The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-03
Told by the Woman Who For
Years Posed as Her "Wits"
THEY WERE ART STUDENTS.
Male Attire Was Adopted Because II Per-
mlttsd More Freedom and Gave Greater
Safety While Travsllng

on the steamship Citta ~ Torino Mon
day Just after the vessel arrived at her
pier ana who for more than ten years
masqueradcd as a married man in Italy
and elsewhere.
Miss Rosalia Baldelii, who passed as
Miss Halls WIFE for so many years.
ana who on the discovery OF Miss Halls
sex after her death gave her own name
as Miss Giuseppina Borlani, yesterday
told tho story of her acquaintance with
the woman. who was afterward to pass
as her husband, anu who Miss Baldelli
for ten years publicly acknowledged as
her husband.
Albert @. Hall, Of Boston, who Is said
10 be cousin OF the dead woman, came
here from Boston yesterday at the re-
quest OF her father for the purpose OF
taking charge OF the body and removing
it Boston for burial.
DIsLTKEs NoToRIETY.
Miss BaIdelli or "Mrs. Charles Win
slow Hall" as her husband" called her.
told the story OF her acquaintance with
.,liss Hall She is unable 10 speak Eng
lisa and conversed in Italian through an
interpreter. She is OF medium size. has
dark hair and eyes. and Is quite of an
Italian type. She has certain air OF
refinement. dresses i'm good taste and ex-
pressed herself as disliking the notoriety
which she has gained through her con-
nection with Miss Hall she said, with oc-
casional outbursts of tears: = met Caro-
line winslow Hall ten years ago while
was living In Milan. Italy, where was
engaged as a teacher in government
school. One day I'm autumn I was walk
ing I'm the outskirts of Milan, when l met
rather good looking young woman. She
made some commonplace remark and
from that we soon became engaged in
general conversation.
She told me she was an American.
that her name was Caroline winslow
Hall and that her home was i'm Boston.
She explained that she was attending an
art school. having come 20 Italy for the
purpose OF studying art.
SHE ASSUMED MANS ATTIRE.
eve were mutually attracted almost
al once. She was a very engaging, fas-
ciuating woman, of much intellect and
felt drawn toward her She told me she
ndu DecOnle greatly interested In me, al
though We had known each other such
n short time. and we met frequently af-
ter that while taking walks about the
city.
One day she told me she had no sis
ters or brothers, and that she desired me
20 take the place OF sister From that
time we were together almost constantly
She was then attending the Brere Art
School. in Milan The students were
nearly all young men and Miss Hall
therefore adopted mans coat and trou-
sers as a working costume, as did the few
other female students. She declared that
she felt more at ease in mans clothing
which gave her an opportunity for great
er freedom than would be possible if she
wore woman's clothing constantly
After she left the art school we trav-
elled through Italy and elsewhere to-
sether. II was not until 1897 that she de-
cided 10 assume the guise OF man, be-
cause she believed we would be subjected
20 less annoyance IL she wore mems
clothing. She assumed the name OF
Charles Winslow Hall, and said that I
should take the name OF Giusepinna Hall.
her wife. We Travelled for three years
more. and at no time was her sex ques-
toned.
GIVES WIFE" ALL PROPERTY.
"Just before her death she told me she
desired me 20 have all her property I
L now
she is gone, for loved her so / shall 60
10 Boston with her body, together with
Mr. Albert G.. Hall. OF Boston, who Is a
relative OF hers and who came here at
the request OF her father. who is III and
who could not come In person 10 take
charge Of the body and make the neces-
sary arrangements"
INITIATED ROSA BoNHEUR.
Boston. Mass, Oct. s.-Niss Caroline
Hall was an admirer and imitator OF
Rosa Bonheur. the famous animal paint
or She was the daughter of John r..
Hall. q well known Boston architect,
who drew the plans for the Hollis street |
theatre building. lie had offices at No. |
Exchange place.
Miss Hall was eccentric" said rela-
tives, "and that is all there is In the |
whole matter. There is absolutely no !
mystery I'm the case and nothing To |
make a sensation over. She left here 10 |
go abroad when she was about seventeen |
years old Her mother. who was a Bos- |
ton woman and very fond Of art went. \
with her and remained abroad about FIVE |
years before returning TO this country.
''Sliss Hall had pictures I'm the Paris |
Salon. She had been abroad all the time |
for the last twenty years. except for a /
time about nine years ago. when she ac- |
companied her mother on one OF her /
trips home. But Miss Hall stayed less
lHdll ~ Nfdl anu Aifn went Dack 10 italy. /
"She and her mother have had n coun- /
try place Just outside Milan for the last /
thirteen years. There Miss Hall enioved /
her outdoor life and spent much time |
shooting and hunting. She was a good |
shot with rife, and when on her hunt
ing trips she was accustomed to dress IN
mans clothing That gave her much /
more freedom. of course and nothing was \
thought Of II over there
In fact. believe her change 70 mans
clothing her permanent dress came
about because of her liking for the hunt
ing costume for she was not regarded
b. any Of her relatives as anything hut
sound I'm her mind. There was no insanity |
about n.
The Italian woman mentioned be-
iieve was an artist friend of Miss Hail
who had spont much time with her at
Milan and who worked with her IN art
Mrs. Hall was not only painter but
nnodeller. She died In Boston two years
ago.