The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-05-10
NUMBER l6.
UNDER FALSE COLORS.
WOMAN WHO WAS SENT TO THE PENI-
TERTIARY AS A MAN.
IBufalo Express ]


On the 23d of October 1877, William
Freeman was sentenced to the Erie County
Penitentiary for one year aud six months,
having pleaded guilty to- a charge of burg
larry and larceny. Freeman was duly e.
ceived into the Penitentiary, was put to
work in The shop at polishing buckles, aud
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 be-
came known to the prison authorities, and
later to police officials aud few others,
that the supposed William Freeman was
a woman. 1t seems that some friends in
Allegheny county had applied TO Governor
Robinson for a pardon for the supposed
William Freeman. In such cases it is
usual for the Governor or his authorized
agent TO write TO the keeper of the prison
in which the person fOI whom the pardon
is asked is confined, for a statement of the
condition of the prisoners health. To as
certain the physical condition of the con-
vict a medical examination was requisite.
DR.. Z. SOnuick, the physician to the Peni-
tentiaIy, was accordingly requested to in
vestigate ;he case, and at clock yester-
day morning proceeded to perform that
duty. 1t was not very long before he huT-
Iied to Deputy Superintendent Wander
with the startling information, chats a
woman" The prisoner. who for the past
six months has toiled in the shops with as
hard lot of meh as could easily be got to-
gether, was indeed woman, and the as
tonishmeut of the keepers was increased
! by her statement that she had worn the
clothes inst of a 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 she
confessed her true name 10 be, was reniov-
| ed to another and secluded part of The
Gsal ttaas
| ed for female State prisoners, aud by Su-
/ perintendent Bakers orders was mad as
comfortable as the rules would permit.
/ She had utterly broken down, and begged
( the Superintendent TO keep her there for
| life rather than to allow her secret and her
| name to be published.
| Mary is twenty-;hree years of age, about
/ D feet or inches insh eight with d. K
hair and dark eyes, but pale cOmplexl-u,
aud weighs probably 140 pounds Her
! wrists and ankles are small, but her ha.ds
and feet, from the Toughest kind of labor
| are large and coarse, and her waist las
never known the grip of corset. As
/ William Freeman she was as good-look ing
/ as the average man, as Mary Schafer Size
| Is not hOmely woman. Her story, told
/ with an abundance Of tears and with much
| apparent feeling, was to tins effect She
| was born in New York city, OF on shin.
| board. Her early home was in Allegheny
county, with her mother and a step father
; whom Sue left when she was eleven and a
half years of age. To make living was
at best hard task for one of her age and
| believing that as boy she could do best
| aud earn most, she dressed herself i'm boy 8
| clothes and hired out to do farm work
| This she has done all her life since
plnughing, chOpping wood, taking care Of
| horses, aud all the roneh work of a farm
and although all the time in the vicinity Of
! her home, she AYERS that not soul except
! her mother until yesterday knew her or
| knew the secret 80 carefully preserved,
| The crime for which she was sentenced
she claims she did not commit. She had
rented farm about five miles from her
/ family's home, which is at Wellsville. and
bhired q woman 10 act as house keeper
/ This womau's nephew committed a burg
larry by which he sroured a quantity of dry
goods, which he concealed in her barn
! The property was found and she was one
Of the number arrested. Being committed
to Jail, she employed by the Sheriff to
take care of horses, and taking advantage
of the opportunity foT liberty which this
! service offered, she escaped and fled to
| Canada. In some manner sue was induced
| To return. The man who committed the
crime threatened heI life If she betrayed
las guilt, aud. she says, under intim dation
she made the plea of guilty.
So long has this young woman followed
the WAYS of a man that to see her in fem
in inc raiment would be amusing if the
spectacle did not excite pity. The SIM
plesi bii of wumans work she does WI d
1 all the aw kwaI duess a rough man VOL ia
show.