The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-17
WOMAN IN
MANS GARB
TOOK Wife
For Ten Years "Harry" Norman
Lived In Buffalo and Nobody
Suspected Her Sex.

Buffalo. Dec. 17.-After ten years OF
masouerading as a man Harry Nor
man has been found to be a woman
Harry" slipped on an Icy walk In this
city last night. A fractured leg resulted
Harry" was taken to the Emergency
hospital. and there. on tho operating ta-
BILE. the surgeons made the discovery. eu
When asked TO give her real name af-
ter her sex was discovered. the woman
Harry" Norman since she was eight
years old. she gave vague account of
her life, saying that she was "a years old
and was born in England.
She never knew her parents, and had
been obliged 10 earn her own living as
long as she could remember. She refused
to name the place OF her birth or TO tell
where she lived previous to Ave years
ago.
For the greater part OF the last FIVE
years Harry has been a cook at the
Canandaigua hotel I'm this city. She said
she had worked as cook In several
other places, and was to 60 to work In a
restaurant at Washington and Swan
streets this morning.
The woman's most surprising story was
that she had been married six years ago
to Agnes Norman, who left her recently
Harry" stated that she had been living
recently at S25 Seneca street, the other
occupants OF the rooms being two cats
named Babe and George. She begged the
surgeons not 10 tell her sex, and hinted
at resorting to the lake "to end II all" IL
the disclosure was made. After the
operation she was transferred TO the Sis
ters' hospital.
On Sept. 26. 1896, Harry Norman was
married by Alderman Joseph Butler to
Miss Agnes Gordon Norman was s2 and
the bride %. The marriage certificate
stated that the supposed bridegroom. who
gave the name OF George II. Norman.
was born in Yorkshire, England
The brides fathers name was c. II
Gorton and the mothers maiden name
Caroline Bow. Harry" had been married
before TO a man In Rochester. where she
lived before coming TO Buffalo. IL is said
that son is years old, living in this city.
Is hers by the Rochester marriage
"Harrys" wife left him about year ago
At a Seneca street lunchroom where
Harry" had been employed as n cook
10 Is said that he took weeks vaca-
tion a short time ago. giving as rea-
son that he was going 10 get married
again. The women she worked with say
marry" always acted like perfect gen
tleman." She used TO remark once "A
a shave
The landlady at 225 Seneca street. whore
Harry roomed. said that she had sus-
pected he was not a man. He had lived
there for more than a year. and Mrs
Norman called often and did her "hus-
band's' washing. but did not room there.
She said that Foster another lodger. Of
ten routed Harry out OF bed TO buy
drinks for him In n saloon and get in
formation about his (Foster's) wife. who
had deserted him. Foster always sup
posed that Harry" was a man The
landlady said Norman swore like any
gentleman"
II never was more surprised I'm my
life than when I heard this morning that
Harry r. n woman. said Alderman But
Ter. "He-she. 7 mean--was we'll known
about here for years. Everybody knew
Harry, the cook. The only funny thing
about him was his voice
Harry" drank beer. chewed tobacco,
smoked cigars ana affected swsgger.