Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-07-21
PERVERSONS OF SEX.
Some Strange Cases Graphically De-
SCribed.
Men Who Long to Be Women and
and Women Who Would Be
Men if They Could - Often the
Result of Dress and Education.
A Man Transformed Into Wo-
man A Romance in a Parish
Register.

A Man Transformed Into Wo-
man - a Romance in a Parish
Register.
Copyright, 1895, and all Rights Re
served)
The recent strange case Of Oscar
Wilde, who neglected a beautiful young
wife to devote himself to an infatua-
ton which he has formed for a son of
the Marquis Of Queensburg, is gener-
ally regarded as almost without par
allel; yet such perversions are in re-
atty very common, though in many in
stances the world fails 10 learn of them.
Men who long TO be women and do all
IN their power to unsex themselves,
who fall in love with men and make
love TO them are TO be found in every
community, while there is abundant
proof that women who would be men
If they could, who seek in every way
to cultivate a masculine nature, and
who win and enjoy the affections OF
other women just as they would do if
they were OF the male sex, are equally
numerous. Such perversiOns Of sex are
often the result Of dress and education
in childhood rather than of any innate
tendency. OF course, such cases among
women many noteworthy instances
may be really recalled.
Almost every reader win remember
the remarkable case of Alice Mitchell,
a young southern girl, who shocked
the whole community some years ago
by cutting the throat of another young
woman named Freda Ward, in the
street In Memphis, Tennessee. because
the latter had rejected her advances,
and refused to live with her as her
wife. The young murderess. who. like
her victim, came Of an excellent family,
was arrested and tried for her crime bus
was abudged insane and sent toa luna
tic asylum, where she now is.
A ROMANCE IN A PARISH REGIS
TER.
While turning over the musty old
registers of parish church in South
wark, London, came upon the record
OF marriage of Jacob Painter and
Hannah Short and the old verger or
SEXTON of the church who was in close
attendance upon me, eagerly waiting
for his expected fee, called my attention
especially to the marriage in question
ana proceeded to tell me a strange story
which revealed a case of one womans
lntatuation for another, very similar
to that Of Alice Mitchell for Freda
Ward. He said that when he was
very young man, dashing young fell
low calling himself Jacob Painter. ap-
peared in the neighbOrhOod and laid
desperate siege to the affections of Han
nah Short, a very pretty girl with whom
he seemed passionately in love- Han
nah smiled upon his suit and in due
time they were married as recorded in
the parish register In a few days
Hannah visited the rector who had per-
formed the marriage ceremony, and in
dignantly proclaimed that her "hus-
band was a woman. The rector ad-
vised a separation and Hannah accord
ingly refused to have anything to do
with her liege lord or rather lady, and
Jacob Painter whose real feminine
appellation was never known. took her
self off and shipped on board a man-of-
war. She subsequently returned to
Hannah, her wife" who forgave her
and the pair lived happily together as
man and wife till death separated them.
This story was afterwards confirmed to
me as absolutely true by the rector of
the church, whose father, the then
rector, had married the couple in Ques-
ton.
A MAN TRANSFORMED INTO A
WOMAN.
Of all recorded instances Of perver-
sion OF sex probably the most remark
able is the one in which a man was
transformed into a woman. | refer to
that of the late Omer Kingsley, a fam
GUS circus rider, who died in India sev-
eral years ago. This mans whole life
was a romance far surprising i'm inn
probability and thrilling interest any
novel ever penned by any master of fec
ton. He was born in New Orleans of
Creole parents. and at the age of eight
years was apprenticed by his mother to
S. O. Stokes, a well-knOwn circus man
ager Of that day, there being then no
law against the employment of young
children in hazardous performances.
What THIS boys real name was no ono
but Stokes ever knew, and he never
would diyulge the secret His father
was said TO be man of gre political
and social prominence. Be that as it
may, it was the boys singularly girl
like beauty that first attracted Stokes
attention to him and caused him to con-
ceive the idea of transforming him into
a girl. lie acc "dingly dressed him
from head to fot-wthin and without in
feminine attire, and from that time
until he had passed his twenty-first
birthday he never again wore a single
garment of mans apparel. Stokes be-
slowed upon him the fanciful appella-
ton of
ELLA ZOYARA."
It was under that name that he soon
became one of the most famous and
daring circus riders that a sawdust
arena has ever known. Another ap-
prentice of Stokes at that time was a
beautiful little girl Of about the same
age as ella Zoyara." and these two
children resembled each other so close
~ that any one would have taken them
for twins or at least for sisters, a re-
semblance that was heightened by the
fact that Stokes always had them
dressed exactly alike Both had long
black hair, which hung in the most
graceful, luxurient curls to their waist.
For years, and until the real little girl
had budded into womanhoOd and the
bogus one into manhood. they were the
most inseparable of companions, yet
when the little girl had reached a mar
riageable age Stokes made her his wife,