The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-11-18
RALEIGH. n. c. THURSDAY NOVEMBER Is. is


the Belmont Sen SeriOn Out West
The case of the masquerader Belmont i
, he sensation Of the day, and Bret Harte'
,haracter OF Sandy in the story of n,
Danites, finds a prototype in actual life
The municipal court was crowded yesterda,
morning al the hour Of opening By GROVE
curious TO see the unsexed individual. Bel
mont was brought into court wearing the
brown overcOat, the wide brimmcd felt ha
md the suit of black diagon |. clothes which
are familiar. Belmont's curly blonde hair
vas neatly brushed and she did not appear
% have lost great deal of sleep over heI
redicameut. She was seated inside tn,
all, and a couple of hundred curious eye,
easted themselves on the rAonstroslty. IL
he course of events the court was called L
order and the prisoner summoned To the
bar. The clerk read the complaint, and the
udge remarked in his laconic manner.
We'll, what have you got to say TO that l.
it SO . Yes, replied Belmont.
wv hat have you got to say"
81 have always dressed as | am now
dressed she responded ''and do not see
Why | should not. | have worn mail attire
for nineteen years.
How old are you ?" questioned the
judge.
Il was nineteen years old last June, '
simply answered Belmont.
Where were you brought up?'
81 was brought up abroad" answered
Mary. Il am an English girl, and was born
in England. | came to America in 1876
and went to Kansas, accompanied by my
nurse, a colored woman, who Is still there
| came to this country in my present COS
tune and have worn it ever since-I never
wore girls clothes except once, | think 1t
was 10 1878. | have never worked for a
living here or elsewhere. My parents are
dead and MY mother left sufficient means
tor my support.
The court ordered the clerk to enter a fine
of $50 or sixty days in the county Jail. Bel
mont did not pay, and went down to board
in Sheriff Thompson we'll ventiat ed hos
tery. But the case will not end here. Miss
Brackett one Of the victims, was IN court,
and promptly made complaint against
Belmont for securing money under false
| pretenses.
THE woMANs STORY.
'sNy earliest recollections are of my home
in Northampton.hire, England, where wa.
living quietly with my mother, coioTed
! nurse and a white man My nurse has since
told me that | was born in the South, ofthe
United States. We lived very quietly and
never went out anywhere | then wore
mems clothes, pants, jacket, etc, and
have ever since and never Iecollect Of hav
ing worn any other ] never associated
with children Of either sex and tor many
years did not know that | was other than
what pretended to be. Early in my life
suffered from fall--iny nurse dropped me
or something was in delicate health
My mother thereupon took me to Germany
where | was healed with baths an1 where |
| J.,
If my father, except that he was in the Uni
ted States My mother had money! be-
l!eve life annuity which ended when she
died, and my
EVERY MOVE WAS GRATIFIED.
and DO not now what source this money
came 1t ended with her death in any
event. While we lived in England there
was a man who frequently visited my moth
er who pretended TO know her mother.
DO not know that he dido not know who
he was. After travelling in Germany wei re
turned to Northamptonshire where we re-
mlined quietly until 1874. | was then l3
years Of age--Was nineteen in June last. /
then wore boys clothes aud was treated as
boy and was called Leon. In 1874 my
mother was taken sick and we went to the
south Of France and from there to Florence
Italy, where my mother died and was bur
led in the American cemetery. When she
died Waters, the old man-servant, sent for
the man whom had known as my mothers
brother. He Came and saw hel buried and
then gave to my nurse what money ms
mother had saved between $l2, 900 and $l5,-
OO0-I do not know exactly how much.
Waters returned with the man referred to-
and | know nothing more of him. Before
dying my mother told the nurse to take me
! TO Har in
1878, and we arrived in New York April,
1876. | had rather not state my mothers
name now think the one she had was
her true one; had rather net name it for
her sake My nurse took me to hotel
private boarding house, where she would
leave me during the day time, telling me
that she went out to gee people She bus
led herself meantime think, in
SEARCHING FOR SOME ONE.
| Finally two gentlemen and lady called
to see me. They were richly dressed, gave
evidence that they were wealthy One OF
the gentlemen was portly and pompous IL
his appearance. They had consultation.
and when they bad gone my nurse came to
me crying ami said: 1T is just you and
now, Leon" We remained in New York
from April, 1876 to January, 1877, living
on the money my my mother had given the
nurse. Ste was very faithful and devoted
to me. While waiting in New York, my
nurse found her son. who was in this country
raising stock, in one of the unorganized
counties of the lower tier in Kansas The
discovery was made through some of the
colored friends of my nurse. We lef. New
| York and went to Kansas, where horse
was purchased for me--a fine animal-and
still wearing boys clothes. | spent my time
in riding over the praries with my nurse
and dog. The dog l owned nine years and
kept with me up to the time OF his death
in this city a few weeks ago. My e1cur-
sions extended fifty and one hundred miles
from home distances of that kind are as
nothing in Kansas. Meantime my health
continued to improve. | met men all over
the country and they were very gentleman