New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-11-15


Of beer and smoke bic short pipe under Betsys ROOT
and had NJ least taken decided fancy TO Betsy nssn
lie was goodiockng young man. was hsrry s'veees
for although still underlined and nnocento whssefs
a face smooth a. womans, be was st0ufiy oclits
bad eapacious depth Of chest, and a pair of hsps
which gave unusual profit his tailor. Betsy then
looked with favor on Hauy's suit, for be bad the
reputation OF being good steady workman. and was
dong pt;y well as brscksel,er II was resolved that
the twain should become flesh and the church
thew HE'D Harry discharged the duties OF bridegroom
Al church 10 perfection but when the widow got him
home there was terrible row. The night was spent
In downright Quarrel and fight; and the lsmen;able
result was summons taken out by Betsy against hee
husband for an assault, for which he was condemned
TO the New Bailey for one or two months punng me
hearing of the case Betsy, with great yenenienc, De-
eared that her husband was not a man, and that she
therefore would not live with him. The case created
great amusement and gossip at the time, and formed
the subject of popular ballads which were sung ana
hawked about the streets OF Manchester. hasY
Stokes issuing from the New Bailey, was conssocr-
ably prosecuted by those little gamins who know 20
well how to torment street celebrities, while be was
also the object of much curious speculation among hir
brethren OF the trowel. He, however, maintained
iscreet silence his sex, threw ont hints thai the
woman he had married was mad, and as the moe, ei-
eetve proof that she malevolent hbeler ne SOON
afterward married another widow, rejoicing IN the
name OF Francis Collins who some ID or ~ years
his senior and who had grown-up son and daughter
living with her. His connection with this woman,
with whom he lived until he committed sniede ~ tho
most mysterious phase OF this mysterious history.
She declares with soemn earnesness thai she did not
know until informed the other day, that the person
with whom she had been living for the last twenty-five
wears sleeping together night after night IN the same
bed was woman, and her own children looked
mon Stokes as their sepfaher. She ASSERTS that abe
took Stokes into her house in the fret instance out OF
py 10 shield him from the persecution to which no
was subjected. Ii may be that although out OF sense
of shame the old woman thus attempts 10 conceal
her knowledge of Stokess sex, she did in reality
know from the first that the person was woman,
and that she was in all probability induced by stokes
To consent 10 the union in order that the appear
ance of married life might dispel the rumors anoat,
and enable him 20 4" live in peace and quetness.
Whether or not that the Intention the acquaintance
brought about the result; for although there were
surmses that " Harry Stokes was woman, andSho
was constantly the object OF curious glanees be es
caped the open molestaon ~ which he had been pre-
yously subjected. Harry and Fanny took beer
honpe in Corporation street. Salford where they lived
for two years when they fitted" to Quay street,
near Deansgate, turning private house INTO beer
bouse Al this house they stayed eleven years during
mart of which time they held second beer house in
Camp street OF Deansgate which they called The
Pilgrims Rest" and was superintended oy Mrs.
Stokes's SON. To this house they themselves nnaiiy
removed and kept Il on for six years, when tney car
ried their furniture to No II Richmond street. between
81 stephen street and Broughton road Stafford, where
they still lived together man and WIFE, thongn me
neilhbors had their little whisperngs together-she
stapIe of their conversation being the peculiar figure
of Harry Stokes and speculations thereabout
They were living in Richmond-street up 70 the time
o the tragedy which has revived the whole history OF
this singular person. Harry Stokes appeared latteriy
10 be falling into decayed circumstance and the fear
of noverty il believed to have induced him to commit
suicide On Friday evening the deceased went 10 the
Swan public house Pendleton and, after drinking four
glasses of ale he left for the purpose OF proceeding as
he stated TO Throstle Nest. In the morning y nat
was found the top Of the water IN the see Oh inc
river Irwell a Mode Wheel, and on examination the
body of a man was found standing upright IN the wa
ter Al the inquest before Mr.. Coroner Rutter, ON
saturday the body was identified as that of Harry
Stokes the welknown master brcksetter OF Salford;
and it would probably have been buried IN ts CLONES
IA il was and the of the poor, courageous, hard
working Harriet Stokes would thus have been buried
with her had not one OF the jury been acquainted with
norton of her history. lie mentioned ms Suspicion
that the deceased was "a woman and not man, ana
two women who were sent by the coroner 70 soivo
the mystery returned ttterng into the Court with tho
information that true enough the body IN the mans
clothes was that of perfect woman and no man.
She was very Embarrassed, but the shape OF her wem
anly make was distorted by broad strap which buck
led round her body under the arms
There is something Of grandeur after all IN the char
acter of that strange She has lett menenoes
of her industry and skill all Manchester, and in
many places in Stafford. She very clever IN the
erection of tall chimneys, and of the highest in
Msnehester have been wholly partially constructed
under her superntendencei she has built churches,
ohapes and extensive blocks Of dwelling-houses,
among which mentioned the large houses at tho
back Of st. Philips church, Saford she was most ex-
pert in fitting and re-grates, and her and in this
branch of her trade has been obtained in Of the
best houses in Manchester, and IN the days OF the
Chartist riots she sworn rs special constable and
was made captain of her company Her industry and
kill at one time placed hern very comfortable cirenm-
,tauces ard there persons who are now esteemed
among the foremost men in Manchester who have been
ntertained at the roaring supPers gwen by HAIRY"
tokes.