The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-20
NEW Y0RK'S QUEER CASE
FRIENDS OF THE WOMAN WHO
PASSED AS A MAN ARE PUZZLED.
Even an Adopted Daughter Did Not
Know Murray Hall Was Not n Man
Joke ON n Tammanyfte.

NEW YORK, Jan. 1s.-Half the saloon
keepers, grocerymen and storekeepers gen.
orally who do business In the neighborhood
of Sixth avenue and Tenth street were in
self-accusing mood yesterday. Having
learned that their old friend. Murray Hall.
Tammany politician, distributor Of charity
and hail fellow we'll met. who died on
Thursday, was a woman, they remembered
a dozen occurrences which might have
aroused their suspicious, and wondered why
they had not learned his true sex years ago
And more than this. they wondered what
Barney Martin said when he read the news.
Hall was one of his followers who stuck
to him on all occasions, and seemingly
never tired Of singing his praises on the
street in his office, in the corner saloons.
or in the rooms of the Iroquois Club. where
the Tammany men were accustomed TO con-
gregate to talk over the situation and make
their plans. Senator Martin is now in
Albany and none of his friends knew to-day
just when he might be expected to return.
Murray Hall died where she had lived for
years at AS Sixth avenue. She kept an
intelligence office there and most of the
time, according to the neighbors. the rooms
were crowded with women who were look
ing for employment. A half dozen Of them
called at the office this morning and were
astonished to find it closed.
Sure" said one of them, as she fingered
the Grape hanging on the door. after hear
ing that the proprietor of the place was
dead. they say that Murray Hall was
woman. / don't believe a word of IL, and
me knowing him these twenty years. Didn't
know Mrs. Hall, and didn't 1 see his
daughter only the other day? Sure. 1t Is
more than passing strange.
The intelligence office for the most part
was patronized by women no longer young,
who were not i'm the habit of remaining in
one place long. They would go to the office
and sit there day after day until they got
employment. Then they would be seen in
the neighborhood no more for a week or
SO. At the longest few of them were away
from the office more than month at
time. Out of work. they would make haste
to seek Murray Hall. and announcing their
arrival, were oftentimes invited out ID a
nearby saloon.
The women who called at the house this
morning professed TO be close friends OF
the woman who had sent them off to work
So many times, and they waxed wroth
when they tugged at the door bell To no
end. The door at the foot of the stairs
leading up TO the Office was locked, and II
would not open, even when one OF the
women pounded it with her fist and
threatened to break the glass. The neigh
bors said that Murray Halls adopted
daughter was up stairs in company with
the housekeeper, and that they wanted no
intruders who would gather in the corners
and whisper to one another about the
strange discovery made after the death of
the head of the household.
Murray Hall lived alone with the adopted
daughter and housekeeper. Most of her
time she spent in the company of women
and those who called to-day declared that
she was good company, too. She woi
sit at one end of the room, where the
servants gathered, and talk with them by
the hour on any topic that came up. Now
and then she would ask one of them To
step out to have something, and after
that would return, ready to Join in any
conversation that had started during their
absence. In the evening she sometimes Wis
tied the saloons and the headquarters of
the Fifth Assembly District Tammany or
ganization and talked politics. Often,
though, she passed the evening sitting in
the back rooms of some saloon in the
company of women.
For some reason or other she always
made tall women her closest companions.
and it was more than once remarked that
despite her clothes she looked more like
a woman in some ways than did her COM
panions. One night she went into a saloon
either side of her and the three seated
themselves at table in the rear. The bar
tender, after taking the orders of the
women, turned to Hall and said:
And what will you have, little old
woman"
moment later he wished he had kept
quiet Hall flew into rage, called the
bartender a dozen harsh names, and
threatened to throw a bottle. The bar
tender. remembering this, to-day said:
Now that know the secret l can under
stand what reused Hall. He or she was
short. thin, and generally effeminate look
ing. There was not a hair on her little
weakened face. and she was continually
smiles. like little old woman might be
expected TO smile"
In the neighborhood where Murray Hall
lived she had reputation a dispenser
of charity. Often she went to the tiny
coffee stand back of the Jefferson Market
Police Court, and, laying a dollar the
counter. directed that it be expended in
providing rolls and coffee for any person
who was too poor to purchase them. The
result was that at almost any time there
were a cup Of coffee and a roll waiting
there for the penniless. and when the fund
was exhausted visit to Murray Hall would
have il replenished at once.
Thomas Moran, the lawyer who drew up
Murray Halls WILL said to-day that he was
thunderstruck when he learned that his
client was a woman He has an Office right
across the hall from the intelligence office
and saw his neghbor every day. Mr..
Moran was executor of the will of Mrs
Hall, who died over two years ago. She
left her property to her supposed husband
So far as Mr. Moran knows. the adopted
daughter is the only heir. He said to-day
that, like every one else I'm the vicinity he
knew Murray Hall well. but like every one
else knew nothing about her history.
Minnie Hall. who is about p years old
and rather prepossessing in appearance is
an adopted daughter. She was unaware of
her adopted fathers" secret and every
attempt was made TO conceal the secret
from her. The undertaken who had been
called in was amazed when he was told
the truth, and arranged at once by dis
pensing with his regular assistants TO try
and keep the matter from becoming pub
lie. The servant who knew the facts kept
the daughter away until the body had been
prepared for burial.