Year: 1859

that the twain should be one flesh, and 80
to the church they hied. Harry discharg-
ed the duties OF bridegroom at church to
perfection; but when the widow got him
home there was terrible row. The night
was spent in downright quarrel and fight,
and the lamentable result was summons
taken out by Betsey against her husband
for an assault, for which he was condemn
ed to the New Bailey for one or two
months. During the hearing of the case,
Betsy, with great vehsmence, declared that
her husband was not a man, and she there
fore would not live with him. The case
created great amusement and gossip at
The time, and formed the subject of popu
lar ballads, which were sung and hawked
about the streets of Manchester.


"Harry" Stokes, on issuing from the
New Bailey, was considerably prosecuted
by those little gamins who know so we'll
how to torment street celebrities, while he
was also the object of much curious spe-
culation among his brethren of the trowel.
Re, however maintained discreet silence
as to his sex, threw out hints that the wo-
man he had married was mad, and as the
most effective proof that she was a malevo.
lent libeller, he soon afterwards married
another widow, rejoicing in the name Of
Frances Collins, who was some fifteen OF
twenty years his senior, and who had a
grown up son and daughter living with her
His connection with this woman, with
whom he had lived until he committed sui.
eide, is the most mysterious phase of this
mysterious person. She declared with
solemn earnestness that she did nol know,
untlinformed the other day. that the per
son with whom she had been living for
the last twenty five years, sleeping togeth-
er night after night in the same bed, was
woman, and her own children look
ed upon Stokes as their step-father. She
asserts that she took Stokes into her house
in the first instance out of piety, to shield
him from the persecution to which he was
subjected. 1t may be that although out
ofsense of shame the old woman attempted
to conceal her knowledge of Stokes sex,
she did not in reality know from the first
that the person was woman, and that
she was in all probability induced by
Stokes to consent to the union in order
that the appearance of married life might
dispel the rumors afloat and enable him to
''live in peace and quie:ness."


Whether or not that was the intention,
the acquaintance brought about that re-
suit; for although these surmises that "Har-
ry" Stokes was woman, and he was a
woman, and be constantly the object of
curious glances, he escaped the open mo-
lestation to which he had been previously
subjected. Harry and Fanny took beer
house in Corporation ST., Stafford, where
they lived for two years.


They were living in Richmond St., up
to the time of the tragedy which has re
vived the whole history of this singular
person. Harry Stokes appeared lalterly
to be falling into decayed circumstances,
and the fear of poverty is believed to have
induced him to commit suicide. On Fri
day evening the deceased went to the Swan
public house, Pendleton, and, after drink
ing four glasses of ale, he left for the pur-
pose of proceeding, as he stated to Throttle
Nest. In the morning a hat was found on
the top of the water in the suice of the
river Irwell, at Mode Wheel, and on ex-
animation the body of a man was found
standing upright in the water.


AT the inquest before the Coroner, the
body was identified as that of Harry
Stokes, the well known master bricksettcr
of Salford; and it would probably have
been buried in its clothes as it was. and the
secret of the poor, courageous, hard work.
ing Harriet Stokes would thus have been
buried with her, had not one Of the jury
been acquainted with her history. He
mentioned his suspicion that the deceased
was woman and not man, and two
women were sent by the Coroner to test
the mystery, returned tittering into the
Court with the information that, true
enough, the body in mans clothes was that
of perfect woman, and no man. She
was very full breasted, but the shape of
her womanly make was distorted by a
broad strap which buckled round her body
under the arms.


There is something of grandeur after all
in the character of that strange woman.
She has left momentoes of her industry
and skill all over Manchester, and in many
places in Stafford. She was very clever in
the erection of tall chmneys, and some of
the highest in Manchester have been Who'll
ly or partially erected under her superin-
tendence; she has built churches, chapels,
and extensive blocks of dwelling houses,
among which are mentioned the large hou
ses at the back of St. Phillips church, Sal
ford; she was most expert in fitting stoves
and fire CRATES, and her aid in this branch
of her trade has been obtained in some of
the best houses in Manchester, and in the
days of the Chartist riots she was sworn as
special constable, and was made captain
of her company. Her industry and skill
at one time placed her in very comfortable
circumstances, and there are persons who
are now esteemed among the foremost men
in Manchester who have been entertained
at the roaring suppers given by Harry
Stokes.


How TO CURE BEBF.-To each hundred
pounds of beef, take one ounce and quar-.
ter of saltpetre, two pounds and half Of
brown sngar, five pounds Of Turk Island
salt, and two gallons and a half of water
Put the whole in boiler, apply the vesseI
10 a 6ro ,,J ho;t until tba b,rj ;nrro