Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-03
STRANGE CHARACTER cLINes TO
FEMALE ATTIRE
ASKS AID OF THE ASSOCIATED
CHARITIES
Mans Mother Believes Him to Be
Girl, While coworkers in Laun~
dry Do Not Suspect
Sex

snail, q young IHdIl dBcu ~ y0oA - f'0Ae
ed the Associated Charities last week
seeking assistance.
This young man has always worn
woman's clothing ever since baby
and his own mother wrote officers OF
the Associated Charities to the effect
that she herself had always believed
BERTHE to be girl.
But BERTHE has the slight suggestion
of a black mustache on the upper I'D.
OF a dark brunette complexion, he sat
in the hallway of the Associated Char
tiles, dressed in dark skirt with dark
waist and jacket and a soft felt hat.
such as is worn by women.
His black hair was tied in knot at
the back and the entire appearance,
save the somewhat heavy appearance
of the lips and the tiny mustache
mentioned, was that of woman.
"IIe wanted us to give her money
for its ROOM" was the nearest one OF
the officers of the Associated Chart
ties could express the situation. He
has lived for two years in Los Angeles
and was born in Iowa. From our rec
ords see he first reported to this So
ciety on June 25, 1907.
Has Never Shaved
"He has never shaved, l understand.
At that time the suspicious OF the OF
ficers Of our organization We're aroused,
and the county physician was called IN
to examine this case. The doctor de-
clared the young man to be mentally
affected OF course they found out the
sex Immediately. But, strange TO say.
the young fellow chung to his feminine
name and clothes.
Again on July Z, 1907, Marshall came
to us for aid. He was still dressed as
young woman. DR.. Dwyer and Dr.
Matheson of the county hospital We're
summoned and they pronounced Ber-
tie Marshall a normal man. Mr. SeWall
of the county charities endeavored all
in vain to persuade the foolish young
man to change his habiliments from
the feminine to male. But BERTHE chung
to his woman's toys. He insisted he
was a woman. He had money In the
bank at that time, and on that same
day drew out $40, although now he is
hard up for money.
again on August 8, 1907, BERTHE Mar
shall called at this office and wanted
us to assist him. August 20 he came
again and wanted us to send him to
his parents.
offered Male Attire
Mrs r. H. Marshall, his mother, lives
at Kenosha, Wis, where the father is
also living at present. We did not
promise to send him home to her
parents, but we told him that it could
be provided with male attire If he
would only permit us to send her to
a hospital, where he could lose her
| feminine clothes. put on male toggery
and come out and earn his living as a
man. She is a big, strong man, 1t is
And the officer of the Associated
Charities sighed for breath and looked
perplexed and careworn from this
problem.
When seen outside the office room of
the society Miss BERTHE Marshall APP
peared to be a rather modest. quiet
woman. The olive complexion. the thin
mustache, the restless, uncertain eyes
and the heavy hair knotted at the back,
all were perplexities.
where have you been working. Ber-
tie?" he was asked.
''In fruit sellers shop" he replied,
restlessly paving his hands as he
looked around the room nervously.
Now you're out of work and need
money!
YES" he replied.
"Did you ever work anywhere else ?"
Eyes; in a laundry" he said, lower
ing his head.
Works in Laundry
1t seems BERTHE had worked with girls
in a laundry in Los Angeles and no
suspicion was aroused as to his identity.
This was one reason why the Assoc
ciated Charities sought to persuade
him to don his rightful clothes and be-
come man in every sense of the word,
for the working as a woman among
women was a doubtful procedure.
But no amount of persuasion could
bulge him to lose his female robes.
Finally, some time ago, after the Of
ficers of the society had done all in
their power to persuade him to become
reconciled to change of garments, they
d. 70 fho faA 10
remained in control Of the situation,
however.
The police say that if the young man
comes out after o'clock at night
dressed as a woman they will arrest
him. But he stays inside, and when he
comes out next morning to go to work
as laundress, loi they cannot arrest
him. The landlady has no objections to
make of Bertie's behavior and he is
unmolested. The society officials do
not care to give the Los Angeles adj
dress of this strange young man, but
yesterday provided him with money
for rent. which he took gratefully.
Is Unmarried
He is unmarried and is evidently
quite Industrious. The present appeal
for help to obtain rent money is but
a temporary loan on his part. as he has
earned his own living before.
I'VE received most palmetto letter
from Bertie's mother" continued the
Associated Charities official "She
wrote us In answer to our inquiry that
she had always thought Berthe to be a
girl. They wanted us to persuade him
II he were a man to change his manner
of living, but. as I've explained. he
does not care to do so.
1--WE have offered to take him to the
hospital, where he could stay a few
days, then don male attire, and stay IN
Los Angeles until he learns to live and
work as man, after which he could
go home to his distracted mother"
But evidently this is all foolishnesa
to the female attired BERTHE, who is
quite willing to work as laundress
and wear a bonnet and skirts and
woman's waist and other feminine
clothing. The big heavy hands are
being trained to manipulate the iron
and to do the work of woman, while
the day OF public acknowledgment of
his weird deception is slowly APP
preaching.
Still BERTHE refuses to gracefully ac-
cept his fate and declare himself
man. He has never voted, smoked
cigar nor, as far as can be learned.
taken even his first drink.
--s-~er-
IL VIII Pay You
To 20 TO Redondo and see the Model Starr
Wave Motor and commercial plant being
built there.
-ss-e