The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1901-01-24
Not a Romance.

1t appears that Murray II. Hall, the
woman In New York, for many years
supposed to be of the masculine gender,
WAS associated with Maine people and
even connected by marriage with Som
erset county people through thatperson's
second wife. We use the following &C
count OF this remarkable story clipped
from daily papers:
"Mrs. r. L. Hobbs of Shawmut is a
sister Of Mrs. Celia l.. Hall, the wife
OF Murray II. Hall, the woman who was
supposed, until her death, to be man.
The family had seen the newspaper &C
counts of Halls death, and from these
got its first news that Hall WAS not q
man.
MRS. Hall was Celia Frances Low,
who was born of an old and wealthy
family OF Waterville. At the time of
her death, In 1898, she was So years and
10 months old. She was bright and
ambitious girl, and, after teaching school
for some time, decided to become u
physician. She stten0S.(.-~--~ <-<eas
10 Boston and New York and WAS 10 a
few months Of graduation In the latter
city when her health failed and she WAS
obliged to give up her work.
at was while attending the New York
medical school that she formed the ac-
quaintance of Hall. He WAS middle
aged at the time and had few graces or
mplishments to recommend him to
this ambitious girl. He was possessed
Of a very smooth tongue, however, and
represented himself as man of great
wealth and aristocratic family. They
were married Dec. "a, 1872, and the
a Vakoning was rude one. Mrs. Hall
quickly discovered that her husband had
grossly deceived her, but she WAS too
proud to do other than accept the lot she
had herself chosen. Her husband tried
TO soothe her with tales Of unwise specu-
lation by which he had lost a fortune,
and told romantic tales of an estate In
Scotland, wrongfully withheld from him,
the rightful heir.
"For years the wife was the mainstay
of the family. She ran an employment
agency, which was in her name most of
the time, but occasionally 10 his. Her
husband kept the silverware locked up
because he did not wish to have it worn
by use. For years his wife's watch was
locked up for the same reason. He
would not buy her even necessary
clothes. She saved from her own earn
iugs from the agency and deposited these
IN Fairfield Me- bank in her sisters
name, for fear of her husband getting
hold Of them and squanderng them for
drink, for she thought he spent his
money 10 this way.
"She was deprived of all social privi-
leges, for her husband Stunned society
and forbade her having any friends
When her relatives went to visit her
they received but scant welcome from
the husband.
SIN time little girl, a cripple,
wandered into the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
Hall with woman supposed to be her
aunt. Little was known about them ex-
cept that they came from Ireland. Hall
protested great liking for the child and
adopted her. She is as mysterious as
her adopted father, and adds another
phase to the strange case.
MRS. Hall kept In touch with her
family In Maine, although she visited
them very rarely. She and her husband
had been in Shawmut, but he was never
suspected OF being woman. Mrs. Hall
talked with her sister about der life with
bitter sadness. Once. when asked why
she did not leave her husband, she re-
piled: 'Oh, you can never know Why |
can't Apparently she was restrained
by terror Of something, and her family
now believe that 1t was the fear that her
husband would kill her.
ain July, 1898, Mrs. Hobbs learned
that her sister was seriously Ill, and she
went to New York and cared for her
until the doctors pronounced her out of
danger. During all this time Hall would
not allow his wife to be alone with any
one for any length of time, as II fearful
Of something she might do in his
absence. After the physician had pro.
nounced the sick woman out OF danger,
Mrs. Hobbs returned to her home In
Maine. Mrs. Hall died soon afterward
and the body was shipped to Waterville
and Inferred in the family lot In Pine
Grove cemetery.
"Mrs. Hall left her husband 81, 900 of
her savings and like amount to her
adopted daughter. She always believed
her husband was penniless, and that he
was supported by her efforts. She often
wondered what would become of him
when she was gone and never dreamed
that he was possessed of $4,000 az re-
ported. She had no knowledge of Halls
former wife.
The family In Shawmat are astounded
at the report that Hall was woman aud
can scarcely believe 1t. The Lows are
among the most highly esteemed families
In this section.