A Man in Cleveland Personating a Woman for Fourteen Years.
Published: July 2, 1865
About two months ago a young girl of pleasing looks and address arrived in Cleveland from New-York. At first she obtained a position as a waitress in a hotel, and afterward took charge of the cigar stand at the Varieties, a concert saloon of that name in Cleveland. There her good looks and winning ways obtained her numerous customers, and she drove a thriving business. In many cases her fascinated patrons refused to take any change, and thus "Miss ADDIE" for that was her name -- throve apace in her own right, and managed to pick up any amount of pin money. ADDIE's admirers, from the first, were numerous; but eventually they beseiged her in droves, so that often the cigar stand would prove more profitable than the stage itself. She was an accomplished coquette, and thus had a smile for each and every one of the crazy crew at her feet. Her smiles were by no means confined to the young, for gray hairs were found worshipping at her shrine as often as the fair locks of youth. Among those who wooed her were old bachelors, Young America, and men of family and widowers, and brainless fops, and boys whose chins had not even made the acquaintance of down. And the attentions to which she was treated were by no means confined to the wordy class. No, indeed; substantials in abundance fell to her lot. Old Mr. So-and-so gave her a now silk dress, and "old batch" So-and-so presented her with several dozen pairs of pocket-handkerchiefs, and fast Mr. So-and-so sent her two pairs of silk gaiters and a few pairs of Alexander's best, while Master So-and-so gave her an order for a new bonnet. Then, too, scarcely a day passed that she was not taken out to ride behind a pair offset nags, with all the usual accessories of ice cream, strawberries and cream, Roman punch, &c. Thus things west on -- from the time of her appearance at the Varieties -- in this roseate way, until a few days ago, when the astounding discovery was made that "Miss Addle" was a man! Of course, the manager and her crowd of admirers were both astounded and inclined to doubt their senses; but in spite of all, it turned out that she was not a woman, but that he was a man. The young man stated that, for fourteen years, he had worn the garb of a woman, in which guise his fair and pleasing looks had materially assisted him. In fact he looks as much like a woman when in male attire as when dressed in bonnet and gown. In New-York he played the part of a "pretty waiter girl" at a Broadway Varieties, remaining there till waiter girls were, "crushed,'' when he went to Cleveland. Since the discovery of his ruse, he has gone upon the stage, and appears each evening at the Varieties in "part first."