Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-11-21
Romance in Real Life.


\ WOMAN IMPRISONED As MALE CONVICT
FAIDoSED AND MARRIED
From The New York Times.
\ curious story comes from Allegany
county in private letter from a well-knOwn
resident of that county to a gentleman of tins
city. In 1876 young man named William
Freeman rented farm near Wellsville, Ale
gany county. He had worked on different
farms in that part of the State, enjoyed an
excellent reputation, and was known as
Handsome Billy" Being unmarried, he
hired widow Of middle are who lived in the
neighborhood to superintend his household
affairs. A nephew of this woman assisted
freeman with the farm work. In the Sum
mer of 1877, several burglaries were commit
ed in the county Among others a store was
robbed, and the goods were traced to Free
mans barn and found hidden there. Freeman
was arrested aid charged with the burglary.
lie declared that he was innocent, and few
people who knew him believed him
guilty. \ speedy acquittal of Freeman
was expected, as circumstances point
ed strongly 10 other persons as the
criminals. But, to the surprise OF
the community, when Freeman was
arraigned for trial he pleaded guilty to
potn burglary and larceny. He was SEN
fenced 10 IS months Imprisonment in the
Erie county penitentiary, and was put to
work polishing buckles among lot of hard
ened criminals.
The warden of the prison was given no
ticc by Gov. Robinson in March, 1873, that
a petition had been made for the pardon of
the prisoner, William Freeman, and request
ed a report on the physical condition of the
convict, as is customary when pardon is 10
he considered. DIR. SinnOck, the prison
physician, proceeded to make the necessary
examination of Freeman, and in a few min
utes reported TO the warden the astonishing
intelligence that the convict was woman
The prisoner was removed at once to the
womens quarters She told the following
story Her name, she said, was Mary Ann
Schafcr, and she was % years old. Her pa
rents were German emigrants, and she was
born on the ocean. Her father died soon af-
ter arriving in America, and her mother mar
ried again. When she was l years old her
step-father told hor he could not support her
any longer, and that she must go away and
earn her own living. She worked AS ser
want in farm houses for Il few months, when
she determined to disguise herself as
boy, in order that she could find
more remuncrative employment. No
one but her mother knew of her intentions.
She went to a distant part of the country for
about two years, did farm work, and worked
one season on the Erie canal. She then re-
turned to the vicinity of her home where no
one recognized her. Under the name of
VIM. Freeman she worked in the vicinity
for ten years without awakening Il suspicion
that she was not IL man. She Joined the
Methodist church in 1875, and had for sever
al years lOngcd to assume her true character,
but the wearing of mems clothing had be
come second nature to her, and she was
ashamed to make the change. In regard To
the crime for which she was arrested, and TO
which she pleaded guilty, she declared that
she was entirely innocent. The nephew of
the woman who was her hOusekecpcr had
committed the burglary and secrcted the
goods in the barn, and had declared 10 her,
while she was in Jail, that unless she entered
"A plea OF guilty she never would reach home
alive. She believed that the nephew was a
man who would not pause at any crime, and
To save her life she pleaded guilty.
When dressed in woman's clothing Mary
Schafcr became fine locking woman, but
awkward from long use of male attire and
masculine labor. She was pardoned i'll the
fall of 1873 and returned at once 10 her
mother. Last winter she went to Bradford,
Penn, and obtained employment in a shoe
store, under her real name, in proper attire.
The nephew whose threats made her con
vict, and led to the discovery Of her secret,
escaped punishment by leaving the State.
The merchant in whose store the burglary
WAS committed was n German, and "A friend
OF the man for whom Mary Ann Schafcr
worked. He met the young woman, liked
her, and asked her To marry him. She ac-
ccptcd him, and last week they became
man and wife