The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-20
POSES.AS GIRL2S
YEARS, THEN WEEDS
Maine Youth Falls in Love
With Teacher and Drops
Disguise.
DRAFT BOARD MAY ACT
Wedding Takes Place in Gov
ernor's Office--Mother
- Made Him "Girl." ..
s,,ss, pespatch 10 TIE srr.


EAST cosrrrH, Me-. Aug. 1s.-Mem-
hers OF the Union Baptist Church to-day
v.re about evenly divided over the pro-
ro.ed expulsion Of "sister Cora" Norton
following the discovery that the young
person who has been posing a. Giri
here for twenty-three years was actually
"Nr. Eugene CODY Morton.
The village was stirred to its depths
. few days ago when Cora" returned
,ror, A trip to the white Mountains in
Company With Miss Abby Z. Foster.
teacher in the East Cortnth Academy,
and strsishtway applied at the town
clark. Office for n marriage license. ex-
p,aining TO that astonishsd ohicial that
IN reality "she" was a man.
The license was issued and Norton
and Miss Foster were married In Gov.
Muliken's once at the State House in
Aususts. There have been noisy sere-
nsdes under the couples window since
thsir return. The indignation OF the
church members extends to ''Cora'9'
bride because Il II asserted that Norton
had consded the truth regarding his
Sax to Miss Foster but that the latter
had permitted him to be baptized and
received into the church a. sister
Draft Board Intcrested.
Dozens Of persons to-day are declar--
ing that they always had noticed Cora"
had an extraordinarily deep voice for Q
siri and that .shs' was exceptionally
capable with the chores. taking entire
c.r. ~ n hard IF twenty cows.
Draft board ohlcials are interested In
the disclosure of 'Cora's" sex. an she"
failed to register under the selective law.
II was in connection with this that Nor
ton and Miss Foster went to Augusta to
see the Governor. What took place In
the Gubernatorial once other than that
there was a marriage ceremony has not
been disclosed.
According to Mrs. Norton. her hus-
bands mother II responsible for the de-
eeption he has prastised for years be-
cause when he was young boy she
dressed him in girps clothing. She said
that several times ne had attempted to
reveal his secret. but that ne had be-
come so accustomed to his feminine role
that he found 1t impossible.
y challenge any one in East Corinth
to show that he has ever been guilty
Of the slightest indiscretion. even In
word" said Mrs. Norton of her husband
to-day His character Is Christian and
blameiess. I know what the people
here, especially tho women. are saying
To think that that man was among our
daughters at school and church affairsr"
But he has never violated the confidence
Of any person and he Is perfectly hon
cradle.
IT am q teacher in the East Corinth
Academy and Mr.. Norton was one OF
my pupils. My motto Is to fall in love
with my pupils the frst day OF school
and never to fall out Of love with them.
was fond of him, thinking he was a
girl. He boarded at my house and did
the chores among the farmers. Three
days before school closed last June he
came to me and told me he was a man.
Then last week We fiied our marriage In
tsntions, and now We are married. ''''
Girls Knew He shaved.
when did you fall In love. with him p
the bride was asked
Well. I don't think that is any of the
publics business" 49,.
On tho day after Norton and Miss
Foster fled their marriage Intentions the
former created q near riot IN the village
street by appearing in q mans suit. Hia
hair, formerly long and done up In
knot at the back Of his head, was cut
short. 1t was of Amer texture appar'
entity than that OF most young men.
His hands were softer and whittier than
the average masculine hands Norton
Is still i'll at ease in his male attire and
continues TO sit and walk with feminine
grace.
East Corinth girls say now that they
have always known Cora was queer"
They knew. they declare. that Norton
shaved during the time they thought him
Of their own sex. His deep. masculine
voice often startled them. But despite
all this It 10 likely that he never. never
would have got into diflcultiss with the
draft board II he just hadn't fallen In
lovA uIt To- char