The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-12-11
A STRANGE CASE RECALLED.
By a Wisconsin Female-Husband
Case-A Wonder full Me-
tamorphosis.

Erie. Dec. 2.-Remarkable as is
the case of the Dubois female husband
of which the papers have contained so
much of late, the story is far from be-
ing as remarkable as that of Charles
Fear. young farmer residing at Rip
lev, about forty minutes journey frori
this city. At this moment all the par
ties in this most wonderful case are
living and can be seen and questioned
by interviewers. Farmer Charles Fe IT
is young man about 80 years old,
and In addition to farming he follows
the profession of school teacher. He
is a handsome, manipulating fellow,
and is regarded as one of the best citi-
zens in the township of Ripley. Twen-
ty years ago Charles Fear was the
brightest and prettiest little girl in the
village school. ard his name Was then
Rosa Fear. The child is well remem-
bered by manv citizens of this city
who lived there and knew her, So
apt a pupil was she that she carried
of the bulk of the prizes at the village
school examination, and her family
thought of having Ter educated for d
teacher but family misIortunes oc-
CURED to prevent this. and at the age
of IA Rosa Fear entered the home of
Farmer William p. Baxter as do
nestle. She proved to be as good at
household duties as In her studies, and
the Baxters treated her as one of their
own family. At the age of eighteen
the hand of Miss Rosa Fear was sought
by a farmer from Weslfeld, but the
young lady declined the offer, and
gave no reason for her refusal beyond
that she had no desire TO leave the
home of her kind friends.
During the succeeding year it was
noticed that Rosa was growing morose,
and that her features were losing
their feminine softness. In time
quite q masculine appearance was
noticeable, and the girl became less
socisble than ever, She refused to GO
cut and no longer attended the village
dances and parties, at which she had
hitherto reigned as belle. One morn-
ing she was missing, and a letter In
her bedroom threw the Baxter family
into a state of the widest excitement.
Mrs Baxter was informed that The wri
ter mad fed forever. That she was the
victim of some unnatural phenOme-
non, and that a physical metanor-
phosis made it necessary for her to
change Der home and raiment. They
thcug Int her mad and every effort
was exerted to find Miss Fear, but
to no purpose.
When Miss Rosa fed from the Bax-
ter farm she went in male attire taKen
from the room of physician, a friend
of the family, who was Writing at that
time. This was DIR. A. A. Freeman,
now of Erie, and present alderman OF
the First ward, in the city of Erie.
Two years later a sun-burned young
man, with fire silky msustache, and
a flowing beard, presented himself at
the Fear homestead and extended his
arms to Miss Mary Fear, younger
sister of the Miss Rosa. Miss Mary re-
sented his familiarity. but the young
man bent over her and whispered
something that caused the girl to draw
back and regard him with amazement
1t was Rosa Fear. 1 am no longer
Rosa, said the young man after his ex-
plapation, but am Charles Fear, come
home to work the farm.
The wonderful story was village
gossip for the regulation nine days,
and then Rosa Fear settled down as
Charles Fear and went about the pur-
suits of life without obtrusive question
ing. As Charles Fear the little Rose
of the village school lives in Ripley,
to-day, managing the farm with skill
and Industry, and possessing the es-
TEEN of his fellow citizens. Twice
has he been appointed to teach by the
local school board, and he mas turned
out some of the very best scholars in
the village. Mr.. Fear is mystery.
All the foregoing facts can be verified
on the spot ; the metamorphosis, the
fight from home, return and recogn'-
ton in society as gentleman being
well known to the citizens of Ripley.
DIR. Stlllman, one of the leading ply
sicians of Erie. is also we'll acquainted
with the remarkable history of Rosa,
new Charley Fear.