Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-05-09
A STRANGE STORY.
A Convict I'm Penitentiary
discovered to be n Woman.


On the 2Sd of October, 1877, William
Freeman was sentenced to the Fri,
county penitentiary for one year ant
six months, having pleaded guilty to I
charge of burglary and larceny. Free
man was duly received into the peni
tentiary, was put to work in the shoI
at polishing buckles, and continued
quietly and with uniform good be
havior to pursue the dreary routine o
prison lie until yesterday morning
when a surprising discovery was made
1t became known to the prison
authorities, and later to police official
and few others, that the supposed
William Freeman was woman.
As SOON as the startling discovery o
her sex was made, Mary Ann Schsfer
rs she confessed her true name to be
was removed to another and secluded
part Of the prison, provided with thu
costume prescribed for femsle Stat
prisoners, and by Superintendent
Bakers orders was made rs comfort
able as the rules would permit. Sht
had utterly broken down, and begged
the Superintendent to keep her there
for life rather than to allow her secre
and her name to be published.
Mary ia twenty-three years of age
about five feet seven or eight inches il
height, with dark hair and dark eyeI
but pale complexion, and weighs pro
bably one hundred and forty pounds
Her wrists and ankles are small, buI
her hands and feet, from the roughesI
kind of labor, are large and coarse, and
her waist has never known the grip o.
a corset. As William Freeman she
was as good looking as the average man
AZ Mary Schaier she is not homely
woman. Her storytold with an abun
dance Of tears and with much apparent
feeling, was to this effect. She waE
born in New York city or ON shipbosrd
Her early home was in Allegany
county with her mother and q step
father, whom she left when she wa
eleven and a-half years of age. II
make u living was, at best q hard task
for one of her age, and believing tha
as boy she could do best and carr
most, she dressed herself in boy'l
clothes and hired out to do farm work
This she has done all her life since
blowing, chopping wood taking cart
of horses and all the rough work of 9
farmland, although all the time IL
the vicinity of her home, she aver
that not q soul except her mother unit
yesterday knew her or knew the secret
so carefully preserved. -
The crime for which she was senieGc
ed she claims she did not commit. Sh'
had rented farm about five mile.
from her fumily's home, which Is a
Wellsville, and hired a woman to ac
as housekeeper. This woman 3 nephew
committed burglary by which b,
secured quantity Of dry goods, whicl
he concealed in her barn. The prop
erty was found and she was one Of thI
number arrested. Being committed 4
Jail she was employed by the Sheriff t.
take care of his horses, and takinC
advantage Ofthe opportunity for liberty
which this service offered, she escapeG
and fed to Canada. In some mannel
she was induced to return. The maj
who committed the crime threatened
her life If she betrayed his guilt, and
she says, under Intimidation she made
the plea of guilty.
So long has this young woman
fOll)wed the Ways of man that to set
her in feminine raiment would be
amusing il the spectacle did not ex
Gle pity. Tne simplest bit of woman
work she does with all the awkward
ness a rough man would show.