THE MASQUERADER

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 54, 7 March 1929, Page 12

THE MASQUERADER

WOMAN WHO PASSED AS MAN MKS. SMITH, ALIAS CAPTAIN BARKEK Australian Press Association. (Eeceived 7th March, 2 p.m.) LONDON, 6th March. Captain Ivor Barker is now revealed |as Mrs. Valeric Smith. She married an Australian in. war time, and is the mother of a nine-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl. She served as a V.A.D. in France, and was also lorrydriver. She started to masquerade as a man six years ago,-when'poultry farming in Sussex. While at the West End Hotel, whero she was arrested, she shared a common dressing-room,- drank beer, and changedl her clothing among men. When her-lockerl was opened, it contained dress clothes,' an eyebrow pencil, and powder puff,-which had obviously been used. 'Also ■ safety pins. There was a safety razor, but there was no evidence .of its being used. Mrs. Smith appears to have carried on the masquerade, in many towns of England, particularly at Andover,.where she played cricket - and: tennis, and was often seen in the • streets in 'flannels, with shirt open at the neck, and where she went, shopping in plus fours. It is< an astonishing fact that "Barker" went through the ordeal of trial at the Old' Bailey for being in unathorised possession of an automatic pistol, and was acquitted without suspicion of her sex being aroused.. Several women now . say. they were suspicious and tried to trap "Captain Barker," but there was always a.plausible explanation. The fact that "he" had:, a wife and little boy contributed to immunity from suspicion. ,