Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-17
"A STORY.
An Interview with the Wife and Mother
Who Deserted Her Family, Doomed Male
Apparel, and Married q Young Girl.

An Interview with the Wife and Mother
VIII Deserted Her Family, Doomed Male
Apparel, and Married q Young Girl.
BRANDON, Wis, Nov. 2.-The question
of the sex of Frank Dubois, the female hus'
band Of the Waupun young lady, has been
settled and all doubts set at rest by a state
ment made to a reporter. The latter SUE
ceeded in tracing the couple from Waupun
to Brandon, where Dubois had pro.
them seven miles into the country, where
they had taken refuge at the house of a
farmer named Bristow, living on the Fond
du Lac road. There Dubois was found and
questioned, and finally acknowledged him.
! self to be a woman, the wife of S. j. Hud-
son, of Belvidere.
Dubois was in his shirt-sleeves, a slightly
built, notwithstanding parsonage, four
feet eleven inches tall, slight figure, weigh
ing about one hundred pounds, hips broad,
chest full, arms short, and hands and feet
ve-y small and slender. He has every ap-
pearace of a woman. The woman known
as his wife is apparently about seventeen
years old, about Dubois height, and is
rather a pretty blonde with dark hair. She
was in tears, and appeared greatly dis
tresscd when the question of her husbands
sex was announced.
When first asked the question Dubois in.
sisted that he was a man, and held stead:
lastly to that statement until his wife, with
the tears streaming down her face, ex-
all and have it over" Dubois looked
toward her, his lip trembled, and he burst
into tears, sobs choking him for q time.
Finally he said: cts true,'' and endeav
ored to leave the room. He was restrained,
and finally was induced to tell his story.
He said lie was really Mrs. Hudson, and
had tired of husband and family and de
termined to lose all identity as the wife and
mother by assuming the guise of a nan
"My husband" she said, went to Illinoi:
last spring. I Immediately assumed male
attire and went to Waupun, where I had
previously met and admired Gertie Fuller
I courted her and we were married-she no
knowing me to be a woman until after the
ceremony was performed. l then induced
her to keep silent, which she has done.
"While living with my husband l helped
him support the family-peddling soap anG
compromising extracts which I disposed Of
I was thus led to depend upon myself, and
when [ took upon MY shoulders the supper
of Gertie, l felt fully able to carry the bur.
den. l papered, painted, made and sold OK:
tracts, and we were happy. We were pre-
pairing to move to Elgin, ILL.,, when my hus
band came upon the scene. After he came
to the house 1 concealed myself for a time
and thea took the train for Brandon, Gertie
remaining at the house of a friend, follow.
ing Tuesday to Brandon, where we stopped
at the house Of an acquaintance. coming
here Tuesday evening. l will not return
to live with Hudson, and propose to veal
pants, and smoke, and earn my living as {
man."
Mrs. Dubois, Or more properly Gertie Full
Ter, appeared utterly heart-broken, sobbins
continuously during the recital OF the story
She, however, confirmed the statement. Sh.
said when questioned that her parents re
sided in Waupun, where her father ant
a brother were engaged in the nurser,
business. She had married Frank Dubois
Tor Mrs. Hudson) and had after the mar
rage discovered that her husband was o
her W sex. They had agreed to live to
Eether, and had done so. 1t was an affai
of their own and nobody was concerned bu
herself. They proposed to go to Fond d.
Lac and arrange to remove to Illinois, a
was intended, when the sensational an
nouncement was made that the parties wer,
both women.