MAN WITH FEMALE MENTALITY

NZ Truth, Issue 1223, 9 May 1929, Page 2

MAN WITH FEMALE MENTALITY

Young Maori PondAs Woman and Worked As Housemaid

MASQUERADER UNMASKED IN COURT

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| A human freak, a psychological enigma, he is, to all intents and purposes, normal | | except for one obsession— his admiration for the dress and characteristics of the female ' | 1 se *. .1 | So great was his regard for all things feminine, that he assumed female attire, ac- f , § quired habits of speech and manner alien to man and posed before the world— and sue- | | cessfully — as a woman. § 1 But m spite of a clever and sustained masquerade, during which he served as a house- | " | maid, Nikora Hune Haora, a young^ Maori, was unmasked at 'last, being brought -be- J | fore the Auckland Magistrate, when he was convicted and ordered to come up for sen- § 1 tence if called upon. 1 Hl|ll|lllll!|lllll|!||IIIIIIIIIHII.Mt||llllllllll|lll!l|IIM|ll!ll|||^

THE* case of Haora, is surely unique m New Zealand. There have been instances of men masquerading as women from some misguided sense of humor or from some ulterior motive, but where is there m police- annals of recent years a case that can equal that of th.a young Maori for genuine regard for, ana belief m, his assumed role of female? The penalty of conviction and being ordered to conic up for sentence within six months, inflicted at the Auckland Magistrate's Court on Monday on the young Maori, who masqueraded as a housemaid at Takapuna for some months, is tantamount, to ah admission that the police dp not know what to do with him- ' ' i The actual charge against Haora was

'liiiiiiiiliiliiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiiiiiiiiiiiii laid under section 53(d),pf the Police Offences Act (1927) and was that he did impose on Pernard Kissen by representing himself as a female, June O'Hara, and did obtain, employment as a housemaid at 2f>/- a week from 1/2/29 until 4/5/29, -which practically anipunts to a false pretences charge, . O'Hara or Haora— -apparently the assumed name js .an anagram on the original one— -entered the dock olad m a long brown overcoat, silk stockings, and high-heeled shoes.. AH his movements were essentially feminine, such as the way he flicked a long fur stole over his shoulder and fingered, his hair when, m response to a suggestion from Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., that if he were a man he had better remove his hat, he took off a closefitting velvet toque. He pleaded guilty m a low but girlish voice. • Prosecuting, Sub-inspector McCarthy said that the unfortunate man appar-

ently had very definite feminine inclinations, preferring women's work to men's and girl's clothing to male attire. "He is so much that way, your Wor^ship," continued Mr. McCarthy, "that ho actually is asking you. for an order to allow him to continue wearing female apparel," "That is, of course, absolutely impossible," said Mr, Hunt; "m fact, his clothes ought to be burnt." "There is no suggestion of anything wrong against Haora," stated the Sub* inspector, "put this mas-, querading, if done by others might lead to serious complications and niust be put a stop to." That there were many cases In history of a feminine mind m a masculine

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiin >iin body was mentioned by /: Mr. Hunt m passing- sentenae/ Haora left the ceurt m the care of his brother, who is resident m Auckland- It was stated that the escapade was done entirely without the knowledge of his familyInterviewed by "N-Z. Truth," Haora's late employer, Mrs. Kissen ,of Takapuna, was emphatic that there was nothing about "June" .to indicate that he was a man or rather that "he" was not a woman. Asked if "he" T^ever shaved, Mrs. Kissen said that she had never seen "him" do so,,but that he powdered so heavily that no indications of recent shaving would be visible. "He hand-stitched beautifully," declared Mrs. Kissen, "and m addition could paint quite weli ami used to amyse my little boy by painting pictures for him." One*paiming shown, to "N.Z. Truth,"

which had been done* on the back pf some reinforced wall-paper and represented a distant view of Rangitoto seen through a cleft' in some cliffs, though untutored, showed more* than promise, and the brush work wag distinctly good. Mrs. Kissen could not get out of the way of referring to Haora as "she" who she said, played the piano, steel guitar, mandolin and ukelele with great skill. 7 Though her speaking voice was of contralto pitch, "she" sang beautifully m a rich soprano. "She told me she had been a member of an Hawaiian troupe of instrumentalists, singers and dancers," continued hep late employer. <'This accounted, m my mind, for

iMiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiil. : the heavy 'make-up' that she used. I had no fault to find with her 1 work; indeed, I was so pleased with It that, shortly after engaging her, I had no hesitation m going for a holiday and leaving her m charge °f the house." It is a very difficult matter to deoicle what can -be done for unfortunates, with this type of instinct. There 7is no question of anything depraved sexyally m this case, and even so, there is no State Institution to whioh a ease of his Kind can be sent where he wpuld be looked after. Admittedly these7cases are few and far between, hut, even so, provision Should be made legally for a branch of some home pr settlement to be set aside as a refuge for these misfits of Nature. Unfitted mentally and physically for the storms and buffets of a workaday world, they could there find shelter and care for that unnatural bent of which they ar@ the unfortunate possessors, for there is no cure for it.