The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-12

Wearing PantaloOns.
A curious story comes from Western
New York. In 1876 young man
named Freeman rented a farm near
Wellsville, Allegany County. He had
worked on different farms in that part of
the State, enjoyed an excellent reputa-
ton, and was known as Handsome
Billy" Being unmarried he hired
widow of middle age to superintend his
household affairs. A nephew of this
woman assisted Freeman with the farm
work. In the summer of 1877 several
burglaries were committed in the coun-
ty. Among others store was robbed,
and the goods were traced to Freeman's
barn and found hidden there. Freeman
was arrested and charged with being
concerned in the burglary. He declared
that he was innocent, and few people
who knew him believed him to be guilty.
BY the time his case was ready for
trial, in October, a speedy acquittal of
Freeman was expected, as circumstances
pointed strongly to other persons as the
criminals. But, to the surprise of the
community, when Freeman was arraigned
for trial he pleaded guilty to both counts
of the indictment, burglary and larceny.
He broke down entirely in making the
plea, and begged the court to be lenient
with him. He was sentenced to eighteen
months imprisonment in the Erie County
Penitentiary, and was put to work polish
ing buckles among a lot of hardened
criminals.
The warden of the prison was given
notice by Gov. Robinson in March, 1878,
that a petition had be- n made for the
pardon Of the prisoner VIM. Freeman,
and requested a report on the physical
condition of the convict, as is customary
when pardon is to be considered. DR..
Sinnock, the prison physician, proceeded
to make the necessary examination OF
Freeman, and, in few minutes, report
ed to the warden with the astonishing in
teligence that the convict was a woman.
The prisoner was removed at once to the
woman's quarters. She begged that her
case would not be made public, and told
the following story:
Her name, she said, was Mary Ann
Schafer, and she was twentv-three years
old Her p'rents we're German emf
grants, and she was born on the ocean.
Her father died soon after arriving in
America, and her mother married again
and removed to Albany County. When
she was eleven years old her step-father
told her he could not support her any
longer, and that she most 60 away and
earn her own living She worked as a
servant in farm-houses for few months,
when she determined to disguise her-elf
as boy in order that she could find
more remunerative employment.
No one but her mother knew of her
intention. She went to distant part Of
the county for about two years, did farm
work, and worked one season on the
Erie Canal. She then returned to the
vicinity of her home, where no one rec.
nized her. Under the name of William
Freeman she worked in the vicinity fol
ten years without awakening any suspi
lcion that she was not man. She Joined
the Methodist Church in 1875, and hao
for several years longed to assume hel
true character, but the wearing of men,
clothing had become second nature tt
her, and she was ashamed to make thu
J change. In regard to the crime fol
which she was arrested, and to which sh,
pleaded guilty, she declared that she wa
entirely innocent. The nephew Of tht
woman who was her housekeeper hat
committed the burglary and secreted th'
goods in the barn, and had declared t,
her while she was in Jail that unless sh'
entered plea Of guilty sle never woulc
reach home alive. She believed that th'
nephew was man who would not paus
at any crime, and to save her life sh,
pleaded guilty.
When dressed in women's clothing
Mary Scbafer became fne-looking wo
man, but awkward from long use Of mall
attire and masculine issbb5f. She wa
pardoned in the fall of 1873, and returned
to Bradford, Pa, and obtained employ
ment in shoe-store, under her rea
name, in proper attire. The nephew
whose threats made her convict, ant
led to the discovery of her secret, escapet
punishment by leaving the State. Ii
the spring of 1878 the merchant in who's
store the burglary was committed dis
posed of his business and went TO Lime
stone. Cattaraugus County, N. Y. Hi
business called him frequently to Brad
ford. He was a German, and friend o
the man for whom Mary Ann Schafe
workf d. He met the young woman a
the store, liked her, and asked her II
marry him. She accepted him, and Las
week they became man and wife.
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