AN AMAZING MASQUERADE.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13566, 6 November 1912, Page 7

AN AMAZING MASQUERADE.

REVELATION BY A GIRL'S DEATH.

WORKS IN MAN'S ATTIRE

[United Prjcss Association.]

Dunedin, Nov. 5

An amazing story of a young woman's strange masouerado was brought to a tragic culmination in a lodging hnm;o in Albert street early this morning, wii-n tho unfortunate girl, who had been nu.:,quorading as a man, was found uikmiiscious iv her room, with a female baby dead beside her. Ever since her arrival in Duuedin, at tho end of January, deceased had been known as Thomas Parkes rind since February 3rd had been continuously employed as a male assistant in Mr. H. H. Driver's book shop in George- street. Since her arrival hero she occupied a room as a male boarder at Mrs. Pledger's boarding establishment in Albert street. Of latoj she had complained of feeling unwell, especially during the last few days. On Monday evening she arrived home at her lodgv.ig about 7.30 p.m. considerably yin advance- of the customary time. "He" again asserted that "he" felt unwell, and the landlady remarked that "he'had better go to bed and that she would bring "him" a cup of tea- in the morning. Deceased shortly after retired to her--room, locking the door, .while the landlady and two other boarder© also retired.

Mrs. Pledger states that she heard j "Parkes" groaning during the early part of the night, and about 11.30 p.m. she heard a noise- which led her to assume that "he" had fallen out of bed, hut she did not make any investigation. At 20 minutes to 5 in the morning Dr. Newlands also heard groaning, but took no action until some 40 minutes later, | when ho entered the bedroom by means] of a ladder. "Parkes" was found lying on the floor unconscious with the bedclothes thrown about "him." On raising the bed clothes Dr Newland discovered that the supposed man was a woman, and that she had recently given birth to a female child, which was lying beside her, dead, and wrapped in an old overcoat.

Dr. Fleming found the woman in a dangerous state of collapse. The woman was speedily conveyed to the hospital. She never rallied, nor showed sign of consciousness, but gradually sank, and died at 5 minutes past three.

The woman's real name- is Annie Read and she is 20 years of ago. She went to school at Dubbo, Now South Wales, and the next trace of her wa« on October 6, 1911, in Ararat (Victoria), when she met with an accident while masquerading as a man. Her sex was then discovered. Sho was then going tinder' tKc name of Thomas Ralph. About two months later she came in invcrcargill, going under the name oi i lios. Russell, and. after staying there for about a month, came to Dunedin to enter H. H. Driver's book shop as Thos. Parkes.