The Mystery of the 'Man in Woman's Clothes'
A queer identity case arrives at the Seattle Police Court, as a person arrested for cross-dressing faces a judge and a courtroom full of skepticism.
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.
In the Police Court on May 14th of last year, a person known as Maxwell, alias Frank C. Abater, was charged with wearing clothes of the opposite sex. The arrest was made by Chief of Police. On May 15th, the prisoner was brought into the Police Court, where the complaint was read. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and on Thursday, stated that she was a woman. When called to the stand, she stated she was a woman. He, on behalf of the prosecution, stated that the prisoner could be seen wearing men's clothes. He pointed to a handkerchief marked 'C. A. P.' and a shirt taken from the room occupied by Maxwell at the time of the arrest. The prisoner was identified by several acquaintances as a man, yet the defense maintained that she was a woman. Witnesses were called to testify on the matter, but the case remained a subject of intense public curiosity and legal confusion.
“The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and on Thursday, stated that she was a woman.”
This 1885 account reflects the harsh, surveillance-heavy reality for gender nonconforming individuals in early Seattle. While modern Seattle has become a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ lives, this story serves as a reminder of the historical legal and social policing of gender expression that characterized the city's formative years.
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