The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-12-01
MARY ANN sCHETER,s ROMANCE.
Born at Sea, Passing for Man, and Impris-
oned for Crime She Did Not Commit,

Born at Sea, Passing for "a Man, and Impris-
oned for Crime She Did Not Commit.
An Olean dispatch says: In the sum
mer of 1877 many burglaries
were committed in the vicinity
OF Wellsville and adjacent parts of AL
legany county. In 1876 young man
named William Freeman had leased a
farm near Wellsville. He had worked
IN the neighbOrhOOd several years az a
farm hand, was member of the Meth
Odist church, and bore an excellent rep
utation. His household affairs were
looked after by an elderly woman w hose
nephew also lived on the farm. Among
the places robbed in 1877 was a grocery
store in Wellsville. A portion of the
goods were found in Freeman's barn.
He was arrested, but protested his innO-
eence, and the general opinion was that
he knew nothing Of the crime. He was
sent to jail at Angelica. As the time
TOT his trial drew near, circumstances
pointed strongly toward another person
as being the burglar, and Freeman's
aequlttal was generally expected. To
the surprise of every one, when he was
called for trial he entered the plea of
guilty. In doing so he broke down and
begged the court to be IenieDt with him.
He was sentenced to eighteen months
imprisonment in the Erie county peni.
tentiaTy.
III March, 1878, strong petition was
forwarded to Governor Robinson from
AllPginy county, asking for Freeman's
pardon. The Governor notified the pris-
on authorities, and directed that the
usual medical examination of the pris-
Oner be made. DR.. SinnOck then learn
ed that Freeman was a woman. She
was at once removed to the WOman's
quarters Of the prison. She begged that
the fact of her disguise should not be
made public, aud told the prison au-
thOrities the story Of her life. Her real
name, she said, was Mary Ann SchaefeT.
She was born on the ocean in 1855, while
her parents were emigrating to this
country. After arriving in this country
they lived in Allegany county. When
she was i've years old her father died
and her mother married again. When
she was ten years old her stepfather
told her she must earn her own living,
as he was unable to support her. She
went out as servant. but being large
for her age, and very strong, she cOnciu-
ded to put on 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 season or two, and then spent
season Oh the Erie canal. She then
returned to the vi Unity of her mothers
house. No one recognized her, and she
worked ten years for different persons.
When she joined church in 1875 she
lOnged TO resume the clothing of her
sex, but she had passed for a man so
long she was ashamed to confess the
truth. She declared she was perfectly
innocent of the crime for which she was
imprisoned. The guilty person, she |
said, was the nephew of the woman who |
was her hOusekeeper, but he had visited |
her in Jail and declared if she did not |
plead guilty to the charge he would |
kill her before she could go from the |
court house to her home in case she was |
acquitted.
Miss Schaefer was pardOned in the |
fall of 1873. Dressed in her proper cloth |
1ng she went at once to her mothers. |
The real burglar escaped arrest by flee |
ing from che state. In 1879 Miss Schae- |
fer obtained employment in a shoe store |
in the oil region. where prosperous |
grocer married her. She was left a |
widow within year, and her strange |
story is now recalled by her second mar |
Tiage, her present husband being a |
brother of the first one.