The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-18
4 WOMAN IN TROUSERS.
Miss Cbristiana Lecaff Resumes skirts
After Five Years of Tramping.


Miss Christiana Lecaf. also known as
Mrs Mcdonald, has been travelling about
in trousers for the last five years. Be
sides wearing trousers she has been very
wicked, but now she Is tired OF both trou-
sers and wickedness, and says that for
the rest Of her life She wants nothing
better than to be a good woman Of the
old-fashoned sort.
For the last five years Miss Lecaff has
roamed all over the Northwest in mascu-
line ciothes-cowbOy's clothes at that.
wide-brmmed hat spurs high-heeled
boots. and all. She did this in company
with q man named Mcdonald. and they
got their living during all that time by
robbing mining and logging camps. Her
home as a child was In Montana, In the
Bitter Root Valley She had step
mother Of the provorbial sort. and her ia
Their made her work in the fields Among
the hired hands on her fathers farm was
Mcdonald. Her work in the fields threw
her some times into this mans company
and to him she complained much of the
hardness and unhappiness Of her life.
He persuaded her to run away with him.
and she. supposing that he meant to run
away and be married, consented 10 go.
She was then only IL years old. But they
were not married. and she, having thrown
her lot with his saw nothing better than
TO stay with him.
They wandered about from place TO
place. sometimes tramping and some
times riding horses. This was an odd
sort of life for a woman TO lead. and In
order that they might be less conspicuous
she put on mems clothes. She did not
wear dresses again until after she drifted
into Walla Walla two or three weeks ago.
Guuf % faflr D.. lFr
robbed sheep camps once in the noun
tains they robbed and old man. Mcdonald
holding revolver at his head, while
she under McDOnalds orders gag
ged him. Another time, after
they had robbed two houses in Missoula.
Mon, they were arrested on suspicion.
but as there was no proof against them
they were discharged. Again in Helena.
thye were arrested for burglary. but they
hired q lawyer 10 defend Them and by
his help they escaped conviction.
The woman says that all their misdeeds
were committed in Montana, and that
since they came 10 Washington. about
two years ago, they have done nothing
criminal. Since then they have merely
trampod about and have earned such
living as they have had by odd Jobs In
one place or another. During their rowing
life che woman has borne three children.
AS they could not carry the children about
with them in their rowing. tramping, pre-
daceous existence. Mcdonald made her
leave the little ones as soon as they were
born. As soon as she was able to walk
she would don her coat and trousers
again. say good-by 10 her baby. and tramp
away with Mcdonald. The children are
living, and, so far as she knows are all
doing well. She wishes now TO get them
and make a home for them.
The hardships and exposure Of the wild
life she led at last told upon her and
when they reached Walla Walla she was
so broken in both health and spirits that
she could so no farther She went to a
hospital for treatment. and Mcdonald
went on tramping. She says that he in
tends to return In a few weeks and get
her again. but that she has lived the last
day Of that sort OF life. When she was
able to leave the hospital she attended a
Salvation Army meeting. 1t interested
her very much and after O weeks con-
slant attendance she was converted and
Is now member of the army. IL was
solely through her penitence and confess
sion that her story was made known
What little she had said OF herself pre-
vious to her conversion had contained no
hint OF the truth.-New York Sun.