EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1807, 25 October 1888, Page 1

EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

Melbourne, October 2. On Saturday night at the Exhibition Detective Sexton arrested a man named Gordon Lawrence, who states that ho is twenty*one years of age, and an actor by profession, on a charge of insulting behaviour. Lawrence was dressed in a woman s clothes, and was most admirably made up. In company with a woman named Mrs Broughton, who resides at 274 George street, Fitzroy, he was conducting himself in a somewhat peculiar manner in the Avenue of Nations about nine o’clock. Detective Sexton was so much with (he extraordinary resemblance between this soi-disant woman and Lawrence, whom he had detained a few days previously on suspicion of being concerned in a robbery of a diamond ring at Sydney, but found he was not the man wanted, that he went up to him to obtain a closer view. Lawrence had by this time attracted a number of men around him, and they were jostling him about. This rough play disturbed the fair wig which ho wore, and disclosed a portion of hia close-chopped, natural black hair. This convinced the detective that it was really Lawrence impersonating a woman, and he arrested him. The story spread rapidly, and such was the curiosity of the crowd to see the in dividual that it was with the greatest difficulty that Lawrence was taken to the police office in the building. There it was found that the detective's surm’se was correct, Lawrence was dressed in a red skirt with a blue and white body. His bat was of a fashionable shape, aud was entirely trimmed with rod. A fan and sunshade, coquettishly carried, completed hia outfit. His ch eks and

ips were painted, and his eyebrows neatly pencilled. His flight figure, sm'aT feet and hands, and feminine voice completed ttie illusion, and, with jhis fair, curly wig carefully fixed oop it was difficult to believe he was a man. The crowd that had assembled outside the police office was so great that it i was impossible to get through with Lawrence, in order that he might be taken to ! the ci'y watchhouse, and for a lime the place remained in an actual stage of siege. At last a rumor was spread that Lawrence had been taken out the back way, and the crowd at once rushed in that direction, nod Lawrence was then transferred to the city lock-up. He is known to h-iva arrived from Sydney about six weeks ago. He was presented before the City Couit yesterday on charges of insulting.behavior and vagrancy. The public excitement ran high, ond from before ten o’clock until fairly late in the afternoon' the entrance to the police station in Little Collins street was blocked by a crowd of spectators, Who gazed anxiously at the empty prison van in the vain hope (hd the prisoner might at any time alight from it. The Court was crowded, and the poTce h&d the greatest possible difficully in keeping the avenues, and even the reporters’ box, dhar from intrusion, Finally, after the usual list ojf police charges had been completed, thejease was c-11 ad on, and the prisoner was placed at .the bar. His appearance caused a decided sensation. Dressed in a red skirt and a close-fitting jacket of blue, striped with white, the outlines of his figure wonderfully resembled that of a woman; and the deception was sli 1 further increased by a flaxen wig, surmounted by a jaunty hat. The costume was a trifle loud, but even in the nervousness of the moment! the prisoner displayed no awkwardness in Lis woman’s garments, which indeed he wore with the unconscious ease of a person long accustomed to their use. As he leant easily upon the bar, his eyes modestly downcast, and one silk gauntletted hand fingering with the imitation diamond cross, which rose and fell perceptibly, at his breast, there was nothing whatever to betray his sex. In every look, iu every motion, in every Hoe of his figure, he was a woman. The momentary mistake of the presiding magistrate in asking what she was charged with was an unconscious testimony to the exceiliooo of the impersonation, and when a moment later the prisoner uttered a brief den hi of the charge in a voice that, despite all iis affectation, was yet a woman’s, a thrill ran through the Court. It was evident that here was something more than mere acting, and that the pourtrayal was wonderfn"y assisted by nature. The evidence showed a long career of crime on the part of accused, who was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. And now came another proof of Lawrence’* histrionic powers. The sentence had scarcely boon pronounced, when he threw up his arms, uttered a wild shriek, and fell headlong to the ground. Two stout policemen fished him out from behind the rail and carried him, rigid and senseless, into the outer carridor. Then he quietly slid to the ground, leant against the wall, and winked at the constables. A few minutes later he had divested himself of hia borrowed plumage and stood revealed as a sallow-faced and anpleasaßt-looking ysung man of rather vulgar type. His woman’s clothing was taken to the police-station, where a portion of it was identified by Dr Henry, of Brunswick, as having been stolen from him a fortnight before, while the prisoner was employed by him as boots. It is probable that prisoner will be again presented before the Court on a charge of larceny.

The Wairarapa Star surmises that the young man Lawrence, who was recently arrested at the Melbourne Exhibition in female attire under sensational circumstances, is identical with a young fellow of the same name, who a few years ago created a slight sensation in the Wairarapa by the performance of a number of curious vagaries. Before leaving Masterton he played a prominent part in several religious denominations, presented to his friends a number of valuable gifts which had subsequently to be given up as they were never paid for, and finally feigned paralysis, got a solicitor to prepare his last will and testament, and then predicted his death on the day that he levanted. The Star adds: “Besides the escapades in which he took a part in the Wairarapa, he furnished readers with, some very humorous adventures of a new chum in Victoria, which, we have good reason for believing, was a portion of his autobiography,”