Freestone County, Texas
History & News of 1878


Placer Herald newspaper - 9 November 1878; Page 5

At Home In Breeches.

To-day Alderman Hogan, of the City Council, and Chief of Police Compton were 
walking in East Waco, or that part of the city east of the great river Brazos, 
and the immediate terminus of one of the branches of the Houston and Texas Central 
Railway. Their attention was attracted to a person walking near the depot who, 
to the casual observer, appeared a country youth, with ruddy and beardless face 
and a plumpness and roundness of contour, especially about the bust, that seldom 
attaches to the masculine form. The chief looked at the young man, but with the 
sharp eyes of a detective soon saw there was something wrong, and mentioned his 
suspicions to the Alderman. The latter pooh-hooed, laughed at the idea, saying, 
“Oh, it’s only a big fat boy.” The officer, however, set a watch on that young 
man. The result was late in the evening the stranger was arrested and taken to 
the calaboose, for in Texas a lady is not allowed to wear such attire as suits 
her every time, any more than pious Mussulmen can drink what suits them every 
time in Turkey. Hearing of the affair, a quill driver immediately poked his nose 
into the municipal prison and demanded an interview. The request was conveyed by 
the jailer to the “fat boy” in one of the cells. She returned the reply, "Wait 
till I get on my boots!” This was another suspicious circumstance, for a male 
inhabitant of the "jug” would have come forth in his old stockings, and without 
waiting; a woman must always wait to put on something or other —stick a pin, tie 
a shoe, or adjust a collar. The “boy” stepped forth into the Chief's office. He, 
or rather she, was evidently of fine figure, a graceful waist, voluptuous form 
and the medium height, with raven hair cut short, but not shingled, a swelling 
bust, beautiful, expressive blue eyes, handsome features, and teeth of pearly 
whiteness. She “had on” a well-ironed hickory shirt, an ordinary vest, jeans 
pants and substantial leather boots, worn Texas fashion, with the tops over her 
trowsers. She talked fluently, intelligently and unreservedly of herself and her 
history. According to her story, she is a girl of sixteen years of age, belonging 
to a wealthy prominent family of the State of Missouri, but whose name she would 
not reveal. A young man courted her, but her brother-in law objected to the 
marriage, and even threatened her life if she married her lover. She came to 
Texas one year ago, and in March last married the object of her affections in 
Freestone county, in this State. Some weeks ago, hearing that her relatives were 
on her track, she was obliged to adopt this disguise to escape danger from them 
and save herself and husband from their wrath, knowing that no man has ever yet 
been punished for killing a woman in Texas. The fair girl still has the 
bashfulness of girlhood, but seems perfectly at home in breeches. It is believed 
there is more of romance and mystery about the case than the girl has yet seen 
fit to reveal. — Cor, St. Louis Globe Democrat.