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THIS MAN DRESSEDIN WOMEN S ATTIRE.Knew No Other Apparel and WhenPlaced in Prison Clothes Was Ashamed of the Pants.Cheatertown, Md., May 31.—-Silas Saul, a Man Mary Davis, was taken to the Hjuae of Correction from Kent lost week. He or she, as the case may be, had insisted upon being a woman, while the Kent county officials had insisted that he or she was a man, and ordered that he or she don mtrte apparel.When the prisoner was entered at the House of Correction, the perplexing question reached a climax. f All went along well until Superin-r tendent King happened to see the new arrival. He at once called to the fe male assistant, and said that '‘woman, is a man. To this the prisoner answered: I am neither man nor woman.”The matron, in the meantime, bad taken a good look at Saul, and she became convinced that some mistake had been made in defining the prisoner's sex. Superintendent King questioned the prisoner, who asserted that she was Mary Davis, and not a man. The Superintendent ordered the prisoner to the clothes room to change her wearing apparel for prison garb. Steward Hagadorn, in whose custody she was placed, insisted that the matron should 11 be called, as the prisoner was a woman. Superintendent King, however, ordered him to proceed to the clothes room with the prisoner.When the prisoner had donned the prison apparel the steward found fhu he or she had taken off a tailor-made gown, a corset cover, a pair of coreet*, five underskirts, a pair of fancy female hose and other female garments.When questioned by the guard the prisoner told the following tor„v:I don’t know exactly how old I am.I was born in West Virginia. When a | small child I was attired in female s clothing by my people, and In Wash-11 lngton and In various places I have -'served many prominentfamllieaas cook and house servant. All during these years I have associated with women, with che exception of times when I have had steady company with gentlemen. I have never worn male airtlre, and really I am ashamed at myBelf when I look down and see these trousers. No one has ever questioned my sex during all these years and I have always been considered a woman. I am a firat-class washer and Ironer, and -have always been hired out as a maid and nurse.The prisoner then held out both, hands and said: Do these hands looklike they ever worked In a harvest field? and added I think It Is a shame that I have been treated this way for wearing women’s clothes. I don’t know any other kind, as I have worn them for so many years. I always have my dresses made for me at the dressmaker’s, and at my home In Cheetertown I have hats to match my gowns.While the prisoner was making this statement he or she stood with eyes downcast and told the story with a well modulated voice, and with evident embarrassment. The prisoner stated that the trouble was due to envious people of hla or her own race In Kent county. He or she seemed particularly affected when they cut his or her hair off. The long tresses were wrapped and braided about the head 1n a neat plait, resembling an old time water fall. » .
Newspaper Details
Dover Delawarean
Dover, Delaware, US
Wed, May 23, 1900
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 03 Oct 2023
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