The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-05-08
A STRANGE STORY.
q Penitentiary Convict Discovered to
be a Woman.
An Episode at buffalo Penitentfary-In
Male Attire from Childhood
Brave Mary Ann Schafer's
Sad History.
Buffalo Express.l

in romance. dealing with ''Capitola''-or
perhaps the figure will be made stronger by
saying BILLY Piper"-in real life. Ii Will
be found to contain considerable of the
romantic element but dartened by record
of hard toll, such as in our age and country
only strong men are supposed 20 perform,
and crowned with misfortune and punish
ment perhaps entirely undeserved.
On the 23d Of October, 1877, William Free
man was sentenced to the Erie county PEN
itentiary for one year and six months. the
prisoner having pleaded guilty to charge OF
burglary and larceny. Freeman was duly
received into the penitentiary, was put to
work in the shop at polishing buckles and
continued quietly and
WITH UNIFORM GOOD BEHAVIOR
TO pursue the dreary routine of prison life
until yesterday morning, when surprising
discovery was made. 1t became known to
the prison authorities, and later TO the police
officials and a few others, that the supposed
William Freeman was woman. The cir
cumstances which led to the detection of
her sex were these: 1t seems that some
parties, probably her friends in Allegany
county, had applied to Governor Robinson
for pardon for the supposed William Free
man. In such cases il is usual Tor the gov
ernor or his authorized agent 10 write to the
keeper OF the prison in which The person for
whom the pardon is asked is confined Tor
statement OF the condition of the prisoners
health. Ali that is known at the peniten-
tiary concerning the application is the TACT
of the reception of such communication
from the governor as we have alluded to.
To ascertain the physical condition OF the
convict a medical examination was requisite.
DIR. 2. SOnnick, the physician OF the peniten-
tiary, was accordingly requested TO inYesti-
gate the case, and at 9 o'clock yesterday
morning proceeded to perform that duty. 1t
was
nor VERY LONG BEFoBE HE HURRIED
to Deputy Superintendent Wander with the
startling information, that's a woman"
The prisoner who for the last SIX months
had toiled in the shops with as hard lot OF
male humanity as could be easily got to-
gether was indeed woman in male habili-
ments, and the establishment OF The keepers
was increased by statement that she had
worn the clothes first of boy, then of
man, from the time she was eleven years old.
as soon as the startling discovery of her
sex was made. Mary Ann Schafer, as shecon-
fessed her true name to be, was removed TO
another part Of the prison, provided with
the costume prescribed for female state
prisoners. and by Superintendent Bakers
orders was made as comfortable as the rules
would permit. The woman had utterly
broken down from her usual firm bear
ing She begged the superintendent to keep
her there for life rather than TO allow her
secret and her name to be published. This,
however.
GOLD HARDLY BE PREVENTED,
as several persons necessarily became pos
sessed of a knowledge of the fact, and the
news once out naturally soon spread. And,
indeed, the statement of her history will be
more likely 10 enlist the sympathy OF the
public for her than to do her injury.
Mary is % years of age, about i've feet
seven or eight inches in height with dark
hair and dark eyes, but pale complexion.
She is pretty good sized woman, weighing
probably 40 pounds. Her wrists and ankles
are small, ~but her hands and feet from the
toughest kind OF labor, are large and coarse,
and her waist has never known the grip OF
corset. As Wm. Freeman, she was about as
good looking as the average man, as Mary
Schafer she Is not hOmey woman. Her
story told with an abundance of tears and
with
MUCH APPARENT FEELING,
was to this effect: She was born in New
York city, or on shipboard. Her early home
was in Allegany county, with her mother
and stepfather, whom she left when she was
eleven and half years of age, and believ-
ing that boy she could do best and earn
most. she dressed herself in boys clothes
and hired out to do farm work. This she
has done all her life since-plOugbinR, chop
ping wood, taking care of horses, and all the
rough work of farmland although all the
time in the vicinity of her home, she AYERS
that not soul except her mother, until
yesterday, knew her or her secret so care
fully preserved. She hasa brother and sister
OF Is and l. years. who probably to this
moment do not know that they have a sister.
She worked for various farmers in Allegany
county, at Niles Hill, Knights creek and
other towns. For a farmer named PeDdle-
ton she worked seven years. Through all
the long years of her disguise she protests
that she has preserved a character of
STRICT HONOR AND HONESTY,
which will be attested by those by whom she
has been employed. The crime for which
she was sentenced she declares she did not
commit. She had rented a farm about five
miles from her famlly's home, which is at
Wellsviile, and hired woman to act as
housekeeper. This woman's nephew COM
mitted- a burglary by which he secured a
quantity of dry goods, which he concealed
in the barn. The property was found and
she was one of the number arrested. Being
committed to Jail, she was employed by the
sheriff to take care Of his horses and taking
advantage of the opportunity for liberty
which this service afforded, she escaped and
fled TO Canada. In some manner she was in
duced to return. The man who committed
the crime threatened her life il she betrayed
his guilt, and, she says, under intimidation
she made the plea of guilty.
During the time of her imprisonment,
Mary says she was in constant terror of dis
covery of her sex, and indeed it is
REMARKABLE THAT SHE SUCCEEDED so LONG
in following prison rules and habits without
detection. Several times she had been on the
point of confesslRg to Superintendent Baker
that she was not what her clothing indicated,
but shame, she says, kept her mouth closed.
She bad fully determined that once out of
the prison she would wear male attire no
longer.
So long has this young woman followed
the ways of a man that TO see her in femi-
nine raiment would be amusing, if 1t did not
excite pity. The simplest bit of woman s
work she does with all the awkwardness a
rough man would show. She has, I'm fact
become native TO the pantaloons, and skirts
are garments which will require considerable
time for her to become accustomed to- What
action will now be taken in regard TO her
pardon il is impossible to foreteli. she has
certainly been a brave woman while not
representing woman, hard worker, and
the feeling toward her should be that of
charity. We trust her story OfinnOceDce of
the crime for which she sentenced as a
state prisoner 10 the penitentiary may prove