The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-19 00:00:00

A Strange Story.

An incident is just now being discussed in military
circles so extraordinary that, were not its truth
capable of being vouched for by official authority,
the narration would certainly be deemed absolutely
incredible. Our officers quartered at the Cape be-
tween 15 and 20 years ago may remember a certain
Doctor Barry attached to the medical staff there,
and enjoying a reputation for considerable skill in
his profession, especially for firmness, decision,
and rapidity in difficult operations. This gentle-
man had entered the army in 1813, had passed,
of course, through the grades of assistant-surgeon
and surgeon in various regiments, and bad served
as such in various quarters of the globe. His pro-
fessional acquirements had procured for him his
promotion to the staff at the Cape. lie was deur
and agreeable, save for the drawback of a most
quarrelsome temper, and an inordinate addiction to
argument, which perpetually brought the former
peculiarly into play. He was excessively plain,
of feeble proportions, and laboured under the im-
perfection of a ludicrously squeaking voice. Any
natural " chaffing" with regard to these, however,
especially roused his ire, but was at length
discontinued on his " calling out" a persever-
ing offender, and shooting him through
the lungs. About 1840 he became promoted to be
medical inspector, and was transferred to Malta.
There he was equally distinguished by his skill and
by his pugnacious propensities, the latter becoming
so inconveniently developed upon the slightest
difference of opinion with him, that at last no notice
was allowed to be taken of his fits of temper. He
proceeded from Malta to Corfu, where he was
quartered for many years, still conspicuous for the
same peculiarities. When our Government ceded the
lonian Islands to Greece, and our troops, of course,
quitted the territory, Dr. Barry elected to leave the
army and take up his residence for the rest of his
days at Corfu. He there died about a month ago, and
upon his death was discovered to be a woman! Very
probably this discovery was elicited during the na-
tural preparations for interment, but there seems to
be an idea prevalent that either verbally, during the
last illness, or by some writing, perused immediately
after his (for I must still use the " masculine") death,
he had begged to be buried without a post-mortem ex-
amination of any sort. This, most likely, only
aroused the curiosity of the two nurses who attended
him, forit was to them, it appears, that the disclosures
of this mystery is owing. Under the circumstances,
the fact was deemed so important that medical
testimony was called in to report and record its
truth. By this investigation not only was the
assertion placed beyond a doubt, but it was equally
beyond a doubt brought to light that the in-
dividual in question had, at some time or another,
been a mother! This is all that is as yet known of
this extraordinary story. The motives that occa-
sioned, and the time when commenced this singular
decoction, are both shrouded in mystery. But thus
it stands an indubitable fact, that a woman was for
40 years an officer in the British service, had fought
one duel and had sought many more, had pursued a
legitimate medical education, had received a regular
diploma, and had acquired almost a celebrity for
skill as a surgical operator ! There is no doubt
whatever about-the " fact," but I doubt whether
even Miss Braddon herself would have ventured to
make use of it in fiction.—lrish paper.