Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-05-09
FROM PANTS TO PETTICOAT.
REMARKABLE HIsTORY-A WOMAN DIS
GUIsED IN MEMS CLoTHEs-sHE EN-
TERED PANTS AT THE AGE OF lin
ACTIONS SHE Is MORE MAN THAN. wo-
MAN.
From The Buffalo Exnress.

|
Ham Freeman was sentenced to the
Erie county penitentiary for one year
and six months, having pleaded gull
| ty to Il charge of burglary and larce-
ny. Freeman was duly received into
1.-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 a surprising discovery
was made. 1t became known TO the
prison authorities, and later to po-
lice officials and few others, that
the supposed William Freeman was a
woman. It seems that some friends
in Allegheny county had applied to
Governor Robinson for pardon fol
the supposed William Freeman. In
such cases it is usual for the Cover
nor or his authorized agent to write
to the keeper of the prison in which
the person for whom the pardon is
asked is confined, for statement of
the condition of the prisoners health.
To ascertain the physical condition
of the convict medical examination
was requisite. DR.. z. Sonnick, the
physician to the Pcnitentiary, was ac-
cordingly requested to investigate
the case, and at 8 O'Clock yesterday
morning proceeded to perform that
duty. 1t was not very long before
he hurried to Deputy Superintendent
Wander with the startling informa-
/ ton ''that's woman" The prison
er, who for the past six months had
toiled in the shops with as hard lot
of men as could easily be got togeth-
er. was indeed 4 woman, and the as
tonishmcnt of the keepers was increas-
ed by her statement that she had
worn the clothes first of Il boy, then
of a man. from the time she was 1lI
years old.
AS soon as the startling discovery
IF her sex was made, Mary Ann
:. Schafer, u. she confessed her true
/, name to be. was reG"ed to another
and secluded part of the prlsonpro-
:, rIdcd with the costume prescribed
for female State prisoners, and 10y
Superintendent Bakers orders wa.
made Us comfortable as the rule:
; would permit. She had utterly bro
ken down, and begged the Superin
tendent to keep her there for lifi
r. rather than to allow her secret and
n her name to be published.
l. Mary is % years of age, about five
a feet seven or eight inches in height
with dark hair and dark eyes, bu
|. pale complexion, and weighs proba
= bly, 40 pounds. Her wrists and an
! kles are small, but her hands ant
# feet, from the toughest kind of labor
!. are large and coarse, and her wais
d has never known the grip of corset
II As William Freeman she was as good
d looking as the average man, as Mar,
le Schafer she is not homely woman
q Her story, told with an abundance o
ne tears and with much apparent feeling
N was to this effect: She Was born il
IN New York City, or on 'shipboard
ot Her carly home was in AlIeghan,
Of county, with her mother and a step
,, father, whom she left when she wa
- eleven and a half years of age. Il
III make n living was at best hard tas
le for one of her age, and believing tina
Id as boy she could do best and ear
Il most, she dressed herself in boy
ne clothes and hired out to do farm
10 work. This she has done all her lif
ul since-plonglinc, chopping wood
j. toking care OF horses, and ali tn
C. rough work Ola f:rm--and althoug
t. MI the time in the vieiIlity of he
ot home, she AYERS thaslfet a soul eS
to cept her mother until yesterday kne
her or knew the secret so CAREFUL
he preserved. The crime for which 81
D. was sentenced she claims she did M
cv commit. She had rented far
No about five miles frum her f,aaliiy
,erf hone, waicllisat7Mellsyile, and hi
e,I ed ii womarito acts as honsekeepe
,e- This woman's nephew committed
,lf burg larry by whic h he secured qua
m tlty of dry goods. which he concea
,s. ed in her barn. The property vi
nd found and s. e was one of the nun
l.. Der arrested. Being committed
be Jail she was employed=by the Sher
Nv to take care of his horses, and takil
nv advantage of the opportunity for Ii
%, erty which this service offered, 81
?
"a escaped and fed TO Canada.
nd some manner she was induced to r
.od turn. The man who committed Il
i'm crimethreatened her iife if she b
NO trayed his guilt, and she says, nnd
Of intimidation she made the plea
guilty.
So long has this young woman ft
lowed the ways of a man that to $
!, a her in feminine raiment would
md amusing, if the spectacle did not e
hat cite pity. The simplest bit Of W
nan mans work she does with all t
one. awkwaaslnesses q rough man wou
=, AWM a@@ s@s%@ Y seSY ~ kAAA
nth show.
81 --
ink ssWhat is that arrangement" as
ed newspaper man of depot o.
cial Yesterday, as they stood looki