The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-28
WOMAN PASSES FOR
YEARS AS A MAN
''Willian' H. Cleery, Salt
Lake Shoemaker, Finally
Divulges Identity.
PREFERS MALE ATTIRE
Has Made Success in Business,
but Is Ready 10 Don
Skirts.


Hundreds OF citizens OF salt Lake "h9
hay" for many ycars potromSed ~
lam ~. Ciccry. shoemaker. in the nase-
mcDt OF 30 South Main street. VIII hc
greatly surprised to learn that iae duict
unassominC little cobhler is wonoh'
After n disguise maintained FOR score
of yeas with a Vorv few in thc secret
tia woman ,livulgcJ her Identity ycstcr-
day.
"Yes. / am woman." she admitted
last night TO Tribune reporter. fVi
twenty wears | have worn male attlrr
aud for eleven years of that time haye
conducted shoeuskinS shops In Main
street of th!a city. Few, II any; GuesscI
ihc secret Of nS 'Geoiity unuI on ~
Ashton avenue street car tho other nisl'
I saw that scycl0i passengers had IN
some manner discovered the fact lhat J
am a woma0 then resolved 10 resume
female aItire wien again went on 'he
streets
And true 10 hcr newly-forui-d oe'"r-
mlnation sllr went carly yesterday morn
Ing to = number Of downtown stores ana
purchased several dresses and TIE othcr
garments which go with miladys tollet-
~ really cnJcred The ,ons-d"forrcd tcn1- a
mlnc pleasure OF shopping. she said.
although the salesSirls did look nj me
ratlie: curiously as made purchases SCI
dom made hy male customers.
Girl Learns Shoemaking.
Eva McC1eery. az the woman VAS
known before she doffed the feminine
nsme with the garments OF the sex, ls
Liverpool amd while youne girl learned
the trade OF shoemaking. she worked AT
the trade while in England and. coming
70, america thirty-iive years ago, sun
followed that line OF work.
81 worked a number oT years III TINS
city as a shoemsker. she said. In re-
viewing her career. Il worked In the
TGrd ward and afterward in the Elev-
aOti war5 n0nt tupnty
a spirit Of curiosity. | put on mems
clothing found that could work so
much better At the bench. unhampered
by my skirts. That continued the prac-
iice. II soon became second nature 10
me. and ! discarded female attire alto
zether.
her efforts To live up to her salf-inn-
posed role. II learned To smoke she
said with shudder. recalling her early
struggles IN overcome a womans re-
puguancc 10 the weed, II rracticed
coarsening my voice and tried to cult
vnrc taste for manly pursuits and
aniusemeuts."
Disguise Nearly Perfect
SO we'll did she learn her part that
eighteen years ago she secured posi-
tion at The state university as instruc.
Tor IN the industrial department, and
held tho position two years without tho
slightest suspicion of hcr masquerade
being aroused, She then went 10 Ogden
ana 1cf IlSc Years 'huEIl1 l1r SIuNcnlS
Of the Deaf and Blind institute tho shoe
makers trade.
For this long period Of time she wss
in daily contact with students and In
strUctcrs without The question of her
sex being even suspected, When the
Mctcolf administration OF the school was
succeeded by the present one. Mrs. Nc
C'eory returned 10 Salt Lake. a shoe
maker who had conducted shop In
tho basement OF the Utah National bank
building had just loft the city and the
woman. siill in the Eulse OF man,
rented the place and set up in business
for herself.
II continued at This location for six
years said Mrs. McClecry. and built
up good business. / do good work
she added proudly; Il am not afraid 10
beg; iDer-shocmaEers In the country.
After six years at her first location
The woman cobbIer moved into the base
mont Of f6 South Msin street and spent
ago TO her present location.
Good Looking Man.
Mrs. McCIecry makes rather AN at
trnctlye appearance in mems clothing.
Her gray hair. worn rather long. is
brushed back from a face which has
been touched but lightly by the passage
OF time. He slight and slender figure
is perfectly erect and neatly clad I'm II
business suit. and she creates the inn
PRECISION Of being what she really js-a
munitr
Mrs. McCeery has had nany interest
Ing experiences with other women while
posing as man. She naIvely admits
that quite a few OF the gentler sex have
fallen desperately ip love with the
quiet-spoken little cobblcr. Just a fort
night ago. said she Il becnme ac-
qualntcd with a. woman who BECAME.
quite smitten with me and gave me re-
peatod invitations TO call.
Rut all lev,ty is abandoned and the
iittle woman is quite serious when she
discusses her future. II prefer wearing
male attire. but II there Is any objection
from any one, / Will never again don
trousers" she says. ."Dr Mar,- Walker
and other women arc permitted to wear
mems clothing and I don't see why any
body should object II should but am
ready 10 give up that form Of dress IT,
anyone objects
And with just a little culver OF the
lip and q suspicion of a tear In her eyes.
ihe elderly woman concluded: But /
beg permission 10 dress as | please while