The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-02-06
4 STRANGE STORY.
Nearly Forty Years of Masquer-
aiding in Female Attire. s
A Sensation in the Valley of the
Shenandoah.
Winchester. Yc., Dispatch. .

Mr.. JAS. P, Riley, clerk of the
county court here, was astounded a
few days ago by the application of
Miss Elizabeth Rebecca Payne, a
well-known lady living near this
city, for license to marry Miss
Kinson. Mr.. Riley thought the lady
was joking, and treated the matter
lightly at first, but when he discov
cred that she was in earnest in her
application he gravely informedher
that the laws OF Virginia would not
permit one lady to marry another.
She then almost paralyzed him by
stating that she was not a woman,
but a man. He, as we'll as all Win.
chester and a very large slice Of the
Valley of Virginia, had known her
as a woman for many years, and il
is natural to suppose that her un-
sexing was a great surprise to him
and the entire, community How.
ever the upshot Of the affair was
that Miss Payne could not secure a
marriage license until she had her
given name changed by due process
of law to a. more masculine one!
Previous to the application for Ii
cense, Miss Payne, it is stated, had
informed two or three gentlemen in
her neighborhood that she intended
to marry. Miss Hinton, accompanying
the Indignation with the further
revelation of her true sex. This
astonishing news had become spread
aboutthe neighborhoodof her home,
a little hamlet called Rest, about
seven miles south of Winchester,
before the application for hcensewas
made, and some cautious whispers
Of it had reached Winchester, but
no one had openly spoken of it on
the street. When it became known,
however, that the person whom
everybody u had known as Miss
Elizabeth Rebecca Payne for many
years, fer it is said she is on the
shady side of thirty eight years, had
Eopenly avowed herself a man and
announced, her determination. to
take unto herself wife, the tongues
of the people were ,loosed and the
strange atfair, was upon every, one'l
| lips, Nothing since the great bat
| tie of the late war had created SC
| decided, a sensation in. the interest
ing and historic little city Of Win
| chester and up and down the rich
and beautiful Shenandoah valley
The people marveled and laughse
almost at the same breath. 1t lwai
all so strange, ana yet SO irresisti
bly, funny. The community, as every
other, has it's wiseacres, who begar
TO shake their heads when they
heard the news, and purse up theil
mouths to say: 81 told you so,'1 lik'
The traditional old woman, ewhel
told by. her waggish husband tina
The cow had swallowed the grind
stone, bat it was no. use. They
we're good7naturedly laughed down
and the whole valley acknowledges
| genuine surprise. They had seel
Miss Payne ride into Wincheste
fer years on her horse as lady
nad bowed to her, respected her
admired her somewhat maseulin'
grace in managing her spirited an
imal, and several gentlemen who's
nair was tinged with gray, mo doub
recall some gallant little speeches
| Just dashed with tenderness, they
uttered in bowling over her hand il
| past years, Perhaps a few iof, then
Remembered the time at some even
| ing entertainment when they, ha
| quoted poetry to her, or whilewalk
ing beneath the whispering trees i
: | summer time with the moon flood
] ing the beautiful valley. - Later o
in life they recall her as the az
knowledged head lof her family,
woman of spirit, rwiu, iinteligene
: and decided business grit, managas
!, ing her affairs in an admirable wa
: and conducting in addition, there's
q successful store and United State
I post-office at Rest. Winchester an
: the Valley of Virginia remembers
: all this, and wondered and slaughe
0 and wondered again, and althoug
i the affair was nearly q week soi
Z when your correspondent beganssj
: inquire into it to day it was sti
Q fresh enough to set all tOpgues was
u ging with pleasant excitement. Nj
b | Joseph A.yNulton, clerk of the eli
& cult court, said that Miss Payne wa
5 a member of the most respectahl
2 families in. the. Valley of Virgin.
:, her father was Mr.. Joseph Payne
popular and good natured gentle
\ man. who lived and died 4nponl th
! farm now operated by the iudiyidu
! al who has created such a sensatio
in this valley There were four {
Eve daughters living when the Fl
E ther died. They continueds TO ~
: side upon the farm. Several ofthel
] were we'll educated and highly en-
: tivated, and charmed all by thai
personal attractions and elegaI
mannsrslk All were ladiesaOt sfE
e sense, and mingledin tho .fIstssoei
! circles. qwosi.ofa thensisters wel
marriedsome yeaas agoiEto gentl
7 men whose social status, is equal j
Q the best in the Stasasn vni4odal 81
e Miss Rebeeca was moro maseuiin
[. both in physique and mind ths
! the other sisters, and when son
: reyerses took place in the fami
!. fortune she came. To the front al
n lgO managed the property as to /