PROFESSOR IN PETTICOATS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 7 March 1925, Page 9

PROFESSOR IN PETTICOATS

LKHIT ON OOIIiOL'S ABNORMALITY

A curious situation arose a lew days siin-t* in an assize court, in Berlin, when in the course, of a trial a. witness

named Ernst Middondorf was called fur the defence (writes E. C. Bentley, in the Sunday Chronicle). For the person who stepped to the witness box was a slim girl of refitted appearance, dressed with taste.

The presidin';' judge was seriously an

lioyed. ’"‘What io the .meaning e»f-. h (/demanded. “I mu Ernst. Mkldeudoif." replied l lie witness in a thrilling cult trait". A pause, of general stupefaction was ended by counsel for the prosecution sntruesting Ihai this person should be committed for coidempt of court.

Ernst proceeded io explain that as a female impersonator in variety entertainments he had found it helpful to dress always as a girl, and had done so for some years past. ''Von have your license with you. Middondorf," suggested the judge coldly. But .Middondorf had no license; and the affair ended in his heino' sentenced to a .month's imprisonment for that reason.

IK AXBY ESTITI ES

This, in reality, was not one of those strange freaks of human nature for which the Cerman law provides by tinissue of licences. .Middondorf dressed as n girl merely to keep himself in practice: he was not one of those persons, men and women, who are possosed from childhood by an ungovernable craving to wear the clothing of the opposite sex. and perform tasks appropriate to that sex. '.Modern psychology recognises this as an abnormal, but usually not a harmful. condition. If is not. as a rule, associated with perverted sex-instincts in the ordinary sense. Such people, classified in normally as transvestitios, often marry and become parents.

if the police are satisfied, on expert, advice, that a ease is of this kind, they issue a licence permitting the holder to disregard the law which forbids the wearing of cloths of the opposite sex. THE CASE OF DUYSEN A number of women, in particular, ho Id such licences in Germany, and earn their living by what is commonly regarded as men's work. Many transvostities are well-conducted, useful, and contented members of society.

Examples of this condition have often been discovered in this country, some times not until the death of the person : n question. Women have done good service, their sex unsuspected, in the Army and Navy. The most famous of all eases in history is that of .loan of Are and her fine military record. A case as singular as any on record came 10 light only two months ago in Berlin. A man of science named Ihryson had been for more than twenty years a urn lessor of hotanv at the university. He was a loading authority on his subject. an amiable, happy-tempered man, and highly popular. THE DISCOVERY It was his pride never to have misled a lecture, or to have been a moment )ute in delivering one. When, therefore, be did not appear in his class room on Not ember 7 last there was some uneasiness. His flat was visited, and found locked. When Dnyscn was again absent on the following day, the door of the Hat was forcedT and the missing man was found dead in the kitchen. It appeared that death was accidental, due to an escape of fumes from the stove. The bodv was dressed, down to the smallest detail, in women's clothing. The flat was a model of cleanliness an I cider, the parquet floor and the brasswork were highly polished, the linen and so forth spotless. In the bedroom was found a large variety of femine attire of every kind, carefully arranged

end put away. There was also the sitil of men s clothing which the professor assumed for going out and earning his living.

[)mf,i;n had lived ill (.lie flat for vt-ars. itnd during Unit tune lm otln-r ’(•..1-011 bad entered it. lie. bad never ein(iloved a .-ervaut. Such are tile plain fuels about tin 1 Sale Professor Duysru, as established ai the police inquiry and given to Lit.JToss. It would be ditbeiut to liud a

parallel :o it in the whole record ol modern tunes.