The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-28
LOUISA HAS HER SAY.
And Tells a Long Story About
Her Career
BEFORE She GOT INTO JAIL.
She Wore Half Masculine Garments
in Her Girlhood.
Los GATOS FOLKS SAT SHE WAS GAY,
But the Prisoner Says She Eas Been
Straight Ali Her Lifc-A Denial
of Her Love Affair.

land Matson, the woman who has, accord
ing to her own story, been successfully
masquerading as man for the past six
teen or seventeen years, was not in an
amiable mood when first seen yesterday
by reporter in the sky parlor of the
County Jail She was not at all pleased
with the publication of her escapades. She
was seated at desk which has been pro-
yided for her.
Her light-colored trousers were turned
up at the bottom in true English style. A
black cutaway coat and eyeglasses con-
tributed to make a very natty appearance.
AS the reporter and artist entered she rose
to the full majesty of her five feet and
seven inches and gazed sternly at the in
truders.
at seems outrageous" she declared,
'athat man cannot have any peace, but
must be badgered to death by reporters"
AT the word man her auditors eyes
opened. AS she continued speaking her
features lost the set and rigid austerity
which she assumed at the beginning of the
interview and her faced was wreathed in
smiles.
"She seems to be possessed of fund of
good nature which even the prison walls
could not Danish. Occasionally she would
lose her temper when some subject was
approached upon which she is particularly
sensitive. She also objected strongly to
having a sketch made of herself.
"Hold on there, young man." she ex-
claimed, as she detected the artist surrepti-
tiously transmitting her features to paper;
''no likenesses in the newspapers. l don't
propose to have mine done if can help it.
| knew what you was doing" she added
pleasantly, as the discomfitted artist put
away his paper, "the moment l. saw you
take out that paper. I have done too much
of that kind of fwork myself to be fooled"
"You have done newspaper work then2"
was asked. =
"Ycs: little" responded the woman.
'.0h, dear yes; I'm English" she said in
response to another question. II was born
in Kent and am English to the stock. lam
twin. 1t is not true as stated that my
twin brother died when he was 26.
He died when he was four months old. 1t
had always been the hope of my folks
that 1 would take his place as much as
possible, and in my early youth I was
sort of a nondescript. was fond of out
-. y
age I was attired in garments about half
masculine. When l became two or
four or six and twenty, somewhere
around there, I put on the entire
male garb. / did not find it at all
inconvenient; in fact, it seemed natural to
me from the first. For twelve years I was
in Australia. There was engaged in the
hotel and agency business. The agency
was of the kind you would call here real
estate; there we called it land and house
agency.
''If was only half year I was engaged
in keeping summer resort at Ben Lomond;
only half year instead of a year and a
half as stated. While there 1 contracted
several debts. l don't suppose I've paid
over 65 per cent of my debts since I've been
up there, but it was all money 1 owed and
not, as one of the papers stated, sums had
beat these people out of. My remittance
this month wf-rate in arriving.
"When l needed money, like fool I
drew check on the bank where I have
been accustomed to placed my funds. 1
notified them that / had drawn the check,
but when I left the town for few days
they thought had skipped out for SIS and
had me arrested. The charge of obtaining
money under false pretenses is all trump
cry. A woman at Ben Lomond owed me
money for furniture which I sold her. At
the time / asked her for it she said, Il
haven't it now, but | will send it to you.
aI told her that would be all right.
wrote to her for the money, and received
no answer. Then l wrote an order on her
and had it cashed. She refused to honor
the order, and said she owed me nothing.
That is all there is in that charge.
"Do you think I will be able to get out
of here before Monday?" she asked. IT
dearly hope I shall. There is only one man
in Los Gatos I would ask to go my bail,
and have not been able to find him."
CHANGING over the account of the dis
closure of her garb she got very wroth at
times. "Strike that out" she said, "Inever
said anything of the kind" The reporter
looked at the offending sentence. 1t was
the statement made to Sheriff Lyndon that
she had been good straight woman all
her life.
"Isn't that true2" asked the reporter in
some astonishment.
at is shame" answered Miss Matson.
"I have been straight forseventeen years,
and before that doesn't make any differ
ence. have been straight all my life" +"
she said a moment later, ''and this is
the first time [ have ever been
in trouble When / get out of
here I intend to leave America as
soon as possible she said. shall assume
feminine apparel. There will not be fur
ther developments in the matter. l have
no reason whatever for wearing this garb
except those l have named and monetary
matters, which are strictly of family
character. have no other reason in the
world"
SHE FOOLED Los GATOS.
That Is What the Residents There Say
.Abont LatisG.
Los GATps, Jan. 27.-To say that the dis
covery yesterday in San Jose of the true
sex of the check-passer, Matson, created a
lively sensation here Today wn1lld he n1lt-