, ho went with Inspector Maze to the Cumberland Paper Mills, at Line Cove. He hada conversation with a lad named Howard, and the lad accompanied them to a spot in the bush. This spot was about 40 yards from the paper mills, and about 100 yards from Mowbray Road. The country was very rought and precipitous. There 1 witness saw the dead body of a female lying on her back, facing the east. 1 The body was badly burnt from the knees to the head. All articles of clothing were burnt from the body. Beside the body, said witness, were found the remains of a quart flagon with the name "Roberts" blown in the glass, and an enamel mug and a glass. He also found a small kidney-shaped greenstone. ' THE DECEASED'S SISTER. Mrs. Lily Nugent, of Stewart Street, Blakehurst, iiear Kogarah, said that she was a sister of the deceased, Annie Birkett. She was present at the marriage ceremony between her dead sister and the accused Falleni, at Bahrain. She last saw the dead woman about June or July in 1917. A gold chain and greenstone pendant produced she bad seen her sister wearing. Other jewellery shown witness she also identified as the property of her sister, Annie Birkett. Her sister was working at Dr. Clarke's, at Wahroonga, for about six years. Her son Harry, then a little boy, was staying there with her. MAN-WOMAN'S SEX. Harry Bell Birkett, an intelligent young man, said that he was a tailor's apprentice. He had no recollection of his father, who had died when witness was about three years of age. About 1914 his mother left Dr. Clarke's, where he and she had been for about six years. About 1912 he first saw the accused. He was employed by Dr. Clarke as a useful. After we left there the accused persisted in worrying my mother so much that she practically had to marry Mm," continued the lad, "While they were, at Balmain there were always rows, and they were not happy. My mother used j to drink a glass of ale brought in by Falleni. I never saw my mother under the influence of any drink. After leaving Balmain my mother and I lived at Kogarah. Falleni often came there. My mother did not want Falleni coming about there. He used to worry my mother, and wanted to straighten things, up. At Austral Street, Kogarah, Falleni came and lived with us. Again there were rows,' and one big one I remember. The accused this time smashed many a thing up. Falleni got a job at Perdriau's, at Drummoyne, and we went to live at "The Avenue," Drummoyne, On the Saturday preceding Eight-Hour Day, 1917, I went away with the wife of my employer to Collaroy Beach, and returned on the following Monday night." Falleni stated that his i mother had gone away with to North Sydney. Witness described how Falleni subsequently behaved very strangely; went out with a new shovel and dug a hole about four feet square and about three feet deep in scrubby ground. EVIDENCE'OF IDENTITY. Mrs. Eliel Irene Carroll, , living at Longueville, said that on the Friday preceding Eight-Hour Day, 1917, about three o'clock in the afternoon, she saw a man sitting on a rock with his head buried in "his hands looking across the moat near the paper mills. He appeared to be excited. He seemed nervous, and he jumped and looked up when she came up to him. He was looking across to the spot where Annie Birkett's body ■was afterwards fomid. At the Central Police Station she identified that man from among twenty men. The man in the dock was tiie man vshe saw. At Longueville there was no one else with that person. The accused was committed for trial.