The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-03
WOMEN IN MALE ATTIRE.
DEATH OF MURRAY HALL RECALLS
NOTED PREDECESSORS.
Females Who Were SoIdicrs-Coun-
tess Who Drank and Smoked in
Mems Cnfes-Dr. James" Barry
and "A Queen of Sweden.


From the New York World.
Although Murray Hamilton Hall lies
buried in a quiet suburban cemetery pub
lie interest in this most extraordinary
woman does not end with the grave.
The story of her career will continue
to puzzle for generations.
The mystery about her is how she
was able, disguised as a man, TO live
an active political and business life In
New York city for upward of 30 years
to any living being, so far as known,
except the two women who successive
ly passed as her wives.
For three decades she came into daily
contact with hundreds of persons, In pol
itics and in the conduct Of her business
of an employment agency. BY all she
was supposed to be a man.
In every conceivable way she UNI
seXed herself, and this she did so well
that no detective. no Vidocq. ever equal
ed her effects in all-around disguise.
She wore no wig. She did not hide her
her hands within gloves. She put her.
self in many situations which it is al
most impossible 10 believe were not
acutely embarrassing-suc as submitting
to arrest and examination in a police
station--but no one ever penetrated her
disguise
The task which Murray Hall set her
SELF has attracted many women before
her. says Dr. Cyrus Edison. Most of
them have gained a certain sort of
posthumous fame thereby. In this fact
may perhaps be found Murray Halls
motive.
Countess SaroIta Way.
"Of all the women who have played
the part of man and died playing 1t the
Countess Sarolta Way is one of the most
famous.
THE Countess was an Austrian girl
and attained celebrity some ten years
ago. She was the daughter Of a
colonel, who, having "A large family of
daughters, brought up Sarolta as a boy
Her girlhood was passed in Pesth, where
she visited cafes in mans clothing ami
crank and smoked with journalists and
officers. She published a book of poems
under the name of Sander, and appeared
for the first time in uniform shortly
first tried to dissuade her from continu-
ing her disguise.
She refused, however, and was next
heard of as a sutton for the daughter
OF school teacher i'm Klagenfurt. She
was known there as Count Sander Way,
and as such married the young woman
Marie Engelhardt The swindle was
shortly discovered, but not until after
the Count had squandered a good share
of her 'wife's' money.
A Famous London Case.
Catherine Coombs of London is one of
the few among these phenomenal wo-
men who is still alive,
she is now SO years old and is a resi-
dent of West Ham Poorhouse, London
For 43 years she was known as Charles
Wilson, and practiced the trade of mural
painting and decorating.
Nor would her altogether blameless
masquerade ever have been discovered
probably had Charles w lson" not been
injured by fall and obliged to go to an
| institution because no longer able "a
support herself.
sturdy Woman Miner.
'Hazleton, Pa, still boasts of former
citizen whose real name was Mrs. Pie
tro Loganani, but who long worked in
the coal mines in masculine guise.
zone other disguised woman has sue
cessfully carried out her scheme among
the Pennsylvania miners.
Her name was Mrs. Julia Forest She
was distinguished from many other sub
jects of these interesting experiments in
being of good birth, the daughter of an
Episcopalian clergyman, well educated,
attractive in person and manners. At 16
Julia eloped with a miner, who after
ward became injured and was unable to
work
Shortly it was known I'm the mine that
John Forest, a cousin of Julia had tax II
her husbands place in the mines. For a
long time she had prActlced this innocent
deception and earned the money TO sup
port her sick husband and children.
For twenty years Mrs. Jane Westover
was the town barber of MARLBOROUGH,
Conn. The best class of citizens would be
shaved by no one else than this gentle ex-
pert with the razor, who had come to
town one day i'm a mans coat, trousers
and derby hat. and who never changed
her style of dress
"One curious characteristic of women
who array themselves as men Is that
they almost invariably have the gift Of
making other women fall in love with
them. This was the case with Tony
Leesa, who succeeded I'm arousing the in
terest of almost every young woman en-
ployed in the big hat factory of John T.
Warning in Yonkers.
But the inevitable befeH Tony. He-or
she. if you will--fell I'm love. And while
the factory girls were still excitedly won
dering which of them he preferred, an
nouncement came of Tony marriage and
assumption OF her proper sex.
THE muster rolls of the Civil War
show q number of cases of soldiers who
were discovered to be women. Doubtless
there were many others who were never
suspected. In Fox's 'Regimental Losses
the following instances are given:
"Forty-sixth Pennsylvania, Company D.
Charles D. Fuller detected as being a
female; discharged.
"One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Penn
sylvania, Company +, 'Sergt. Frank
Mayne,' deserted August "a, 1862; suisse
auently killed In battle in another regi-
ment end discovered to be a woman; real
name Frances Day.
Second Michigan. Company F. Frank
lin Thompson; deserted. Charges Of de-
sertion removed by House Committee on
Military Affairs, Washington. + bruary,
1887, the soldier having had good record
and fought well in several battles, but
proved TO be woman; real name. Miss
Seelye.
"Twenty-sixth North Carolina &C.. s.
Al. COMPANY +. Mrs. l.. NJ. Baylock. =
enlisted March 20, 1861; discharged for be-
ing a woman.
one Of the most remarkable cases on
record of a woman warrior who has passed