The age-herald., 1901-11-30
Identity Discovered in Hospital Here While Foot Was Be-
 ing Operated On
FOLLOWED MAN SHE
 LOVED SEEKING WORK
Rode Freight Trains, Counted Cross Ties and Lived Regulation Tramp Life-Both Held at
 the City Jail.

The charge against Ethel Wells. pret- ty young woman prisoner at the city jail, is having "hoboed" from New York to Birmingham all the time masquerading as man. This woman of nerve and ad- yenturous spirit rode on freight trains, left her footprints on the muddy surface of innumerable country roads, counted g few thousand erossties, accepted lifts from kindly-disposed drivers of farm wagons, slept on the ground sometimes and sometimes in barns. begged and did odd jobs for what she ate. and reached Birmingham with nothing worse than an abseess On her foot. Her identity was dis covered while an operation was being performed at St. vinoent's Hospital on the afflicted member.
 These hardships she endured for the man she loves-Robert Douglass-who she claims as her husband. According to her story, they were unhappily situated in New York.
  ployment elsewhere and decided to travel until he did find 1t. Her woman's heart rebelled at being left alone and she told him if one must go, two must go. Doug lass provided her with an outfit of male attire. The work-hunting journey was be- gun. At place after place they were met by the crowded industrial conditions that make the unemployed. City after city, town after town they have turned away from with weary hearts, till at last they reached Birmingham Thursday afternoon Abcess on the Foot. The woman was i'll from an abscess which formed on her left foot because of exposure. While standing on the streets and talking with a crowd of men Thurs day night Patrolman Mckinney advised that she visit a hospital. This advice was accepted, but all the time the officer be- lieved he was talking to a man. At the hospital an operation was performed and the foot dressed. While this was being done the fact of the masquerade was dis covered. Yesterday morning the police department was notified, Chief Austin detailed officers Cole and Brown to ar. rest the woman and the man by whom she was accompanied. The officers began their search for the man at Il o'clock. He was found at o'clock and both were taken to the office of the chief. There they told that they were from New York and had tramped here through the coun- try,
 The woman is of medium build. weigh
 
 years or age with well-colored cheeks, slightly narrow. a pretty, small mouth, and blue-gray eyes. She wore a checked suit of clothes. a black soft shirt, no collar, a crush hat of the siouch variety. and No. 6 shoes.
 Her voice was gentle, decidedly fenin- inc. and her general appearance that of weil-bred young woman. While being questioned she would often hang her head ard blush; and while the city physician. Dr. Charles Wheelan, was dressing the wound, she shed tears because of the pain.
 She claimed to be printer by training, while Douglass is an iron moulder. She said that she assumed the disguise In or
  coEt. She left New York during the third week in October, and has been on the road since that time. She claimed to have no relatives. and in talking of her trip said:
 Tells Story of Trip. 'sWe are married, and did not want to stay in New York where life was not as pleasant as I wished, So my husband started out to look for work He went up in Maine and stayed two weeks. Then l he returned to New York, and we start ed down this way. I could not stay there, | though he wanted me to wait until he got | Il job, and made some money to send for me.
 .so he finally bought me this suit of clothes, hat and shoes and we started | out. We have walked, rode freight trains and tramped as hoboes all the way, pass ing through Washington. Baltimore. Richmond. Charleston. Savannah. AtIan- ta. Macon and Columbus. to say nothing l of many smaller and sometimes large. | cities. I have never been arr ested before, | nor even had anyone express suspicion 1 tfat I vas not a man.
 1 q assumed the disguise because