Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-11-15
Aancaster !gntelligenccr.
MAaY ANN sunAvsn,s nvMAsUs.

Born at See, Passing TOR Man, ana lmpris-
oeed fov = Ostme shc Did not Commit.
In the summer of 1877 many burglaries
were committed In the vicinity Of Wells.
vile and adjacent parts Of Allegany county,
N. 7. In 1876 young man named VIM.
Freeman had leased farm near Wells
viIle. He had worked in the neighborhood
for several years as farm haud, was a
member Of the Methodist church, and bore
On excellent reputation, His household
affairs we're looked after by an elderly
woman, whose nephew also lived on the
farm. Among the places robbed in 1877
was grocery store in Wellsvile. A por
tion Of the goods were found in Freeman 8
barn. He was arrested, but protested his
innocence, and the general opinion was
that he knew nothing Of the crime. He
was sent to Jail at Angelica AS the time
for his trial drew near circumstances
pointed strongly toward another person as
being the burglar, and Freeman's acquit
tai was generally expected, To the SUR
prise Of every one, when he was called fer
trial he entered plea of guilty. In doing
10 he broke down and begged the court to
be lenient toward him. He was sentenced
to 1S months imprisonment in the Erie
county Jail.
In March, 1878, strong petition was
forwarded to Gov Robinson from Alleg-
any county asking for Freeman's pardon.
The governor notified the prison authoii-
ties, and directed that the usual medical
examination of the prisoner be made. DR..
Sinnock then learned that Freeman was
woman. She was at once removed to
the women's quarters OF the prison. Ste
begged that the fact of her disguise should
not be made public, and told the prison
authorities the story of her life. Her
name, she said, was Mary Ann Schaetter.
She was born on the ocean in 1850, while
her parents were emigrating to this coun =.
try. After arriving in America they lived
in Alegany county. When she was five
years old her father died, aud her mother
married again. When was ten years Of
age her step father told her she must earn
her own living. as he was unable TO sup
port her. She went out as a servant, but
being large for her age and very strong,
she made up her mind to put en- boys
clothing in order that she might earn
larger wages. Her mother was the only
one who knew OF this determination. She
worked for farmers for a season on ths
Erie canal. she then returned TO the vi
oinity OF her mothers house. No one
recognized her, and she worked for ten
years for different farmers.
When she joined the church in 1875 she
longed TO resume the clothing of her sex,
but she had passed for a man so long that
she was ashamed to confess the truth.
She declared that she was perfectly inuo
cent OF the crime for which she was i'm
prisoned. The guilty person, she said,
was the nephew of the woman who was
her housekeeper, but he had visited her
in jail and declared that unless she pleaded
guilty to the charge he would kill her be
fore she could 90 from the court house to
her home, in case she was acquitted.
Miss Schaefer was paIdOned in the fall
OF 1878. Dressed in her proper clothing
she went at once ~ her mothers. The
real burglar escaped arrest by fleeing
from the state. In 1879 Miss Schaefer
obtained employment in a shoe store IN
the oil region, where a prosperous grocer
married her. She was left widow with.
in year, aud her strange story is now
recalled by her second marriage, her pres
ent husband being a brother of the first
one.