The Russellville Democrat., 1892-03-17
WOMEN WITH RECORDS.

The case or the poor little sea APP
prentice, Hans Brandt" who fell
into the hold Of the bark Ida, of
Pensacola, at West Hartlepool and
was killed, adds one more name to
the long list of women who, for one
reason or another, have put aside
the garments of their sex and
donned the habits and initiated the
ways of men. Not until Hans
Brandt'si body was being prepared
for burial was it discovered that the
Ida's apprentice was a girl. Why
she disguised her herself and why
she shipped are questions to which
no certain answer car be given.
An uncomfortable home, or possibly
nothing worse than a craving for
adventure may supply the explana-
ton. Both causes it is well known
have operated in the past, but al
though domestic trouble has I'M
doubtedly led MARY women thus to
disguise themselves, the eommoner
stimulus, it would appear, is pro-
vided by that love of change and
excitement which at one period of
life takes possession of almost every
one.
Romantic ideas were VIGOROUSLY
the disposing causes in the cele-
brated case of Anne Jane Thornton.
Her father, who was comfortably
off, was very kind to her, but at the
irresponsible age of Ii she met
Alexander Burke, an American sea
captain. and when he went to New
York she determined to leave her
home in Donegal and to follow him.
She succeeded in shipping as cabin
boy and in reaching America; but
there discovered that Captain Burke
was married, and so resolved to re-
turn as she had come. She shipped
as cook and steward first in the
Adelaide, then in the Rover. and
finally in the Surah, Capt. McEn-
tire, and was returning In the last
named ship to London in 1884,
when her sex was by accident dis
covered. She has been for nearly
three years absent from home. Up
on reaching England she appeared
before the lord mayor, to whom
Capt. McEntire stated in court that
Miss Thornton had done her duty as
seaman in most admirable way,
and that she had behaved herself
with the utmost propriety. A few
kindly people undertook 80 send ner
hone. What afterward befell her
is unknown.
Romanticism also played an import
ant part in thecase of Mary Anne
Taylor. Her domestic affairs, how
ever, were not the most comfort
able, and it is uncertain whether
she accompanied her lover, an in
fantry officer, to the West hides
solely on account of her affection
for him, or partly on account of her
home troubles. But accompany
him she did, and in boys dress.
Going with him afterward to France
she acted as a drummer and was
wounded at the siege of Valeneiennes.
Upon her recovery she de-
serted and took service, still as boy,
on board a French lugger, which she
believed 10 be trader, but which
was really privateer. In this
craft she was captured by feet
under Lord Howe, TO whom, with
out revealing her sex, she ex-
planned the circumstances of her
engagement.
Her explanation being ac-
cepted she shipped as cabin boy in
the Brunswick, Capt. John Harvie,
and fought in that capacity on the
glorious lst of June, 1874. Al
though she received two severe
wounds on that occasion, and was
sent for treatment to Haslar. she
nevertheless managed to conceal her
sex, and subsequently joined the
Vesuvius bomb and then a Yankee
trader. Indeed, she only pro-
claimed herself at last in order to
avoid being pressed as seaman on
her return again to England This
woman, who was the youngest of
sixteen natural children Of Lord
William Talbot, enjoyed for many
years a small pension from the
queen Of George III.
About forty years ago a far more
extraordinary instance Of successful
disguise was current topic Of Cos