The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-11-13
The NHam-W eRRsau.
THE MYSTERY OF MRS. NoONAN.

FORT ABE LINCOLN, DAKOTAH, Octo-
Der 31.-Quite a remarkable and singu-
lar bit of news spread over the garrison
here on yesterday. There has been liv
ing and attached to one of the companies
Of The 18th Cavalry, as laundress, person
who has gone under the name of Mrs.
Noonan, who was married in 1873, to a
soldier of one of the companies Of the
18th Cavalry, having been twice married
before, the first time to a man named
Nash, and the second time to a person
who was killed in the fight with Custer,
against Sitting Bull, two years ago.
"Mrs. NOonan has, since 1878, done the
laundry work of the company to which
she was attacked with. the best of salts
faction, and was as handy with needle
as any woman in the garrison, making
all kinds of fine shirts for different ones.
She also protested and acted the part of
midwife, and, on several occasions, has
gone as far as twenty five miles from
here to perform duties of that kind, and
at all times giving good satisfaction
Her house was as clean as could be, and
the walls were ornamented with some
very Aeautitul pictures In fact every
thing about the house, both in and out
side, was very tastefully arranged.
About two weeks ago she complained of
being sick, and was attended by the post
surgeon, DIR. Wolveston. She grew
worse, however, from the first, and on
yesterday morning, the Goth inst, at 5
o'clock, died. Before dying, however,
on the 10Th inst, she intimated to one
of the visitors present that she desired
to see the priest; that she had something
of a grave nature to reveal before she
died. Rev. Father Chrysostrom, of Bis
marck, was sent for, and came and heard
her confession. She lived until next
morning, when she expired. The resi-
dence or quarters for the laundresses of
the regiment is long double building,
containing about twenty rooms, each Oc-
cupied by from one to two laundresses.
Mrs. Noonan has always been looked upon
by the other laundresses of the building
as being something" between a man
and woman, and had but few associates
among them. To one of them she re
marked a few days before her death that
she desired at her death to be buried in
the clothes she had on. At her death,
however, her body was taken in charge
of by some of the women of the garrison
to prepare her decently for for interment,
her husband being out with his regiment
in the Black Hills. In doing so they
discovered to their surprise, that the wo-
man whom they had known as Mrs.
Noonan was not a woman, but man.
The question is, what would induce a
man to live as long as Mrs Noonan has,
since 1878, with the garrison? 1t is a
mystery. She has attended several
dances in the garrison during the past
year given by the soldiers of the post,
and at all times was arrayed in the finest
of the land, and has been known to
change her dress as often as three times
during the entertainment. She was OF
Mexican birth, and was familiar with all
the towns and cities from the Missouri
River to the Rio Grande. Parties who
have been acquainted with the deceased
since 1868 say she at one time was in
the millinery business at Leavenworth,
Kansas.