The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-08-18
UNMASKING OF MY.
WOMAN AS man
AMUsEs DUPEs
~ Feel As II I Had Lost q Chum,"
Says Companion Of Mrs. E. B.
Smith Who Posed Five
Years Az Man.
Men Who Worked and Played With
Young Spaniard Come in For
Kindly Banter.


hundred men and women In New York
city first gasped with astonishmenr
and then laughed when they read the
amazing story OF Alias AL Martinez"
or Elena B. Smith. who for five years
had posed as man. and In mans
clothing had gone through all sorts
OF masculine experiences, from bust
ness to rough houses" and had never
been suspected. These were the per-
sons with whom al Martinez"
worked and played, and at whom she
Is now quietly laughing. demurely
and femininely clad, at the Hotel Bre-
wort.
Ia business establishments where
the supposed young "Spaniard' had
been employed the routine of the
morning was everywhere broken I'D
by "reminiscences, excited gossip and
laughter. The stenographers, tele-
phone operators and other women en-
ployes thought 1t was not SO surpris-
ing that they had not discovered the
secret OF Martinez. because they had
not been closely associated with him.
Went To Boxing Matches.
Consequently they bantered men
workers who had gone to cafes, to the
races, to ball games and even to box
ing matches with "Al" and had not
dreamed they were going about with
a woman. Moreover. they had given
him" their confidence about love az
fairs. matrimonial difficulties, debts,
and so on, and had used language to
him" that would have been consid.
cred most shocking to woman.
You may assure all my young men
friends, however" said Mrs. Smith,
that I'll never tell any one where
I've been with them or what they said
70 me. EVEN If am gfrf again + II
keep to the male code of honor about
such things"
At the first business place where
"Al Martinez" worked after taking up
that role In Boston and coming here
the tobacco mandatory OF Jacob
Stahl, Jr., now at First-ave. and
overwhelmingly Is still well re-
membered. Mr.. Stahl was not there
yesterday, but a forewoman OF the
factory (who asked that her name
be withheld said:
II used to have trouble keeping my
girls from flirting with Martinez, he
was so good-looking and well-dressed.
One girl wanted to marry him and was
almost heartbroken when he left"
The big wooden house OF s. Stein
& Co.. at Fifth-ave. and Eighteenth
ST.. was a-buzz over the strange story.
Henry Bernhard, one OF the partners,
was the man who engaged Martinez
there as bookkeeper I'm the spring
of 1906 He was inclined to be a
trifie chagrined at first when asked
about this.
"Of Course, He Worked Here"
But when he saw the smiling faces
Of the bookkeepers and heard the
open giggles OF the girls about the
place Mr.. Bernhard enjoyed a hearty
laugh at his own expense.
At the cloth importing house OF
Greer & Co., at Mercer and Spring
SITS. most OF the laughs, apparently,
were at the expense OF w. James
Faith, the manager, who not only ad-
yanced young Martinez several times.
but when he left gave him letter
testifying to how honest and capable
a young man" the bearer was. Mr..
Faith, however, did not appear yester-
day.
said Mr.. Bay, the head bookkeeper.
of course, he worked here. I've been
hearing nothing but Martinez all day.
No, I never knew he was woman
never suspected. But ask Mr.. Faith;
he's the boss"
In n Spring-st. cafe nearby they re-
membered the slim young Spantard,
and the bartender enjoyed tell
h fa 70 ne
on the rail with the rest OF the Grecff
employees. That was In the fall
OF 1908.
Nearby Is a handbook man, who
laws odds on the horse races.
knew Martinez WE'LL he said. "On
DAYS when he couldn't get TO the track
he used to bet with my book, and he
did pretty WELL
Not one person could be found In
any of the places that employed "Al
Martinez" who ever suspected that
the slim Spaniard was a woman.
Many OF Mariners pals called up
Mrs. Smith at her hotel yesterday TO
congratulate her on her cleverness.
For a long time Frank StrachaI, a
Young real estate salesman who
worked with Martinez for the Laurel
ton Land company, but who now Is
with a concern developing Plandome
Heights, could not believe the story.
Then a study of the photographs con-
vinced him.
why, feel as II had lost an old
chum." he told a friend. al and |
were as close friends as two men
could be. have even been up TO his
house and met his wife. / never
dreamed he was anything else but
one OF the boys Well, hope | meet
him-or ker-again."
Mrs. Smith enjoyed herself at a
theater last night. in fashionable femi-
nine array. but she said after the show
she would have been more comfortable
sitting In the balcony or gallery as
Young man. SIZE will make plans In
few days for her future homo and
business, and, she says, will always
hereafter be q woman.
The Ford Automobile Co., Is about
10 begin building operations on its
big addition TO the Walkerville plant.
The addition will BIO TOKYO, two
stories high. of reinforced concrete.
Tho coat will he about 100000 AL