Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-11-29
Mary Ann schafer's Romance,
Bon, at Sea, Passing for Nan, and I'm.
prisonsd for Crime she Lid Not
Commit

In the summer of 1877 many bur.
glaries were committed in the vicinity
of Wcllsvile and adjacent parts of Al
legheny county, \. Y. In 1876 Il
Young man named VIM. Freeman
had leased farm in Wrllsvile. He
had worked in the neighborhood for
several years rs farm hand, was Il
member of the Methodist church, and
bore an excellent reputation. Ills
household atinirs were looked after by
an elderly woman, whose nephew also
worked on the farm. Among the
places robbed in 1877 was It grocery
store at Wcllsville \ portion of the
goods were found in Freeman's barn.
He was arrested but protested his in
noctnce, and the general opinion was
that he knew nothing Of the crime.
He was sent to Jail Mt Angelica. As
the time for his trial drew near cir.
cumsranccs pointed strongly toward
another pcasou a. being the burglar,
aud Freemau's acquittaI was general
ly expected. To the surprise OF every
me, when he was called for trial he
entered a plea of guilty. In doing SO
he broke down aud begged the court
20 he lencnt towards him. He was
.enteuced To IS months imprisonment
10 the Erie county Jail.
In March 1873, "a strong petition
was forwarded to Gov. Robinson from
Allegheny county asking for Freed.
mans pardon. The Gov. notified the
prison authorities, aud directed that
the usual medical examination of the
prisoner be made. DR.. Snnock then
learned that Freeman was 4 woman.
she was at once removed TO the wom-
ems quarters Of the prison. She beg
ged that the fact of her disguise
should not be made public, and told
the prison authorities the story of her
lite. Her name, she said, was Mary
Ann Schaeiirr. She was born on the
ocean in 1880, while her parents were
emigrating to this country. After ar
riviug in America they lived in Ale.
ghenv county. When she was five
years old her father died, aud her
mother married again. When she was
ten years of age her step father told
her that she must earn her own living.
as he vas unable to support her. Snr
went out As servant, but beiug larg"
for her age aud, very strong, she
made up her mind to put on boy
cIothing in order that she might earn
larger wages. Her mother was rh"
only one who knew ot this dctermln
alton. She worked for farmers for n
season on the Erie cabal. She then
returned to the qicinity Of her mother
house. No one recognized her, aud
she worked for ten year- 'or different
farmers.
When she joined the church in 1870
she longcd to resume the clothing OF
her sex, hut she had passed for a man
30 long that she was ashamed to con.
fess the truth. She declared that she
was perfectly innocent Of the crime
for which she was imprisoned. The
guilty person, she said, was the neph
cw Of the woman who was her house.
keeper, but he visited her IN jail and
declared that unless she pleaded guilty
: to the charge he would kill her before
she could 20 from the cunrt house To
her home, in case she was acquitted.
Mis- Schaefer was parlnued 10 the
| fall of 1873. Dressed IN her proper
clnthing she went at once TO her moth
er-. The real burglar escaped arr It
hv fleeing from the state. In 1879
/ Miss Schaefcr obtained employment
| IN shoe store in the oil region, where
la prosperous grocer married her. She
wa- lett widow within year, and
her strange story is now recalled 10y
her second marriage, her present hus.
band being a brother of the first one