YOUTH OF TWENTY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9720, 24 July 1917, Page 6

YOUTH OF TWENTY

TIP AS A GIRL.

Whilst the Carnarvon police wer* searching for"a deserter from the Army j they accidentally discovered a youth, 20 ! vear 9 of age, who. it is averred, has passed all his life as a girl. Very diligent search had been made in the district for the deserter, but all efforts to trace him had failed. He was suspected of wearing woman’s cloth in g. and amongst the crowd of holiday-mak-ers at Carnarvon Police Sergeant Owen noticed a young woman of masculine appearance, fashionably dressed, talking to another young woman. He straightway challenged her with being the deserter. "My name is Dora Lewis was the indignant reply, but the sergeant was not satisfied. He saw m the face evidence of shaving,, though the hair was long and arranged like a woman s V to the police station establishes the fact that the "young woman" was * man, though not the deserter wanted. It is reported that Lewis told the police that he was born in London and that when three months old he was tomoved to his grandparents at a farm near Carnarvon He was christened a: “Dora" at the local parish church, attended school as a girl, and was treated by the attendance officers and everybody eke as such. When bis grandfather—who is over 80 years of age—was informed by the police of the discovery he expressed great surprise and said there had surely been a mistake.

Further inquiries are being made by the police. Meantime, the principal person concerned has donned masculine clotbine. and lias been reported to the military authorities.