The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-09-21
WORE TROUSERS
FOR TWO YEARS
Girl of Twenty Three Mas
queraded as Handsome Jack
and Fooled Everybody in
Town for Months.
MARRIED" THE BELLE
Is Now In jail With sklrts on and
Says She is Glad That tho Long
Nightmare Is
Ended.

tS'8'eH'HiS 70
Ended.
United Press Leased Wire Service.1 |
MEEKER, Colo, Sept 2o.-"I would
not go through with 1t again for a
million dollars. 1t is all a horrible
to me now that 1t is over
and am glad to be wearing dresses
again like other girls"
Helen Hillsher, the pretty girl Of
% who masqueraded as man for two
years in Meeker and even married"
Miss Anna Slifka, the towns beauty,
thus expressed herself tonight when
interviewed in the county jail where
she is awaiting trial in the district
court on the charge Of impersonating
man. Handsome Jack" Hill, as
Miss Hillsher was known during the
months OF her masquerading, express
ed repentance for her deception but
reiterated her previous statements
that she had donned the habiliments
of man In order to earn mans wages
and gain enough money to assist her
to a college education. She declared
she still believed she was Justified in
going to these lengths to gain SO wor-
thy an object.
Pressed for an explanation Of why
1t was necessary to marry" Miss
Slifka, the masquerader smiled and
related her experiences with the
young girls of the town. When I
came here she said, the girls dub
bed me Handsome jack liked the
tyexcitement and fun of the thing at
first and enjoyed myself Thoroughly.
But the girls just wouldn't let me
alone. They worried me to death with
hints to take them to parties and 9th
er social events.
Il got tired of it all and I found |
just had to tell some one about my
real self So picked Miss Slifka as
the likeliest confident and conflded
my secret to her She was trump
and when we both found that cur
wish to go to an eastern college was
mutual we planned our marriage" !"
You see I knew IL got married" the
girls would not bother me- So we
fixed 1t that I was to WOO and win
Anna. ! became an ardent wooer and
courted many girls, but finally settled
my affections on Anna and we were
married. Our courtship ended In our
marriage ten months ago Rev.
Nuckells of the Methodist church, off
ciated.
/ Everything was going lovely when
was arrested We had moved to
our homestead and were getting along
( happily and we were not doing any
thing wrong and both of US were saw
I ing money. cannot see yet what
have done to deserve arrest"
1t developed today that the girls
statement that she came from the
east was fiction. She formerly lived
! in Denver. SiS years ago she proved
up on public land and it was during
this experience she says that she
found masculine attire comfortable
and of assistance in getting employ
ment. During Handsome Jacks" two
years in and around Meeker "he'
4 cooked in a hotel worked for various
/ bachelor rancbmen and tended bar
before taking up the homestead where
4 "he" and "his bride" were living when
/ Jack" was arrested.
Released on Ball.
MEEkER, Colo. Sept. 20.-Bound
over to the next term of the district
court on the charge of impersonatins
a man. Helen Hillsher, who, masquer-
aiding as Handsome jack Hill for
/ two years, broke the hearts of the
lovelorn maidens Of Meeker and final
1 ly married" Miss Anna Slifka, was
released on bail tonight, after sen.
sational court hearing. Handsome
Jack" and Attorney Chambers, her
counsel, left at late hour for Denver
where the girl hopes to escape the no
toriety attendant upon her escapade.
Miss Slifka, bride" of Handsome
Jack" refused TO prosecute her ''hus
band" but Victor Slifka. the girls ia
ther, announces he will prosecute Miss
4 Hillsher to the limit of the law. He
alleges Handsome jack grossly de
ceived his daughter and led her to be
lieve that "he" was man
When Miss Hillsher was arraigned
Ibefore Judge Sanderson thfN>afternoor
Miss Slifka testified that she did no
know her "hus band" whom she mar