The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-15
PROVES TO BE A BOY.
HE SAYS HE WAS BROUGHT UP BY
MS PARENTS As a GIRL.

MRS. skinner OF lOT HICKS ebfeets bTOOklyn,
went to Police Headquarters on Wednesday
evening and told the Sergeant on duty that she
had a girl In her employment who threatened to
commit suicide. and that when she left her
house TO come to Headquarters the girl was run
ming around with a big bowie knife in her hand.
Mrs. Skinner was too excited to tell anything
more, and before any one could stop her to ask
more questions she had gone away. So there
was nothing to do but to send down to 1O7
Hicks street as soon as possible. A policeman
was despatched on the case at once.
When he arrived at Mrs. SINNERS everything
WINS quiet. He rang the door bell, and 1t was
opened by what appeared TO be a tall. muscular
looking girl, who was evidently a servant in the
house. She was very shy rnd appeared to be
frightened very much by the policemsn's uni
form. The policeman asked for Mrs. skinner,
and the girl, without saying a word TO him, ran
up stairs and left. the officer standing In the
hall. In n few minutes Mrs. skinner came down
and told the policeman that the girl who had
let him in was the one who had threatened
suicide. Then Mrs. skinner called up the stairs
in a loud voice for Eta. The door opener came
down In a bashful, timid way, and when she
had neared the spot where the policeman stood
Mrs. skinner said In a loud voice:
Yes, this is the girl who wants to die, officer"
"Oh, no. IL don't, Mr.. Policeman" cried Eta in
q frightened voice. and she Immediately began
weeping. Mrs. skinner insisted that she did,
and called up her cOlorcd cook to sustain her.
The cook said that Eta had been threatening
to suicide for the last two weeks or more, and
that time and again she would pull out the big
bowie knife she always carried and draw 1t
across her neck. The policeman began question
ing Eta about this. but the girl refused to
answer and became hystcrical. He could see
the handle Of the knife sticking from her dress
-. - - a l. IsLAA
woman who mich, nm herself hc decided IN
80 - IT., ia
her to 70 up stairs and yet on her things. While
abe was nm stairs Mrs. skinner told the police
Tmar Mn, 30 80 .hon, Etta She aid.
Eta came to ms about a month ago and
asked for work Of nny kind. As I needed a
strong girl TO do general WORK arouhn the mouse
just then. Eta was engaged mt . salary of ssa
month"; with p'aru ana lousns' N"e
no vacant room IN the house Just theh' Et'a was
WV, eio ~ 80 ~ an, w." hao, .r,,rinr
naue ooJec''oh u 'n'H' "'t ~ "" oi,'''"e
there ever since. She Is The best worker have
ever had. She never went out nj night, and |
have never seen such = modest girl in ali my
life. At the same time, she's so queer some
At this point Eta reappesred decked out in
street costume. She was composed and walked
station house was reached she described herself
as Eta Graemes. 10 years old. When asked II
she had any other home besides Mrs, SIX inner's
house, IN, aid she hadn't. As she was too
Young to be locked up in the station house. the
Sergeant decided to send her to the society for
the ns preysm1i0n street Sf 'IWSehIii iSs BEING 90 sh led over On tn
the society's headquarters she became hysterical
,snann, Wi hsh sn ono, Sss M qsR WiiEin 's smoke sq ERindiy
to her, and she seemed TO be at case in his
presence. t. -. .oo,.,r 90 r.,. urch q,
the past history Of any one brought to IL as
possible. BY adroit questioning the superin-
| iendent drew from Eta what she gave as the
story Of her life, IL was n sad one. and as she
tOld n tears frequently came 10 her eyes.
R.riin." she said. Il never had any brothers,
hui / had one sister. Mamma and papa and we
y ysors AGO p an said hss could make a fortune in
America. So we came to this country and went
TO live in William 6nTsh; ! used T. sing there
lived on Nontrose avenue, near the church, and
/ used to have a good time. l was happy
a week after that. mother took q dose OF poison.
together, but we loved each other, and we got
along pretty well. All winter we were together
death. Then this spring Sisters health began to
get bad, so, AS we had saved a little money to-
gether. we went up to the Cstskills. We spent
ali our money up there. and could not get home,
Catskili village. while / got a, place at the
O'Hara House in Hunter. Everything was going
along smoothly until about FIVE weeks ago, Then
sister poisoned herself, and | came back here to
| HrDDklXn.
81 did not have any place to 90 10, so I WAS
wandering around the streets when | happened
TO run across a girl 1 used 10 know when | lived
on Nontrose avenue. Her name is clara. |
can't remember her other name. Well, Clara
and myself got talking together, and | told her
/ only had n few dollars 10 my name, and that
when they were gone / would have nothing 10
live ON. Clara pulled me aside and began To tell
me what a fine plan il would be for US TO 20 and
dress nm in mems clothing and how we could
make $50 and $40 a week. ibid not care what
/ did, so we went around 10 a pawnbroker's shop
on Graham avenue and bought boys clothes,
We threw away our dresses after putting them
on. and went down In front of the bridge 10 sell
newspapers and try and get a lob on the bridge
cars. i got tired OF this and went walking
around the streets in my mems clothes, asking
every one for a job.
- AZ last went 10 l24 Hicks street, which Is a
big boarding house, and they hired me there as
a waiter, and my name was 10 be Henry. For
the first two or three days no one seemed 10 think
was a xirl. hut then one day | did some ironing
Then she said that no boy could do ironing like
that. and that she did not believe | was a boy
because i had acted queer ever since came
there. She said / didn't act or walk like one,
and that although / lad nv hair cut short, AZ
looked like a girls. They began 20 tease me
about my clothing, so / was only too happy 10
get back into dresses. did not stay there long,