The Scandal of the Cross-Dressing Physician
A Washington state medical panel clears a doctor of 'moral turpitude' after he was accused of parading in public with a woman dressed in men's clothing.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The state medical board concluded its semi-annual session at the Grand hotel last night. Among the important results of yesterday's session was the revocation of the license of Powell Reeves, of Tacoma, and the dismissal of the charge against Dr. J. F. Cropp, of Walla Walla. The case against Dr. J. F. Cropp then came up for consideration. Dr. Cropp was accused of having been convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude. The specific offense charged was that in February, 1890, Dr. Cropp had been found in Spokane parading about the public streets with a woman habited in male attire; that the couple had been arrested for disorderly conduct, and that the doctor had pleaded guilty to the charge. A mass of documentary evidence was introduced, and from their consideration the board decided that the charge that the doctor had been 'convicted' of the offense had not been sustained, and the case was dismissed. The defense was prepared with considerable testimony and in the event of a hard fight intended to make it appear that the case was one of spite against Dr. Cropp, and had certain affidavits that would have reflected severely on three prominent physicians in Walla Walla.
“The specific offense charged was that in February, 1890, Dr. Cropp had been found in Spokane parading about the public streets with a woman habited in male attire.”
This 1892 medical board hearing highlights how gender nonconformity was treated as 'moral turpitude' or a moral failing requiring professional scrutiny. While the board dismissed the specific claim of a criminal conviction, the case underscores the historic surveillance of gender-nonconforming individuals in Washington's early public life.
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