IN MAN’S CLOTHES

Evening Star, Issue 20118, 7 March 1929, Page 10

IN MAN’S CLOTHES

“ CAPTAIN ” BARKER’S CAREER i SEVERAL WOMEN SUSPICIOUS.’ Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright^ LONDON, March 6. , (Received March 7, at 10.45 a.m.); The astonishing fact that u Captain ” Barker went through‘the ordeal at a trial at Old Bailey for being in; the unauthorised possession of an automatic pistol and was acquitted without a suspicion of her sex has aroused several women to soy now that theyj were suspicious and tried to trap her* but the “ captain ” always had a plausible explanation. The fact that’ she said she had a wile and a little boy contributed to her immunity from,' suspicion. It is believed that sho was married to a soldier who died after, the war, leaving her with a child unprovided for.—Australian Press Association,

NAME REVEALED. MOTHER OE TWO CHILDREN. Press Association —By Telegraph —Copyright^ LONDON, March 6. (Received March 7, at 1.10 p.m.) Hr is now revealed that ‘‘ Captain Barker’” is Mrs Valerie Smith, who married an Australian in the war time.; Slio is the mother of a. nine-year-old boy and an eight-ycar-old girl. Sim served witii the V.A.D. in Franco, and was also a lorry driver. She started Her; masquerade six years ago when she was poultry farming in Sussex. While she was at the West End hotel, where sho was eventually arrested, she shared a communal dressing room, drank beer,; and changed her clothing among men. ; When her locker was opened it was * found to contain dress clothes, an eyebrow pencil, a powder puff, which had obviously been used, also safety pins.’ There was a safety razor, lint there was no evidence that it had been used* It appears that she carried on the masquerade in many torvps in England,; particularly Andover, where she played cricket and tennis and was often seen! in the streets in flannels and a shirt with an open neck. Sho often went shopping in pins fours.—Australian Press Association,