In the early hours of June 15, , 1 a Black sex worker named Mary Jones was arrested in what is now the Lower Manhattan neighborhood of Soho. Feigning interest in her services, the officer followed Mary to her apartment, and asked to meet with her in the street. When Mary obligingly led him to a nearby alleyβthe same alley her accuser had described to police as the scene of the alleged crimeβMary was seized. Police Watch Return from June 16, NYC Municipal Archives. The People vs.
Court of General Sessions Minutes, As articles in the New York Herald 2 and New York Sun 3 newspapers would later report, Mary was an experienced pickpocket with great expertise in sleight of hand. Finding this sufficient evidence, officers agreed to detain Mary at the nearest watch house for further investigation.
Several banknotes were also recovered. When police showed these notes to Robert Haslem, he could only identify a few as being his own. Thinking that Mary could have hidden the missing money in her clothing, officers decided that a physical examination would be necessary. Testimony of Mary Jones, Grand Jury Indictment cover, the People vs. Peter Sewally alias Mary Jones. Personal questions like name, occupation, and place of residence were standard, but queries relating to past history, accusations or offenses generally were not permitted.
Mary faced charges of grand larceny, but the bulk of her interview transcript concerns her gender history. This is a key detail, as examination transcripts were used as evidence in both the indictment process and subsequent trial.
She was ultimately found guilty. Published by H. Image courtesy The Smithsonian Institute. Despite its salacious title, the lithograph portrays Jones as nothing more or less than an elegant black woman.
