Los Gatos Had a Cross-Dressing Crook Captured in
1895
Thanks to Google Alerts, "Live in Los Gatos" doesn't have an excuse for missing much that comes
online about the Town. This morning I was directed to an article in the San Jose
Mercury News that discussed a bit about life in the 1890s. A photo of women with enormously poofy sleeves was
displayed, along with a discussion about their clothes generally. It wasn't all that interesting.
But...
At the bottom of this article is a section titled "112 Years Ago" and that's where the interesting stuff
was buried.
Apparently Charley Parkhurst (who was a female dressed as a male her whole adult life), a stagecoach
driver discussed in this blog previously in "Surprises of the WIld
West", wasn't the only one back in the wild west days with a secret! Charley Parkhurst, though, was an
honest worker, a teamster who couldn't have worked in her chosen profession without some deception. (She was also
the first woman to vote in the US!)
In the case of Louise Elizabeth Myrtle Blaxland Murton Matson, though, it may have been work that
motivated her, but not honest work. Imagine her jailmates' surprise when she was thrown in with them in January
of 1895 and they realized that the guy passing bad checks on Main Street in Los Gatos was no man at all. Apparently it was
her mother who thought up the idea that if she dressed like a man, she could get away with her crime (what a family!). The
judge must have been baffled as to what to do with this case.
Instead of sentencing her to serve time in the jail (perhaps there were no women's facilities?), he released her with an
order to dress like a woman.
Some would argue, both then and now, that this would be quite punishment enough.
Indeed, all through history there've been cases of women dressing up like men (And vice versa), and until their unfortunate deaths, very few have been caught.
It is indeed a wonder why no one could have seen anything of this sort sooner.
For a fictional biography of Charley Parkhurst read CHARLEY'S CHOICE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHARLEY PARKHURST. It is jam-packed with her legendary exploits. A fast-paced, good read.
Fern J. Hill
Author of Charley's Choice: The Life
and Times of Charley Parkhurst a
fictional biography about a well-respected,
one-eyed stagecoach driver during the
California gold rush era who, upon death,
was found to be a woman and one-time mother.
A blog about Los Gatos real estate, homes, houses, condos, townhomes, housing market, neightborhoods, history, events, businesses, parks, schools, photos, issues, and lifestyle.
Mary Pope-Handy
Realtor, CRS, ABR, SRES, E-PRO
Luxor Real Estate Group
Mailing Address for Mary: PO Box 440 Los Gatos, CA 95031-0440
877 397-5391 (office/toll-free)
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