The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-03-27
Her Hubby A Dead Woman

her HuDDy DSuu w oman
Canandaigua, N. Y, March o.
William G.. Howard yesterday died
at her home in this town, leaving a
wife and Swo children. She was fifty
years of age. After her death it was
discovered that Howard was per-
fectly developed woman.
She had been married ten years.
Her wife had all these years been
kept in ignorance concerning the fact
that her husband was not man; at
any rate, that is what she swore to
before the coroner. During her testi-
mony she held in her arms nursing
baby, which was born only few
months ago.
The appearance of the baby deep
ened the mystery 50 much that the
coroner decided upon holding an
autopsy, in order to determine the
canse of Howard's death. Accord
ing to Mrs. Howard, her husband
complained of not feeling well on the
night she died. She had been doc
toring by an out-of town physician
for heart and lung trouble and, she
supposed, she took dose of the
medicine. They retired for the
night and in short time the husband
died.
The autopsy showed that Howard
died natural death, the verdict of
the coroner being that death was
due to heart disease.
Two half brothers of Howard were
summoned from Wellsville. To the
coroner they related the story Of
their sisters strange career, said she
was born in Germany and came to
this country when two years of age;
that the family located in Hornells-
vile and subsequently removed to
Wellsville; that the deceased sisters
name was Alice NJ. Howard; that she
did not get along with her mother
and when twelve years of age deter
mined to become a man and carried
into effect her determination by don
ming mans attire; that she changed
her name to w. G. Howard and went
to work in a neighboring county as
a farm hand
The family finally lost track of her.
The next heard from her was in May,
1892, when they learned that she had
been married in Hornellsville, N. Y,
to Miss Edith T. Aver, whose faith
er was at that time a well-known
passenger engineer on the Lehigh
railroad. The father has since died.
The sister, at that time, was milk
peddler in the city of Hornellsville.
One of the brothers said that after
the marriage w. G. Howard and
wife visited the formers home in
Wellsville; thai the family then
thought it their duty to iaform Mrs.
Howard that her husband was not a
man, but woman. They didn't do
so, however, because the couple
seemed to be infatuated with each
other.
The brother said Howard and his
wife visited the old home several
times afterward, but they had never
told Mrs. Howard of her delusion,
thinking that she must certainly
have found out her mistake.
Mrs. Howard, when questioned
about her married life, said it had
happy one, that she worshipped
"Will, as she called her husband
She said after they had been mar
ried about year they adopted
child. which died. In about four
years more they adopted another,
which is still living with her. When
questioned about the nursing baby
of which she is the mother, she
made no reply, except to say that
'sWill" thought the world of it.
Howard was a person well known in
Canandiagua, where she was seen al
most daily in the stores buying
goods.
She had a feminine manner, face
perfectly smooth, but no one ever
suspected that she was other than a
man. Another means which How
ard took to conceal her sex was that
of voting. She voted regularly, ii
variably casting her ballot for the
candidate on the Republican ticket.
Child Drinks Pint OF Whisky.
Tomah. March 22.-Little Bessie