Daily Republican., 1879-11-06
A LITTLE ROMANCE.
A WOman's Struggle 10 Earn A
Living - Disguised, PersCruted,
and Married.


and Married.
A correspondent at EImira, N. l.,
tells the following romantic story
A curious story comes from Allegheny
county in private letter from we'll
known resident of that county to gen.
tlsman of this city. In 1876 a young
man named Wi liam Freeman rented a
farm near Wellsville, Allegheny coun-
ty. lie had worked on different farms
in that part of the State, enjoyed an
excellent reputation, and was known
as "Handsome Billy" Being unmar-
risd, he hired widow of middle-age
who lived in the neighborhood to su
perintend his household affairs. A
nephew Of this woman assisted Freeman
with the farm work. In the summer
Of 1877 several hurglaries were commit
ted in the county. Among others e
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 tims his
case was ready for trial, in October, a
speedy acquittal of Freeman was ex-
pected, as circumstances pointed strong
ly to other persons az the criminals.
But, to the surpr So Of the community.
when Freeman was arraisned for trial
he plead guilty to both accounts OF the
Indictment, burglary and larceny. lie
broke down entirely in making the
plea, and begged the Court to be len
lent with him. He was sentenced to
eighteen months Imprisonment in the
Fri. County penitentiary, and was
put to work polishing buckles among
lot of hardened criminals.
The Warden of ths prison was given
notice by Governor Robinson in March,
1878, that petition had been made
for the pardon Of the prisoner william
Freeman, and requested 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 ne
cessary examination of Freeman, and,
in a few minutes, reported to the War
den with the astonishing intelligence
that the convict was a woman. The
prisoner was removed at once to the
women's quarters. She begged that
her case should not be made public,
and told the following story.
Her name, she said, was Mary Ann
Schafar, and she was twenty-three
years old. Her parents were German
emigrants, and she was born on the
ocean. Her father died soon after ar
irving in America, and her mother
married again and moved to Allegheny
county. When she was eleven years
old her stepfather told her he could not
support her any longer, and that she
must go away and earn her own liVlnS.
She worked as a servant in farm houses
for a few months, when she determined
to disguise herself as boy, in order
that she could find more renunrratlve
employm4nt. No one but her mother
knew of her intentions. She went to
distant part OF the country for about
two wears, did farm work, and worked
ous season OH the Erie Canal. She
then returned to the vicinity OF her
home where no one recognized her.
Under the name of William Freeman
she worked in the vicinity for ten Yeas
without awakening any suspicion that
she was not q man.
She Joined the Methodist church IN
1875. and had for several years longed
to assume her true character, but the
wearing of mems clothing had become
second nature to her. and she was
shatned to make the change. In re-
gard to the crime for which She was ar
rested and to which she pleaded guilty,
she declared that she was entirely IL
uocent. The nephew of the woman
who was her h0usekeeper had commit
ted the burglary and secreted the goods
in the barn, and had declared to 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 wcmen's clothing
Mary Schafrr became fine looking wo
man, but awkard from long use OF male
attire and masculine labor. She was
pardoned in the fall of 1878, and re-
turned at once to her mother. Last
winter she went to Bradford, Pa, and
obtained employment in shoe store
under her real name, in proper attire.
The nephew whose threats made her Il
convict, and led to the discovery OF her
secret, escaped punishment by leaving
the State. In the spring of 1878 the
merchant in. whose store the burglary
was committed disposed OF his business
and went to Limestone, Cattaraugus
county, N. Y. His business called ilim
frequently to Bradford. He was Ger
man. and a friend of the man for whom
Mary Ann Schafer worked. He met
the young woman at the store liked
her, and asked her to marry him. one
accepted him, and last week they bs'
came man and wife.
Senator ChandIcr's Funeral.
nj, r...,.,l nf S.anotnr Chandler took