Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-12-16
AN ASTOUNDING STORY.
The Husband Of the Man Midwife Of
General Clusters Old Command"
Commits Suicide.
Bismarck d. n Tribune. /

Cd. T.l Tribune.l
Corporal Noonan, of the Seventh
Cavalry, whose wifi" died some
weeks ago, committed suicide in one
of the stables of the lower garrison on
Saturday, 1t was reported some days
ago that he had deserted, but no one
this side of the river had seen him.
1t now appears that the man had kept
himself out Of the way as we'll as he
could for several days. Hiscomrades
had given him sort of cold shake
since the return of the regiment from
the chase after the Sioux, and this
and the shame that fell on him in the
discovery of his wife ssex undermined
his desire for existence, and he crawled
away, lonely and forsaken, and blew
out the life that promised him nothing
but infamy and disgrace. The sui
eide was committed with a pistol, and
Noonan shot himself through the
heart. The affair created an intense
excitement at the post as did the an
nouncement of the death of Mrs.
Noonan, but there was a sigh of relief
on the corporate lips of the Seventh
Cavalry when its members heard that
Noonan, by his own hand, had relieved
the regiment of the odium which the
mans presence cast upon them. De
mortuis nil nisi bonum. But there
was so much in Noonan's career that
made his life oppressive, not Snly to
those around him but to himself, that
the hunt must be thorough to find
something that will not reflect on his
memory. On Thursday afternoon a
reporter of the Tribune interviewed
Noonan upon the unfortunate relations
between himself and the man who
represented himself as Noonan's wife.
When | married her, sir, said
Noonan, earnestly, "Ibelieved her to
be woman and / never knew to the
contrary until | heard of the post
mortem.
"You were husband to her, were
you not?" asked the reporter, "a hus-
band with all the name imphes?"
81 was, so help me God, but
the latter revelations mistify me
| can't understand it. She told me
once that she was about to make me
happy by presenting me with child
We talked it over and both of III
wished that it might be a girl. Sud
denly she apprised me of the fact
that she was mistaken and we botl
mourned the misfortune. During al
our married experience we longed fol
children, but there seemed to be some
thing | could not understand that pre-
vented the full fruition of our hopes.
Are you prepared to say, Noonan
that during your marital experienc,
you never dreamed of what the medi
cal officers discovered"
II mean just that. | dare not sa,
that the medical officers were wrong
but | know that | am right, and
know that my wife was a woman
There is some terrible mystery about
this thing that | can't understand
She had acted as midwife and doctres
here at the post. She was trusted ant
respected by large number of people
and / can only think that she mus
have done something terrible wron
which demaned a disguise Of the SCI
by the diagnosing physicians
But her wrong must have been t,
one Of her supposed sex, and | can
understand how the alteration coult
benefit her"
Nor |. There is something darl
? and something terrible about this
thing. Where it will end | don
know, ] am but sergeant, Will,
those in centrol Of this thing stand ia
above me in rank. They can pro
nounce her man, woman, God or devil
as they see fit, but am doomed to tn
infamy. and can find no relief. A
Almighty God is my judge, my wifi
was a woman, and | care nothing 70
, post-mortem examinations TO the con
trary. Why, | tell you, sir, she at on
: time had an abortion procured upol
her In her early life she was in tn
, habit of carrying heavy burdens. Tn
effect OF this was to so relax her mus
cles that she could not carry child
Three or four hard sickDesses resulted
and l myself was party to one abortlo
] to save her the pain of another. Afte
, that may as we'll tell you the Who'll
story-sAs told me of the coming foot
! steps pattering on the clouds, but
7. resulted in nothing but pain ard sick
ness.
Sergeant, are you lying to me, 0
, telling Inc the truth" .
The truth, SO help me God. | wi
swear before my Maker that she was
woman. But | can't tell what coul
. have induced this concealment of he
p sex. ! can't understand how she cam
to die. There is something beyon
my wife's grave that must be settle
> at some time, and there will be tim
$ when the mystery will be cleared "
II may not be your lifetime, or mine
but | tell you, sir, the woman has bee
. strangely Wronged, and were l in
u position TO clear the thing up l woul
q defy the world and prove that she wa
F a woman" Such earnestless in fac
d ing tho charms of the grave is en-
titled to weight, While Noonan spok
the shadow Of death was in his eye
There was something which ayed tn
reporter. Noonan is dead IL hs
he is damned. If he has told th
/ truth there is . fearful mystery some