FREAK OF A COLONIAL GIRL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1883, 25 April 1889, Page 4

FREAK OF A COLONIAL GIRL.

On March 6tb, at the Marlborough street Police Court, Harriet Muir, twenty eight, described as an actress, staying at Anderton's Hotel, Fleet street, was charged with disorderly behavior by appearing in male attire in Hemming's row. Mr Arthur Newton, solicitor, appeared on the prisoner's behalf. The woman, as she stood in the dock, with her hair cut short and dressed in a black jacket, dark trousers, and a white silk neck cloth, would pass as a very respectable looking young man. When she walked, however, her gait was fatal to her disguise. Sergeant- M ajor Kalman said that the prisoner presented herself on Tuesday afternoon at St. George's Barracks for enlistment. She was asked the usual questions and answered them satisfactorily, but as her demeanour was not exactly that of young men who usually join the army, he sent her to the doctor to be examined. She then immediately admitted her sex. A constable was sent for, but she was not given into custody at once, but requested to leave the barracks. This she did, but outside caused a large crowd to I assemble by refusing to go away. Eventually she had to be taken to the police station. Mr Newton, for the defence, explained to the Magistrate that the prisoner's father was a farmer at Christchurch, New Zealand. About About four years ago the prisoner ran I away from home, and she had been earning her living since then as an j actress. She last week came to London from Bristol, where she had been acting, and put up at Anderton's Hotel. Her chief object was to get to her father, and in furtherance of this she visited the docks and tried to get a post as stewardess on board a ship To her mortification she found that she did not understand sufficient , about cooking to obtain such a place, and in despair she determined, if possible, to enlist. Mr Hannay—- " She would have found herself in an awkward position if she had enlisted." Mr Newton admitted that it was very foolish of her to attempt such a thing, but he asked the magistrate to put her back till the afternoon, as he was instructed by her friends in London that somebody would then be in attendance with clothes more suitable to her sex. Arrangements would be made to send her out to her father by the first steamer. Mr Hannay agreed with Mr Newton's proposition, and the prisoner was accordingly put back until later in the day.