Searching the Google News Archive for LGBTQ Past

[Nat]

Parlor attendant attacked
St. Petersburg Times - April 26, 1975

Fort Lauderdale (UPI) - Two New York City youths severely beat and poured acid on a massage parlor attendent when they discovered he was a male, police reported Friday. The victim of the attack was Michael Gable, 20, listed in serious condition at Broward General Medical Center, where he is undergoing treatment for extensive face and shoulder burns. Police said Gable, who had been arrested recentlly for impersonating a woman, may be blinded permanently.

Police said Gable's assailants stripped him of his feminine clothing, tied him up, kicked and punched him at the "Pleasure Palace" massage parlor Thursday night. Then they poured on him several bottles of mouthwash, a bottle of insecticide, and an unlabeled bottle that was found to contain an unknown caustic cleaning fluid.

Police traced an automobile after the attack and arrested Steven A. Russell, 21, and Louis Ferone, 21, both of New York City on charges of aggravated battery.

Detectives said Russell and Ferone said they beat up Gable because the attendant, who told them his name was "Leslie," pretended he was a woman while he performed sexual acts with them. Russell had discovered Gable was actually male.

The youths said they did not know the unlabeled botle they poured on Gable contained an acid.

Police were called to the scene by employees of an adult book store adjoining the massage parlor, who said they scuffled with the assailants when they ran out of the parlor.

[Nat]

Court violates his rights as a woman, male stripper says

Washington Afro-American - Feb 9, 1965

Tampa, Fla - A 28 year old Jackson Heights man who wants to become a woman is planning for a $4000 operation to make him one, it was disclosed last week.

Frederick Cox, a "stripper," was given a suspended $500 fine or 100 day sentence after being booked for impersonating a woman.

Cox revealed that he is seeking an injunction in Circuit Court against the city to prevent further arrests. He charged that the city has "continuously taken my right as a woman through arrest and I am asking relief by declaration."

[Nat]

THE STARTLING PERSONATION CASE AT SANDHURST.
Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5537, 14 November 1879, Page 3




And here's more on the same person:

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF CONCEALMENT OF SEX.
West Coast Times , Issue 3272, 25 September 1879, Page 2

[AtLast]

Amazing thread! Thanks!

[Nat]

okay so today I searched the term bulldagger and I found most references from the late 1970s and beyond. But I did run across this from 1932 - which frustratingly costs money to actually read. This is the link and the abstract:

http://www.loislaw.com/gpc/index.htp...7514323@MSCASE

Pay-Per-View - Mississippi Reports - Loislaw - Apr 18, 1932
In this record, counsel did not explain to the court what type of woman is meant by the word "bull-dagger," but we assume from his statement that in that ...

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Mississippi Reports
BURNS v. STATE, 163 Miss. 258 (1932)
No. 30028.
April 18, 1932.

Joe Burns, the appellant, was convicted of murder in the killing of Betty May Griffin. The jury having disagreed as to the punishment, the court sentenced the appellant to be confined for life in the state penitentiary.

[Nat]

The Ladies of Llangollen - ("romantic friendship")

I found reference to these two in a New York Times article dated Aug 26, 1867 here

But it didn't have too much info so I went ahead and googled them directly.



From Wikipedia:

The Ladies of Llangollen were two upper-class Anglo-Irish women whose relationship scandalised and fascinated their contemporaries. The Ladies are interesting today as an example of historical romantic friendship.

Eleanor Charlotte Butler (11 May 1739 - 2 June 1829) was considered an over-educated bookworm by her family, who occupied Kilkenny Castle. She spoke French and was educated in a convent in France. Her mother tried to make her join a convent because she was becoming a spinster.

Sarah Ponsonby (1755 – 9 December 1832) lived with relatives in Woodstock, Ireland. She was a second cousin of Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough, and thus a "second-cousin-once-removed" of his daughter the Lady Caroline Lamb. Her host, Sir William Fownes, tried to force himself on her on various occasions.

Their families lived only two miles (3 km) from each other. They met in 1768, and quickly became friends. Over the years they formulated a plan of a private rural retreat. Rather than face the possibility of being forced into unwanted marriages, they ran away together in April 1778. Their families hunted them down and forcefully tried to make them give up their plans – in vain.

They decided to move to England but ended up in Wales, and set up home at Plas Newydd, near the town of Llangollen in 1780. They proceeded to live according to their self-devised system though they could rely on only an annual £280 from intolerant relatives (equivalent to £28,739.20 in today's terms 2007).[1] Still, they overhauled Plas Newydd to the Gothic style with draperies, arches and glass windows.[2] They hired a gardener, a footman and two maids. This led to significant debt, and they had to rely on the generosity of a very few friends.

They devoted their time to seclusion, private studies of literature and languages and improving their estate. They did not actively socialise and were uninterested in fashion. Over the years they added a circular stone dairy and created a sumptuous garden. Eleanor kept a diary of their activities. Town-dwellers of Llangollen simply referred to them as "The Ladies".

After a couple of years, their life attracted the interest of the outside world. Their house became a haven for all manner of visitors, mostly writers such as Robert Southey, Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron and Scott, but also the military leader Duke of Wellington and industrialist Josiah Wedgwood; aristocratic novelist Caroline Lamb, who was born a Ponsonby, came to visit too. Even travellers from continental Europe had heard of the couple and came to visit them, for instance Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau, the German nobleman and landscape designer who wrote admiringly about them.

The Ladies were known throughout Britain, but in fact led a rather unexciting life. Queen Charlotte wanted to see their cottage and persuaded the King to grant them a pension. Eventually their families came to tolerate them.

Butler and Ponsonby lived together for the rest of their lives, over 50 years. Their books and glassware had both sets of initials and their letters were jointly signed.

Eleanor Butler died in 1829. Sarah Ponsonby died two years later. Their house is now a museum run by Denbighshire County Council. Both of the ladies are buried at St Collen's Church in Llangollen.

Butler's Hill, near Plas Newydd, is named in honour of Eleanor Butler. The Ponsonby Arms public house in Llangollen takes its name from Sarah Ponsonby.

[Nat]

FEMALE HUSBAND MAKES HER TIRED

Mrs. Ernestine L. Rauck, who was married last week to Lydia Cotta Sawyer, who had masqueraded as a man for several years, applied to the courts today to have the marriage annulled. Judge Wright signed

Mrs. Rauck Is Suing for a Divorce from Lydia Lotta Sawyer. WOMAN HUSBAND TO HIDE The Manly Lydia Says That She Is Going To Hide Herself from All Who Might Recognize Her--Text of Bill. Dressed as a Man, She Kept Bar.The Manly Lydia Says That She Is Going To Hide Herself from All Who Might Recognize Her--Text of Bill. Dressed as a Man, She Kept Bar.

The Atlanta Constitution
June 28, 1902

(rest is pay-per-view)

[Nat]

Originally Posted by Nat

FEMALE HUSBAND MAKES HER TIRED

Mrs. Ernestine L. Rauck, who was married last week to Lydia Cotta Sawyer, who had masqueraded as a man for several years, applied to the courts today to have the marriage annulled. Judge Wright signed

Mrs. Rauck Is Suing for a Divorce from Lydia Lotta Sawyer. WOMAN HUSBAND TO HIDE The Manly Lydia Says That She Is Going To Hide Herself from All Who Might Recognize Her--Text of Bill. Dressed as a Man, She Kept Bar.The Manly Lydia Says That She Is Going To Hide Herself from All Who Might Recognize Her--Text of Bill. Dressed as a Man, She Kept Bar.

The Atlanta Constitution
June 28, 1902

(rest is pay-per-view)

I googled Lydia's name and found a free copy of an article about her. Transcribed below:

Alleged Man Turns Out to be a Woman
Mr. H. C. Wood in Name, Miss Sawyer in Reality

Drinks, Chews, and Smokes

Husband of Mrs. Rauck, of Baltimore, Discovered to be a Wayward North Carolina Girl - Will require Court Decree to Annul Marriage

Baltimore, MD., June 26 - All doubts as to the sex of Lydia Lotta Sawyer, alias "Herman G. wood," who married Mrs. ernestine L. Rauck, 719 North Eutaw Street, last week, have been set at rest by Dr. John T. McCarthy, one of the police surgeons.

At the request of Captain McGee, Dr. McCarthy visited Miss Sawyer and later told Captain McGee that she had answered all of his questions clearly and frankly and that there was no further question as to her sex.

Pleads to be Let Alone

Still clad in the well-fitting suit, in every detail the garb of a man, Lotta Sawyer is confined at the Northwestern station. She shrinkks from the gaze of everyone, and pleads pideously to be left to herself until the time arives for her to be sent to her home in North Carolina. The woman sent a telegram yesterday morning to Belcross, N.C. to one of her relatives, asking that funds last night. It is said, during the time that Captain McGee spent at the Rauck home awaiting her return.

"Mr. Wood" spent much of his time at saloons on Lexington Street, betweeen Paca and Eutaw Streets, and was well known by the frequenters of these places. Last night, "he" appeared there, but, according to several of "his" friends, "he" was in a greatly agitated frame of mind.

"For some time 'he' has been talking of opening a saloon," one of "his" friends said yesterday, "and when 'he' appeared on the block last night 'he' was asked where 'he' would locate, but only evasive replies could be got from 'him.'"

Wife was to furnish money

It was stated on good authority last night that yesterday was the day upon which Mrs. Rauck was to have given her "husband" $1,500 with which to buy the saloon on Lexington Street, which the Sawyer woman had negotiated for.

About three weeks ago Mrs. Rauck sold the store on Eutaw Street directly opposite No. 7 engine house, where she conducted a dyeing and scouring establishment for many years, for $3,500.

It was said that it was a portion of the proceeds of this sale with which Mrs. Rauck intended backing her "husband" in the saloon business.

Court Must Annul Marriage

A well-known Baltimore lawyer said yesterday that when two persons of the same sex are married in accordance with the requirements of the law it will be necessary to invoke the aid of the courts to have the marriage annulled. Therefore, he said, Mrs. ernestine L. Rauck, if she wishes to free herself legally from Lydia Lotta Sawyer, must apply to the courts to annul their marriage.

A dispatch from Elizabeth City, N.C., says:

"Lotta Sawyer, the young woman who in the disguise of a man married another woman in Baltimore, is the daughter of the late Edward Sawyer, who was a prominent and wealthy farmer in Cmden county, aout five miles north of this place. He died in 1880, leaving a widow and four children, three of whom were daughters. The family was highly respected and was among the first families of Camden county.
"In 1885 the widow, with her four children, moved to Norfolk, Va., where they resided for three or four years. But they afterward returned and took their home again in Camden county. Mrs. Sawyer soon after her return from Norfolk married john C. Whitehurst, who died in 1892.

Caused Mother Much Trouble.

"The girl Lotta was very wild and caused her family much trouble. She gave birth to a child. When this disgrace had fallen upon her, she quietly left the house one night, when her child was only a week old, and walked to Norfolk, where she donned man's apparel. In this disguise she went to Baltimore, where she has since resided. She has visited Norfolk on several ocasions, but always in the disguise of a man.

"Her child is still living and in the care of her mother, Mrs. Whitehurst. The wayward girl has never visited her mother since the night she took her leave, but the mother has received several letters from her during the time she has been away. It is understood that her letters were not of a pleasant character. Notwithsanding the grieved and heartbroken mother has made every effort to reclaim the girl, her efforts in that direction have failed."

[Nat]

Found another article

TO ANNUL MARRIAGE OF TWO WOMEN

WIDOW WANTS TO BE LEGALLY FREE FROM HER MASQUERADING "''HUSBAND.'"

Baltimore, June 27 1902. - Mrs. ernestine L. Rauck, who was married last week to Lydia Lotta Sawyer, who had masqueraded as a man for several years, applied to the courts to-day to have the marriage annulled. Judge Wright signed an order for a hearing in the case.

The bill filed by Mrs. Rauck states that the petitioner, a widow and the mother of children, was married to the defendant by the Rev. Anthony Bilkovsky at the minister's home on June 16 last, and that two days subsequent to the ceremony she discovered that her "husband" was a woman. the bill further declares that the defendant has confessed the deception.

The bill is filed against Lotta A. sawyer, or Lydia Lotta Sawyer, known as Herman G. Wood.

If the suite to procure the annulment of the strange marriage is not defended a decree pro confesso will be signed as a preliminary. The proceedings will then be suspended for thirty days in order to give the defendant an opportunity to answer, and if at the end of that time no answer is made the court will order testimony to be taken before a commissioner. This testimony will then be submitted to the court, and a final decree will be signed in accordance with the juge's opinion in the matter.

Such a case as this one, of course, was never contemplated by the lawmakers, and there is no statute on the books governing a marriage between two persons of the same sex.

Miss Sawyer is in seclusion, probably in the city. Before leaving the police station last night she said to the matron, "I want to thank you for your kindness to me while I was a prisoner. I am going to hide myself from all who might recognize me."