A MALE MASQUERADOR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7959, 9 February 1906, Page 7

A MALE MASQUERADOR.

EXTRAORDINARY STORY PROM ROME. Since last September a young man named Richard Ar.kii.isuo h<\s astonished Roine by appearing in oublio in fe::ialo dress. Ho generally occupied a box at the music halld, wearing low-necked, snowy, aud expensive gowns, covered with jewels, and carrying a huge boquefc. The audience several times hooted him, but he only smiled. His masculiue appearance was nuly thinuly disguised J by hia elaborate female dross, and by by ho became the laughing stock • of the city. In the day time Atkinson paraded the streets in a motor car with a liveried footman following and crowds of boys hooting. The police tried tu get tho British Consul to persuade Abbinscu to leave, but the iatrer denied that he was of British nationality. He claimed to be of Polish birth, aud said bis name was Soveuski, adding that he appreciated the hooting of the crowds and recognised tbat it was harmless. The police did not furthor interfere until this eooentrio individual began to give masked balls at which men dressed as women and women as men took part. Theso gatherings attracted publicity in the press, and then they decided that his madness , had gone far enough, inquiry showed fc that be had spent a considerable sum T of money, and also that he bad been £ greatly cheated. Recently Atkinson •suddenly disappeared, leaving debts at his hotel, at certain milliners, dressmakers, florists, etc. It 13 reported tbat a telegram has tieen received from London assuring payment of the young man's debts. He is said to belong to a wealthy family, but to have been sent from home because of his prodigal ways.